SINGAPORE - A train fault caused delays of up to 25 minutes between Kranji and Jurong East MRT stations on the North-South Line yesterday. 

In a tweet at 5.56pm, rail operator SMRT had also offered free regular bus services between Woodlands and Jurong East.

But some commuters had difficulty finding the buses. 

When The Straits Times arrived at Jurong East MRT station at 7pm, crowds had formed in the taxi areas outside the station, where commuters were waiting for private vehicles. 

Mrs Geetha Ganesh, a pre-school teacher who works in Jurong East, was heading home to Choa Chu Kang when she was caught in the train delay and heard the announcement that bus services to Woodlands were available for commuters. 

“But when I went down, there was no one to direct the crowd and no one knew where the buses were. 

“So I called my husband to pick me up,” said the 36-year-old, adding that she had to cancel her wax treatment appointment because of the train fault. 

Mr Kynan Yau, a polytechnic student who was on his way home to Woodlands from his internship in Dover, said he walked around the bus pickup location for about 30 minutes because he could not find the buses. 

He said he had to cancel dinner plans with his parents because of the train fault. “I’ll just wait it out, see how else I can reach home,” said Mr Yau, 19.

The bus services were halted after the fault was cleared, SMRT’s tweet at 7.04pm said.

In a Facebook post, SMRT explained that three cars in the faulty train had no lights. 

After commuters disembarked at Choa Chu Kang station, the train then went to the depot, where investigations into the fault were conducted.