SMRT

[CityFarmer]

many still depend on public transports to commute unless they own car , so what choice do they have ? Ex CEO SAW even told commuters they have a choice not to board if they were not comfortable with the trains.

I reckon those car owners are also depend on public transport, to go to work, especially those work in CBD. I knew quite a number of them.

Have the ex-CEO Saw said so? Any reference?

(not vested)

She said so in the ST . I don't archived it as impossible to archived everything . Perhaps some forummers here have .

I found an related article. The actual statement from her was

"People can board the train – it is whether they choose to”
http://www.augustman.com/you-can-choose-...aOuuPmqqko

I agree it was inappropriate, and she had forgotten MRT is a public service, which practically commuters have no choice.

(not vested)

[greengiraffe]

many still depend on public transports to commute unless they own car , so what choice do they have ? Ex CEO SAW even told commuters they have a choice not to board if they were not comfortable with the trains.

I reckon those car owners are also depend on public transport, to go to work, especially those work in CBD. I knew quite a number of them.

Have the ex-CEO Saw said so? Any reference?

(not vested)

She said so in the ST . I don't archived it as impossible to archived everything . Perhaps some forummers here have .

I found an related article. The actual statement from her was

"People can board the train – it is whether they choose to”
http://www.augustman.com/you-can-choose-...aOuuPmqqko

I agree it was inappropriate, and she had forgotten MRT is a public service, which practically commuters have no choice.

(not vested)

can't trust any of these high powered people since they are already disconnected from the ground. All this incidents are reflective of the problems facing Singapore since most key appointment holders being "parachuted" from a proven system within the "proven" system.

[LionFlyer]

can't trust any of these high powered people since they are already disconnected from the ground. All this incidents are reflective of the problems facing Singapore since most key appointment holders being "parachuted" from a proven system within the "proven" system.

But ex-CEO wasn't a public servant that was "parachuted-in", but a private sector hire by their Board. So I think your statement is misplaced. But that's moot point, because the problem was they hired someone who was retail/bottom-line oriented.

In any other circumstances or business venture, that would be a good thing. But this is one business where profits is not the sole KPI.

[greengiraffe]

can't trust any of these high powered people since they are already disconnected from the ground. All this incidents are reflective of the problems facing Singapore since most key appointment holders being "parachuted" from a proven system within the "proven" system.

But ex-CEO wasn't a public servant that was "parachuted-in", but a private sector hire by their Board. So I think your statement is misplaced. But that's moot point, because the problem was they hired someone who was retail/bottom-line oriented.

In any other circumstances or business venture, that would be a good thing. But this is one business where profits is not the sole KPI.

Connections - there is always Connections... anyway not difficult to be a landlord during those boom years... now will be tough as high rentals also deterring risk takers alongside with the associated tight labour mkt that is key to retail / consumer mkt.

[tonylim]

She was practically rubbing salts into the wounds of the commuters.
Commuters who rely on train just have to swallow her insult.

[corydorus]

can't trust any of these high powered people since they are already disconnected from the ground. All this incidents are reflective of the problems facing Singapore since most key appointment holders being "parachuted" from a proven system within the "proven" system.

But ex-CEO wasn't a public servant that was "parachuted-in", but a private sector hire by their Board. So I think your statement is misplaced. But that's moot point, because the problem was they hired someone who was retail/bottom-line oriented.

In any other circumstances or business venture, that would be a good thing. But this is one business where profits is not the sole KPI.

Regardless, she is hired as SMRT CEO... The main business is still running the train. No excuse for that. She should have step down much earlier if she could not manage.

[FA+TA]

LTA-Consultants on board to assess power system of north-south and east-west lines
News Releases - 14 Jul 2015
1. A team comprising five experts from Sweden’s Parsons Brinkerhoff and Japan’s Meidensha Corporation is now on board to conduct an independent assessment of the overall condition of the power supply infrastructure and other railway trackside installations along the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL).

2. The team of experts, led by Mr Mats Onner from Parsons and Mr Hiroto Ikeda from Meidensha, will focus on identifying the root cause of the power trip and proposing areas for improvement to prevent recurrence. They will also review the current condition of the power supply and trackside installations, as well as provide recommendations to enhance the overall system and its maintenance.

