Signalling fault halts train services between Caldecott and Orchard stations on Thomson-East Coast Line: SMRT

A signalling fault occurred at 6.55am on the TEL following tests carried out by original equipment manufacturer ALSTOM on Saturday night, said Mr Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT trains.

He added: “While we reset the system, some trains were held at affected platforms. As a result, there were no train services between Caldecott and Orchard stations. Our engineers are working with ALSTOM engineers to restore service as quickly as possible.”

Commuters travelling towards the city are advised to use the North-South Line, Downtown Line, or Circle Line, he said.

SMRT first posted about a “minor delay” between Stevens and Caldecott stations in both directions at round 6.55am. At the time, it said commuters could continue using the train service.

It posted another update at around 7.30am that the minor delay was still affecting train services in both directions, adding that commuters can continue to use the train service or consider free bus services at the affected stations.

SMRT then said at around 7.50am that there was a “major delay” on the TEL and that there were no train services in both directions between Caldecott and Orchard stations.

The fourth stage of the TEL opened in June 2024, with 27 out of 32 TEL stations operational.

In September 2025, a signal fault caused a two-hour disruption on the TEL. A few months earlier, in July, another signalling fault caused delays on the train line, with services between Napier and Great World stations coming to a halt for over an hour.

The TEL was hit with three disruptions in a week in December 2024 and January 2025. SMRT had said that the delays were unrelated.