Regulatory Oversight over Rail Operators’ Safety Decisions following East-West Line Incident on 25 September 2024
Ministry of TransportSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the regulatory oversight and engineering justifications for SMRT extending the overhaul interval of the incident KHI train by 38% prior to the East-West Line derailment. Member of Parliament Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked why such extensions were permitted without Land Transport Authority approval and how future safety decisions would face direct regulatory oversight. Minister of State Jeffrey Siow responded that while operators adjust maintenance based on performance, SMRT lacked a specific risk assessment for extending axle box overhaul intervals. He noted that the Land Transport Authority previously audited these waivers under licensing requirements but has since tightened oversight of maintenance procedures. Consequently, the Land Transport Authority now requires all maintenance schedule adjustments or waivers to be submitted for its formal review and approval before implementation.
Transcript
58 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Acting Minister for Transport in respect of the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau’s report on the East-West Line train derailment on 25 September 2024 (a) why was the operator permitted to extend the overhaul interval of the 37-year-old KHI train by 38% without LTA's approval; (b) what engineering assessments justified this; and (c) how will such safety decisions face direct regulatory oversight henceforth.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: This reply also addresses Mr Gerald Giam’s question on a related topic for subsequent Parliament Sitting.
While manufacturers provide maintenance recommendations, it is the responsibility of operators to determine the maintenance requirements of their trains based on ground experience and operating context. It is common for metro operators around the world to adjust maintenance requirements based on the performance, condition, and usage of the trains. Operators are expected to adhere to their own defined maintenance requirements, and to properly document any waivers. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) audits these as part of the operators’ licence requirements.
Based on the investigation reports for the September 2024 East-West Line incident, SMRT had extended the overhaul interval for the incident train on two separate occasions, relying on the overall performance and reliability of their train fleet. As axle box failures are not common, SMRT had not undertaken a detailed engineering and risk assessment specific to extending the overhaul interval for the axle box.
LTA has tightened its oversight of the operators’ maintenance procedures, and now requires waivers or adjustments to maintenance schedules to be submitted for LTA’s review before they can be implemented.