3. Following a briefing by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on the 7 July 2015 train service disruption, the team will be given full access to the infrastructure and installations along the NSEWL during non-service hours. The team of experts, closely assisted by engineers from LTA and SMRT, will also be analysing the data collated by LTA and SMRT engineers^1 since the incident.

4. Parsons and Meidensha were selected for their wealth of experience in railway engineering and power supply system.

5. Parsons Brinkerhoff is an established design and engineering company with extensive experience in rail transit system, ranging from feasibility studies, project management to providing advice on operations and maintenance. Parsons is no stranger to Singapore’s rail lines, having undertaken the role of consultant for mechanical services on the NSEWL, as well as the electrical and mechanical services on the North East Line, Circle Line and Downtown Line.

6. The team from Parsons will be complemented by a traction power expert from Meidensha, a Tokyo-based company with extensive experience in power supply. Having designed and installed the power supply system on the NSEWL, Meidensha brings with it an intimate understanding of the running of this system. The company is also the contractor providing the power supply system for the northern stretch of the Thomson-East Coast Line.

7. The independent assessment is expected to be completed in August.

^1 - Over the past week, LTA and SMRT engineers have conducted a few rounds of systematic checks on all components of the NSEWL system, such as trains, tracks and power systems, including the substation power supply equipment.

[CityFarmer]

The root cause is found, thus half way to solve the issue. The other half is to execute the replacement...

(not vested)

Intermittent tripping of power system at multiple locations caused July 7 breakdown: SMRT

SINGAPORE (July 30): The rail service disruption on the North-South and East-West Lines that occurred in the evening of July 7 was caused by intermittent tripping of the rail power system at multiple locations, said the Land Transport Authority and SMRT Corporation ( Financial Dashboard).

This was due to a lower electrical resistance pathway at a third rail insulator. When functioning properly, the third rail insulators insulate the electrified third rail from the ground and ensure that the electricity from the third rail only flows to the trains via the trains’ current collector shoes.

However, the weak resistance of an insulator can allow electricity to flow through the insulator to the ground, resulting in a higher than normal voltage difference between the running rail (which has a negative voltage relative to the ground) and the ground.

“This higher than normal voltage difference, which was exacerbated by the movement of the trains, resulted in the activation of the 64P safety mechanism at multiple locations in the network. The activation of the 64P safety mechanism is what tripped the power system,” say the agencies in a joint statement last night.

The investigators also found a “confluence of factors” had triggered the incident. In the stretch of tunnel between Tanjong Pagar and Raffles Place, water was found to be dripping onto the third rail cover near an insulator.

“Test results on the sample residue from the third rail cover, and on water collected from the tunnel leak, found mineral deposits with high chloride content. The presence of chloride on the insulator, coupled with a wet environment, would have significantly reduced the effectiveness of the insulator.”

SMRT has started replacing all the third rail insulators, starting with the insulators which have shown signs of electrical resistance weakness. The remaining insulators will be changed as part of the ongoing planned renewal of the third rail system, to be completed by the first quarter of 2017.
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/sg/article...kdown-smrt

[CityFarmer]

SMRT is suffering from the aging rail infra. I reckon, SBS Transit will not have similar issue, with a newer rail infra...

(not vested)

SMRT’s 1Q earnings fall 10% to $20.1 mil on rail losses

SINGAPORE (July 30): SMRT Corp ( Financial Dashboard) reported a 10% fall in 1Q16 earnings to $20.1 million from $22.4 million a year ago due to continued losses in its rail operations.

Group revenue increased 7.8% to $320.3 million in the three months to June due to broad-based revenue growth across most of the segments.

But operating profit fell 5.6% to $27.7 million in 1Q16 on the back of operating loss of $3.8 million for its fare business and operating profit in non-fare business of $31.5 million.

Train operations suffered an operating loss of $3.7 million in 1Q16, compared to an operating profit of $5.0 million in 1Q15. This was due mainly to higher costs to support an expanded and ageing network, larger fleet, tightened regulatory standards and heightened operational demands.
...
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/sg/article...ail-losses

[crosscalibre]

More concerned about the aging infrastructure that SMRT is running on. I do not have the expertise on how the infrastructure in other countries like Tokyo or Hong Kong is maintained. But I hope SMRT can move closer to that model. Also, requires government endorsement as the rail assets belong to LTA (?).