LTA and Public Transport Operators Enhance Rail Service Recovery and Commuter Management Measures in line with Rail Reliability Taskforce Recommendations
Joint News Release Issued by Land Transport Authority, SBS Transit, and SMRT
24 January 2026 – The Land Transport Authority (LTA), together with the public transport operators SMRT and SBS Transit, have been implementing various enhanced initiatives to strengthen rail service recovery and better support commuters during service disruptions.
These measures are aligned with the recommendations submitted by the Rail Reliability Taskforce, which highlighted enhancing standard operating procedures to manage service disruptions on the ground, which will enable quicker and more effective resumption of service after faults. This includes the need for stronger contingency planning, improving alternate travel options for commuters and clear, commuter-centric communications to guide affected commuters during service disruptions.
Improved Wayfinding for Commuters During Disruptions
Clear wayfinding is crucial during service disruptions to minimise confusion and helps commuters navigate out of the affected sector quickly. LTA has worked with the public transport operators to develop new signage and digital displays to direct commuters to the locations of alternative travel options, such as bridging bus stops, during a rail disruption.
LTA, SMRT and SBST is piloting these initiatives at Serangoon MRT Interchange (see Annex A for photos). These include:
a) Digital signs within the station showing the colour-coded status of all rail lines for commuters to check the status of rail lines before starting their journey.
b) More digital screens at key locations, such as at the fare gate areas, linkways, and Passenger Service Centres (PSCs). Unlike fixed physical signboards, digital formats enable fast and accurate updates during service delays or planned adjustments.
c) Flashing visual cues activated during disruption including arrows and guiding lights to direct commuters to alternative transport options, such as free bus boarding points.
d) Placing QR codes at strategic locations within train-cars, including next to the Dynamic Route Map Displays (DRMDs) and around the gangways for quick access to live service updates during train faults.
These wayfinding improvements complement LTA’s webpage (mytransport.sg/trainstatus) that shows the real-time operating status across all rail lines, which was launched on 13 December 2025. The webpage allows commuters to see if there are any incidents on the rail network and provides simplified advisories for commuters to better plan their journeys during a service disruption. In addition, LTA is developing new digital tools for real-time, journey-specific information, which will be introduced soon, including on popular third-party wayfinding apps such as Google Maps.
Community Volunteers and Support During Disruption
LTA has also partnered with the Caring SG Commuters movement to deploy Caring Commuter Champions, to serve as Transport Ambassadors during disruptions. These trained volunteers will assist fellow passengers, particularly vulnerable commuters, to help them continue their journeys safely and smoothly.
LTA will continue working closely with public transport operators to refine our incident management processes. By integrating technology and ground-level enhancements, we aim to better support commuters with timely information and clearer guidance on alternative travel options, to enable a smoother recovery during disruptions.