SINGAPORE: Monday morning chaos unfolded at Boon Lay MRT Station as commuters faced an alarming situation with queues stretching deep into the adjacent bus interchange.

A local Reddit user took to social media to alert fellow travelers of the unusually long wait times, predicting that those stuck in line could be facing waits of at least one hour or more.

“This queue starts at the MRT and snakes into the bus interchange," the user wrote, accompanied by a photo displaying the extensive line of frustrated commuters. "Your estimated waiting time to reach the gantry is anywhere from 1 to 1.5 hours. Please avoid taking the MRT; it’s likely to get worse during peak hours.”

The user stressed the importance of utilizing the free bridging bus services available, an alternative that might ease the strain on overwhelmed MRT services for those heading in the same direction.

The trouble began last Wednesday when a KHI train—operating for over 35 years—suffered a fault that caused smoke to emit while en route to the Ulu Pandan Depot.

This incident led to damage of a power cable and resulted in a major power trip, disrupting train operations on the crucial East-West Line. Although shuttle bus and train services were deployed to assist commuters, the situation has since escalated.

Initially slated for a complete service resumption today, SMRT later announced that more time would be required to ensure the safety of passengers, pushing the planned restart to October 1 (Tuesday).

Passengers continued to express their frustrations online, with many noting delays were exacerbated by rainy weather conditions on top of the already disrupted services.

One user, stuck in the lengthy queue, voiced their confusion over the MRT’s train frequency, which was reportedly once every seven minutes.

Another commenter echoed the frustrations, describing the scene: “The queue is beyond ridiculous now. It has looped around the bus interchange and is now back outside the MRT station,” indicating an overflowing demand for the already-stretched services.

As the situation unfolds, locals are left searching for solutions to avoid the gridlock, with some suggesting officials should experience the delays firsthand by commuting via the MRT, highlighting the urgency for improvements in service and response during disruptions.

With the looming concerns over reliability and commuter satisfaction, the future of public transport efficiency in Singapore will be under close scrutiny in the days to come.

Will commuters continue to face similar challenges? Only time will tell.