SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced a notable improvement in the overall reliability of Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system for the period from April last year to March this year.

According to data released by the LTA, there was only one significant delay accident for every 2.321 million kilometers traveled by the MRT during this period. This marks a positive stride from the previous year, where the figure stood at approximately 2,077,000 kilometers per incident.

Among the five MRT lines in operation, the Downtown Line, managed by SBS Transit, emerged as the top performer in terms of reliability. Trains on this line experienced an average delay of more than five minutes only once every 8.149 million kilometers traveled.

Following closely behind was the East-West Line operated by SMRT, which reported one delay accident for every 5.05 million kilometers covered, a significant improvement compared to the 3.363 million kilometers reported in the previous year.

Conversely, the Circle Line displayed the least reliability among the MRT lines, with one accident for every 1,028,000 kilometers traveled, reflecting a decline from its performance last year.

In addition to the MRT system, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) network experienced a decline in reliability. Trains on the LRT encountered one significant delay accident for every 375,000 kilometers traveled, a stark contrast to the 546,000 kilometers reported in the previous year.

Despite these challenges, serious incidents of MRT delays exceeding 30 minutes remained low. Only one such incident was recorded in the first quarter of this year, affecting the Circle Line. Similarly, the LRT system encountered one serious incident in Bukit Panjang.

TISG/