Mobile services in Circle Line may be suspended if signal faults recur: LTA-SMRT

Mobile network signals may be cut off temporarily on stretches of the Circle Line in the event of a recurrence of the disruptions on Wednesday (2 November), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT said in a joint statement.

This comes after preliminary investigations by both organisations found that the signal faults that caused the delays could be similar to the one that caused a five-day disruption on the same line in early September.

“Investigation into those incidents assessed that an interfering signal could have disrupted the communications. The source of the interfering signals could not be conclusively established as the incidents subsequently stopped,” LTA and SMRT said.

Since the disruption in September, LTA and SMRT have conducted studies to improve the signalling communications network.

LTA and SMRT are arranging with the Infocomm Media Development Authority and mobile network operators to suspend mobile signals for a short while to facilitate investigations should similar signal faults recur, the statement said.

“If temporary telecommunication signal suspensions have to be carried out, there will be in-train and train announcements along the affected stretches,” the statement said.

LTA and SMRT also apologised to commuters who were affected by the disruptions this morning, and said they are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.