Overcrowding on NEL as allegedly Fewer Trains Operate following disruptions

In the wake of major disruptions that brought the North East Line (NEL) and Sengkang-Punggol LRT system to a halt, train services on the NEL have allegedly been operating with fewer trains than usual, causing overcrowding on trains and stations during the peak hour commute. Power faults caused two disruptions on 12 August and 15 August 2025, stalling train services for hours on the northeastern region. The first incident was traced to a power trip at the Sengkang Rail Depot substation, which supports both NEL and SPLRT, while the second incident was traced to a cable fault between two stations that tripped the LRT network.

Transport blog From the Red Line alleges on a Threads post that the NEL has been operating only 36 out of the usual 39 trains during the morning peak, making a 8% reduction in train capacity. It appears that the train operator is being cautious following the 2 disruptions by operating lesser trains than usual to keep train services running.

Since the publication of this article, SBS Transit has revealed to The Straits Times that 35 out of the regular 40 trains were deployed during the morning peak hours to allow for stable power supply and closer monitoring of the system.

Prior to the disruption, the North East Line has already seen heavily utilization, with the North-eastern towns of Punggol and Sengkang being heavily dependant on it. The Travel Smart Journeys scheme was also introduced on 2 January 2025 to encourage existing NEL commuters to shift their commute to the pre-peak and post-peak periods, or ride City Direct Bus Services or Express Bus Service 43e. 4 New City Direct Bus services were launched on the same day to serve the northeastern region as well. It is to no surprise that a slight reduction of train capacity would result in widespread overcrowding conditions.

In the weeks following the two incidents, netizens have taken to online forums to voice their dissatisfaction over NEL train services. In a Reddit posted dated 19 August, “Is it me or has the commute at NEL gone mad?“, the netizen claims that it takes 2-3 trains to board a train at Hougang station. On 20 August, another Reddit post “What happened to NEL today?” shows a packed platform at Sengkang station, claiming to be unable to board the train after waiting for 3 trains.

An anecdote on the above post also claims:

I took the train at punggol around 7.51am When I went down the escalator queues are already forming for the train towards harbourfront. Usually got queue but also not so long. I thought there was a breakdown. But there is no annoucement so it’s not. Then a train came and people start boarding. Only about 2/3 of the queue managed to board. I saw people nearly clamp by the closing doors. So I took the train towards punggol coast. But at this point the train towards punggol coast seats almost all taken too. When the train got back to punggol. The standing area in the middle of the carriage already quite pack.
It was not like that last Monday. Don’t know where the crowd came from.

On 21 August, another Redditor also posted Serious problems with NEL for last 3 days in morning.

Every morning I take NEL from kovan at 8am.
For the past 3 days there has been a massive crowd waiting to board but we cant.
I usually have had to wait for 5-6 trains to pass by before I could board.
There was no announcement, no news.
Just some staff yelling people to move. But how to move? Online it says normal service . there are huge crowds queueing and we are sweating in our own body heat.
Since there is no announcement or news. It means that this will be the normal in the days to come.
For NEL users, prepared that we have to add 30 mins to our travel time everyday.

A recent post on 25 August also shows a packed train on the NEL, with little space between the standing passengers.

While the current situation is understandably frustrating for commuters, there is reason to believe that these measures are temporary. With the operator seemingly prioritizing caution and safety in the wake of the recent power faults, the reduced train capacity is likely a short-term measure while maintenance and a thorough investigation of the infrastructure are carried out. As the root causes of the disruptions are addressed and the system is deemed stable, it’s highly probable that full train service will be restored, bringing much-needed relief to the daily commute for those who rely on the NEL.

References

• Fewer NEL trains running during morning peak hours as ‘precautionary measure’: SBS Transit – The Straits Times