Singapore’s Bukit Panjang LRT line pulled off a classic encore on 19 July 2025, bringing train services to a screeching halt—again. Yes, for the second time this month, a power fault managed to stop four trains dead between stations, giving commuters the thrilling opportunity to enjoy some unexpected downtime in the middle of their afternoon.
At precisely 2:45pm, SMRT reported the power fault, and by 2:50pm, the entire Bukit Panjang LRT line was off-limits. Commuters, naturally thrilled, were told to swap their train rides for the charm of free regular and bridging buses waiting outside the stations—because nothing says “Singapore efficiency” like last-minute transport juggling.
SMRT Trains’ president Lam Sheau Kai chimed in at 2:58pm, reassuring everyone on Facebook that engineers were “on-site investigating” while four trains sat idle like forgotten toys between stations. Passengers were, with great care and ceremony, guided off the stranded trains to the nearest stations, where they could resume their exciting adventure of finding alternate transport.
“Our engineers are working hard to fix this,” said Lam, politely apologising for “affecting your afternoon commute.” Surely, commuters were just overjoyed to have their schedules disrupted so dramatically.
By 3:22pm, there was good news: train services were “progressively resuming.” For those counting, that’s roughly 37 minutes of quality waiting time to look forward to—perfect for catching up on scrolling through social media or staring blankly at the platform walls.
This repeat performance of service disruption doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the Bukit Panjang LRT’s reliability, especially with two power faults in a single month. One can only hope this isn’t the new normal for our beloved rail line.
Meanwhile, bridging buses continue to offer the “luxury” of alternate travel options, much to the delight of stranded commuters. The Land Transport Authority and SMRT are keeping mum on exact causes and when full service will be restored, leaving commuters hanging on for updates like a gripping drama series.
In a city where public transport is the lifeblood of daily life, such power faults provide a not-so-gentle reminder that even the most basic infrastructure can sometimes take a holiday.