SINGAPORE – No major incidents were reported on the North-South Line for 100 days as of April 18, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post on Tuesday (April 19).

At the same time, the Downtown Line also crossed the 178-day mark in which no major incidents have been reported.

“For us in the rail industry, clearing 100 disruption-free days is no mean feat: it requires everyone to do everything right. Any misstep can cause a disruption,” Mr Khaw wrote.

“The entry of NSL is especially inspiring as it is our oldest line. Its success gives us confidence that with hard work and strong determination, we will improve our rail reliability,” he added.

But the minister also warned that lapses could also bring progress “back to square one”.

He said that challenges in the rail industry are “especially daunting”, as there are concurrent efforts to expand rail capacity, upgrade the power system, replace ageing assets, and stabilise the existing system to make it more reliable. On top of that, many of these engineering tasks have to be carried out during the three to four engineering hours per day.

“But our colleagues on the ground are undaunted. They are pressing on, and putting in their best efforts, all thanks to the continued support of commuters and residents during the early closure of the North-South and East-West Lines,” he wrote.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE – A new SMRT bus loop service will ply between Bukit Panjang LRT station and Choa Chu Kang North 5 from April 24.

Service 979M will provide residents of Choa Chu Kang North 5 with a direct connection to the station from 6am to 11.30am daily.

This temporary route will be integrated into service 979 when modification and widening of the junction between Stagmont Ring and Woodlands Road is completed.

ljessica@sph.com.sg