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Train disruption due to ‘weak electrical resistance’ of insulator
An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/07/29...-of-insulator/ Train disruption due to ‘weak electrical resistance’ of insulator July 29th, 2015 | Author: Editorial LG (NS) Desmond Kuek, SMRT President and CEO At a media briefing in LTA HQ today (29 Jul), SMRT said that the massive train disruption on 7 Jul was due to “weak electrical resistance” of the train network’s third rail insulator. The third rail supplies electrical power to trains. On 7 July about 7pm, both the North-South and East-West MRT lines suddenly broke down during evening peak hour. Train service was disrupted for a good 3-and-a-half hours and 250,000 commuters were severely inconvenienced. It was the biggest and most serious breakdown in SMRT since its inception in 1987. At today’s briefing, SMRT added that a confluence of factors triggered the train incident. This included water dripping onto the third rail cover in an MRT tunnel between Tanjong Pagar and Raffles Place. To address the issue, it has started replacing all third rail insulators, a process which should be completed by the first quarter of 2017. And to monitor the condition of the insulators, data loggers will be installed at all 47 traction power substations on the NSEWL within the next two months, SMRT said. “We have reviewed all existing work instructions and we’re satisfied that they have been complied with. Arising from the Jul 7 incident, we will be taking very firm steps to review and improve all work instructions to tighten (checks on) the most vulnerable spots in the system,” said SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek. “The weak resistance of an insulator can allow electricity to flow through the insulator to the ground, resulting in a higher than normal voltage difference between the running rail (the surface on which the train wheels run and through which the electricity returns to the source to complete the circuit) and the ground.” This – exacerbated by the movement of the trains – resulted in the activation of the a safety mechanism known as 64P, or the Touch Voltage Protection Relay, at multiple locations in the network, tripping the power system. “We thank our commuters for their patience and understanding over the incident. We continue to adopt a zero-defect attitude, learning from each and every incident that takes place and we’re committed to ensuring a high level of safety and reliability in our system,” Mr Kuek stated. Angry commuters Mr Kuek and LTA Chief Executive Chew Men Leong held a joint press conference on 8 Jul, one day after the incident to apologise to the public (‘Lui, SMRT CEO and LTA apologise for service disruptions‘). But Mr Kuek, in his reply to reporters’ questions as to why the problems were not identified earlier, said that even with intensified maintenance, it was impossible to find out all the inherent problems. His reply did not go down well with his audience, who felt he was looking for excuses. Mr Kuek said that over the past few years, SMRT has progressively implemented various measures to improve the reliability of the system. However, due to the testing and progressive rolling out of new trains, and the aging MRT system, new problems have surfaced. Anticipating the timing of breakdowns is getting tougher, he said. He then said that even with increased maintenance, it was impossible to discover all the inherent problems in the decades old MRT system. But he didn’t mention that other countries whose subways are older than Singapore’s do not seem to have the kind of problems we have. Mr Kuek went on, “One of the solutions is to renew the whole system, upgrade the current signalling system, and change the third power supply track, etc.” But the Chinese media reported that instead of helping, Mr Kuek’s attempt at justifying the frequent breakdowns has further upset the public (‘MSM reports public condemnation of SMRT CEO‘). Roping in other Govt agencies to help SMRT Later on 14 Jul, ME8 (NS) Lee Ling Wee admitted on national TV that SMRT was not able to handle the massive train disruptions on its own, despite deploying 700 staff that night. He even suggested setting up a taskforce by roping in the Land Transport Authority and other enforcement agencies to help SMRT. ME8 (NS) Lee was brought in by LG (NS) Kuek in 2013 to lead and manage all matters of Train Operations, Engineering and Maintenance. Before going to SMRT, he was the head of Air Engineering & Logistics Department, HQ RSAF. He was said to have 25 years of experience in engineering and maintenance of combat air planes. In 2011, he became the first military domain expert (ME) to be raised to the rank of ME8 – equivalent to a Brigadier-General. He started his career as an air-force engineer in 1991. He was a colonel in the RSAF before he switched in 2010 to the new service scheme. He was the 6th person with military background to join LG (NS) Kuek in SMRT. Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com. |
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