MRT trains delayed again: commuters

[Scrooball (clone)]

smlj organization lai eh?
do wat?

http://www.orchardroad.org/about-orba/?current_page=contact

Who are we

Since 1998, Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) has represented the interests and welfare of businesses along Orchard Road. Through the creation of activities, business development, promotion and marketing, ORBA preserves, promotes, improves and facilitates businesses on Orchard Road. ORBA also organises memorable events for visitors and tourists to Orchard Road, such as the Christmas Light-Up @ Orchard, Fashion Steps Out @ Orchard and Rev-Up @ Orchard. The Christmas Light-Up @ Orchard is an annual signature event that heralds the start of the festive season here in Singapore, which many look forward to as an unforgettable experience.

Membership in ORBA is open to Orchard Road stakeholders, as well as non-stakeholders who have an affiliation to lifestyle business along Orchard Road. There are currently more than 60 members in the Association, including the owners and management of shopping malls, departmental stores, leading retailers, hotels and restaurants.

ORBA operates under the auspices of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) with its administration entrusted to an Executive Committee (EXCO) comprising some of Orchard Road’s key stakeholders. The EXCO is headed by Mrs Sng Ngoi May, Executive Director of Orchard 290 Ltd (Owner and Manager of Paragon Shopping Centre) as Chairman.

We initiate change with the aim to continually excite people with exceptional experiences, be it for tourists, regular shoppers, retailers or building owners.

The Association aims to:

Study and improve the business environment of Orchard Road, through the creation of activities, business development, promotion and marketing.
Facilitate new business collaborations and/or alliances between both stakeholders and non-stakeholders.
Assist with Orchard Road’s development, activities, and other public issues.
Promote the welfare of businesses on Orchard Road.
Represent members and deal with matters concerning the Association.

 

[Rakyat]

NEL train services delayed for 20 minutes
By Hon Jing Yi | Posted: 20 December 2011 0908 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1 <input disabled="disabled" id="btnPrev" value="<< Previous" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_previous.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"> <input id="bntPlay" value="Play - Stop" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_stop.gif" height="15" type="image" width="19"> <input disabled="disabled" id="btnNext" value=" Next >> " src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_next.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"> <tbody> </tbody> An SBS Transit MRT train (SBS Transit photo)

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SINGAPORE: Train services on the North-East Line (NEL) between Outram Park and HarbourFront stations were delayed for about 20 minutes on Tuesday morning due to a signalling fault.

Operator SBS Transit said two trains stopped in the tunnel during that time as engineers worked to re-set the system.

It said one of the signal track control processors was unable to send a control signal to a trackside switch to turn the trains around at HarbourFront station.

This caused the two trains to stop, as part of the system's safety design feature.

During this time, announcements were made to all passengers in the trains and on the platforms.

SBS Transit said its customer service officers were also on hand to assist passengers at all affected stations.

Full service resumed at 8.05am.

SBS Transit apologised for the delay.

One commuter Mr T.H. Lim told Channel NewsAsia that he was in the train from Outram to HarbourFront when it stopped at about 7.45am.

He said an announcement was made about the delay, followed by another informing passengers that they'll have to wait a little longer.

Mr Lim said during the 20 minutes in the tunnel, most commuters were calm.

"If I was late for work, I would have been impatient but I always leave home early, so I was not worried," he said.

"Commuters affected experienced time loss and inconvenience but you cannot compromise on safety. It's better that they fix the problem and make things better," Mr Lim added.

A signalling fault was also the cause for Monday night's train disruption at Orchard station along the North-South Line.

Channel NewsAsia understands that there are many factors which could cause these "signalling faults".

Train systems rely on signals to communicate. When there is a problem with the signals, which could be as routine as a train door being stuck, the train will not move until the issue is resolved.

The system will also send a message to other trains on the track to stop.

Associate Professor Lee Der-Horng, from the NUS Department of Civil Engineering, said the signalling system needs to be looked into, given that it has been in place for 24 years along the North-South and East-West lines.

"Just last year, the operator (and) the Land Transport Authority announced that there will be an overhaul to our signalling system in order to further improve the train frequencies so that we can have faster train services," he added. ".....I think it has been kind of indicated the signalling system needs some revamp, needs some further improvement."

