The Land Transport Authority has reported that hairline cracks were found on 11 Sengkang-Punggol LRT trains.
These are first-generation trains made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industry and started service in 2003.
The hairline cracks were discovered during a fleet-wide inspection by SBS Transit in July this year.
They were found on the bogie frames of the trains.
A main function of these frames is to support the guidance system of the train.
The LTA said the cracks do not compromise the trains’ weight bearing properties.
Upon discovery of the cracks, the 11 trains were withdrawn from service for replacement of the frames.
Six of the trains have been fixed and the remaining 5 are expected to return in mid-October this year.
Manufacturer Mistubishi will bear the cost of the replacement.
The LTA says that despite the cracks LRT services weren’t disrupted.
That’s because a maximum of 36 out of the 57 trains in the fleet are deployed at one time
SBS Transit has begun inspecting all the trains on a weekly basis for any new defects.
