Yahoo Singapore July 5, 2016
Yahoo Singapore file photo of an SMRT train car under service
A Chinese manufacturer is secretly recalling 35 SMRT trains due to cracks and structural defects found in them, according to a report by FactWire of Hong Kong on Tuesday (5 July).
A source from the Chinese railway industry told the Hong Kong news agency that Singapore train operator SMRT was shipping the defective trains back to manufacturer CSR Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Company for replacement and repair. According to sources, the trains were stored at SMRT’s Bishan Depot.
Around 1am on 12 June, FactWire said its reporters saw two train cars wrapped in green covering being transported out of the depot. Around 3am, the train cars arrived in Jurong Port. The reporters used a drone camera and spotted six train cars in one corner of the port.
Another source confirmed that the train that was spotted was to be shipped to Qingdao, where CSR Sifang’s factory is located. In late June, FactWire reporters went to the factory in a district in Qingdao. Two CSR Sifang staff confirmed that the train arrived at the factory on 25 June and was shipped from Singapore.
Outside the factory, FactWire reporters saw train cars wrapped in green covering with “E27” printed on it, the same marking as the covering spotted in Singapore.
The defective trains were part of SMRT’s C151A series, according to FactWire. The manufacturing contract of the C151A trains was awarded in May 2009 to a consortium including Japanese company Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Company, its Singapore subsidiary and CSR Sifang. A total of 35 C151A trains were shipped to Singapore from May 2011 to 2014 and put into service.
Sources from China and Singapore told FactWire that problems with the trains have surfaced since they began service in 2011. They said the trains were of poor quality and glass next to passenger seats have shattered repeatedly.
In December 2011, SMRT experienced its worst train service disruption to date, which the operator suspected were caused by the C151A trains, the report said.
A subcontractor for the trains’ components said SMRT greatly reduced the operational frequency of the defective trains and asked to delay payment for the extra C151A trains.
One of the China railway industry sources said that the quality issues of the C151A trains began to worsen in 2013 due to serious structural problems.
A source from CSR Sifang said that Kawasaki was taking over the manufacturing of the train car body while the Chinese company was responsible for reassembly.
One former SMRT worker told FactWire, “I’ve never encountered a situation like this in all my decades of working in railway construction. Replacing the whole frame (of the train) – you can tell how serious (the problem) is.”
Another former SMRT worker said, “(Chinese-made trains) are very cheap. How can you have (something) that is very good and pay a very cheap price? So this is (the) trade-off.”
SMRT, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority and the parent company of CSR Sifang did not respond to requests for comment from FactWire.
In response to the posts about the defective trains, SMRT said on its Facebook page on Tuesday, “Our engineers discovered that 26 of the 35 trains delivered by the manufacturer had cracks in the structure connecting the car body and the bogie after they were delivered in 2013.
“Since then, we have been working closely with LTA and the manufacturer to rectify the issue. The defective trains, which are still under warranty, will be repaired by the manufacturer.”
The operator said that a monthly safety assessment is conducted by LTA and the manufacturer before each train is put into service.
LTA has also responded and said that it has been working closely with Kawasaki and CSR Sifang on the defects that were found on the C151A trains.
“These defects, found on the train body, are not safety-critical and do not affect the train’s systems or performance. The train manufacturer will be required to make good the defects as part of their warranty,” LTA said.
“Trains on the rail network are extensively tested to ensure the safety and reliability of the train,” it added.
For more on FactWire’s exclusive story, click here.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/35-smrt-trains-recalled-by-china-manufacturer-due-100717823.html