Associate Professor Lee went on to say: "I think (the malfunction on Monday night) probably had something to do with the weather; it has been pretty wet. And the signalling system can be quite sensitive to the weather, the humidity, and all this may affect... the function of the signalling system."

Separately, SMRT said in a tweet at about 1.33pm that its trains may have stopped for slightly longer periods at some stations or are running at slower speed due to track inspections.

Commuters at Serangoon station on Tuesday morning shared with Channel NewsAsia how train disruptions in the past week have affected their work and lives.

One commuter, Sushimitha, said she didn't go to work over the weekend because of the delays.

Another commuter said: "I am late for work twice....basically it's because of the problem with the rail. (My) company is fully aware that I actually had some issues with the MRT station. Some preventive maintenance should be carried out more regularly just to ensure that the service won't be disrupted, because it would affect thousands and millions of working people."

- CNA/ck/ac

 

[Rakyat]

Higher maintenance costs may impact SMRT's earnings: analysts
By Millet Enriquez | Posted: 20 December 2011 2109 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1 <input disabled="disabled" id="btnPrev" value="<< Previous" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_previous.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"> <input id="bntPlay" value="Play - Stop" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_stop.gif" height="15" type="image" width="19"> <input disabled="disabled" id="btnNext" value=" Next >> " src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_next.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"> <tbody> </tbody> Passengers boarding SMRT bus. (Photo by: Hester Tan, channelnewsasia.com)

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SINGAPORE : Some market watchers expect last week's train disruptions to have wide-ranging impact on rail operator SMRT.

They say its earnings could take a hit, with the cost of repairs and maintenance rising 10 per cent in the coming quarters.

The disruptions may also affect SMRT's chances in bidding for upcoming rail projects like the Thomson Line and the Eastern Region Line.

The three train disruptions that left commuters either stranded or trapped in packed trains last week could weigh heavily on SMRT.

While train services have since resumed, a government probe committee will soon be underway.

And analysts say results of the finding could affect its chances of winning future projects.

Eric Ong, Investment Analyst, Kim Eng Research, said: "Even though the bids to operate the new lines are not yet open, we believe the LTA would take into account the recent train disruptions into consideration, in particular, the service reliability when awarding the tender in the future."

SMRT's share price fell 2.5 per cent immediately after the incidents, but the stock is holding up currently at $1.75 per share.

Eric Ong said: "Based on our estimates, SMRT is trading 19 times PE compared to its peers, ComfortDelgro of 13 times PE. We don't think the valuation is justifiable due to frequent hiccups and weak earnings outlook. We do see some downside from the current level."

Still, Kim Eng Research has downgraded SMRT from "Hold" to "Sell" with a target price of S$1.50 citing the long-term implication of repairs and maintenance cost on earnings.

It also sees the possibility of dividends being cut by 0.5 cents to S$0.80 on earnings decline of about 2 to 3 per cent.

Analysts say the stock could remain range bound in the next few weeks leading to its quarter results.

But analysts say it's difficult to ascertain exactly how much revenue SMRT has lost due to the three disruptions.

Kim Eng says one-off expenses include refunds and provisions of free shuttle bus services and fines by LTA of up to S$1 million under the Rapid Transit Systems Act.

Responding to MediaCorp's query, SMRT said it is unable to provide further details on developments at this stage.

Ng Kian Teck, Investment Analyst, SIAS Research, said: "They carry more than a million people to and fro every day, and there's almost no substitute to replace SMRT. We still see that it's more of a stable business. This may be a one-off issue if it doesn't happen anymore."

Professor Lee Der Horng, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore, said: "SMRT will have to restore the confidence from the passengers and in order to do this, they should look at the basics in the MRT operation is to provide a timely and reliable robust service."

Investors will also be keeping an eye on findings from the Committee of Inquiry to see if the disruptions were due to SMRT's negligence.

Kim Eng says one key to SMRT's growth will be its ability to achieve the breakeven level on ridership for the Circle Line faster than expected.

The brokerage firm estimates SMRT to reach the breakeven ridership pegged at around 400,000 daily by end of full year 2012.

While costs of repair and maintenance are set to spike, analysts don't think the company will need to raise fresh funds as it is still in a net cash position.

- CNA/ch