15 Dec 2011 is just like any typical day of my life, wake up, go to work, lunch, get off work....
Get off work....time for me to take some rest, I suppose. So, took the train, which is supposed to be the fastest and most convenient mode of transport on to my house. Left office about 6.35pm and boarded the train about 6.45pm (Times are estimated as I didn't see my watch most of the time)
So off the train goes from toward my house....Tired but relax.
PART 1 - TRAIN STUCK!
Then suddenly, there was a loud, unusual loud sound after the train that I was in departed from Somerset station. It sounded like the train hit something, then after that, it just slowed down and stop completely. There was some mechanic sound of the train as the driver tried to move the train but unable to do so. Several times, once the brakes are released, the train rolled backward. I reckon that we are on a slope. The train that I was in had no forward drive at all.
After a while, there was an announcement from the driver that there is a technical fault and the driver is trying his best to rectify the problem. So waiting is everybody's only option. To make matter worse, the air con stopped working and ventilation was weak (perhaps a feature in the train design in the event of power failure, aircon stops working and ventilation minimal to use as little as electricity from battery as possible)
We were trapped in for about 45 minutes before another train tow or push us to orchard station before all stranded passenger got out.
Found out later that in another cabin, someone used the fire extinguisher to break the glass to let the air in. Why did anyone think of that in my cabin??
Thinking back
Thankful, this is in December where there are lesser commuters than usual. The train, although it is crowded, people are not packed like sardine, unlike other months of the year.
If you have experience taking train from city hall to orchard, you will know how packed it can get, especially after city hall until Orchard.
No train services from Marina Bay to Braddell
PART 2 - BRIDGING BUSES ...
I stay in Orchard for a while in hope that the crowd from the affected trains ease off before I leave. Also took the chance to walk around and do some window shopping. I left at around 9pm.
So, since there are no train till AMK, the next alternative is to take a bus, be it public bus or the free MRT Shuttle that runs along the affected station (Marina Bay to AMK).
I opted for the MRT Shuttle, partly for reasons that I want to see how efficient is SMRT doing recovery services,
While waiting, there was a few buses that I skip to observe the situation. At the time when I reached the bus stop to the time the first bus arrives, it is about 5 minutes. Not bad, I thought. Unfortunately, it is single deck (not those bendy bus) which I thought should be the case, especially you are dealing with mass crowd. 2nd and 3rd single deck came in 2 mins and 4th which was a bendy bus came in another 2 minutes. Not bad in service recovery, I thought.
I didn't board any of the buses. Wait a while more, I thought.
Then SMRT true colour shows. The next bus didn't arrive until another 20 mins and it is so full (single deck) that it didn't stop. The next bus came in another 10 mins or so which I boarded. Quite full and I think only less 10 person managed to board the bus and I was one of the lucky one.
Took about 50 minutes to AMK.
The Bus Captain on the bus which I was in, who was driving a trunk service in north west / west Singapore, was deployed after he was off duty to help out in the shuttle service. Problem is the having driving the bus service in the west, he was not familiar with the road in the central / north already and needed to ask the passenger which way to go. Some passengers fortunately knew and guided the buses to the correct route.
Thinking Back
I know the road because I drives and take public transport at the same time. What if I was not on the bus and no one knows the roads around? Wont it be another saga on a 2 hours joy ride by public bus driver again?
I don't blame the driver as he is just doing his job. He is actually quite polite and friendly the whole journey driving his MAN bus. I blame the management. How could they NOT leave any instructions to the driver and just thrown their bus captain salvage the situation? In such sensitive situation, with 2 impact-able train disruptions in 2 days, i cannot image how happen if any one of the drivers of the 84 buses deployed get lost somewhere.
My minimum is they should at least have a route guide on where to go, where to turn to proceed to the next nearest station. You mean they can't even write and photocopy or print the routes on a piece of paper and disseminate to the drivers?
One of the bridging buses at Orchard Station
PART 3 - HALFWAY THERE
At AMK, very tired, from being trapped in the disruption to standing squeeze 50 minutes on the shuttle, finally got to get onto a train and head home. One train left when I stepped onto the platform level, the next train took about 5 minutes to arrive but did not leave till the train was packed (as good as the crowded when the train was in town) which is about 10 to 15 minutes later.
Thinking Back
Cant think at that time, very tired and disgrunted that SMRT is done this. Maybe they And yes, after causing so much inconvenience, they still charged me from AMK to my MRT Station.
PART 4 - IS THAT ALL?
Finally reached my MRT and walking toward the bus interchange for feeder bus. Relaxed as got out of the train network and also in my own area. Able to get home even without any transport, I can simply just walk. When things are about to end, at the interchange, I heard that bus service for a certain bus is delayed due to a massive jam at CTE and City hall.
Thinking Back
Although that doesn't affect me, I was thinking: If the trains are down, the bridging buses fully packed, you can't call or flag a cab, buses and cars are also jammed, then how does people even get home? Walk or bicycle? Will there be a day where after a tired day or work, you want to go home and realized that the public transport network is done and you are stuck in your office area? Think about it. We almost hit that point.
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