ALL consolidated SMRT/NEL/KT.. simisai BREAKDOWNS here!

[Pinobii]

I am aware of the political reality of how big they are and how small we are.

 

But the way LTA has behaved does not ensure our national interest. It sends the signal that we can be bullied and we will swallow it.

 

It doesn't have to be diplomatic, just commercial - sorry but your products suck so we won't buy them anymore until you buck up.

Such secretive behaviours really cmi, really sending wrong signals

[macrotrust2]

Cannot leh...best of friends and we need to rely on them more than they need us

 U really hit the nail- never mind lose one battle but overall more win than lose- OK what-

 

so many projects in China- cannot turn face otherwise kick singapore out for urban building project- then we all eat grass.

 

anyway it is a done deal- complain for what- just move on and hopefully rectify the problem.

 

Just an honest mistake lor- suck thumb again. 

[Alheych]

 U really hit the nail- never mind lose one battle but overall more win than lose- OK what-

 

so many projects in China- cannot turn face otherwise kick singapore out for urban building project- then we all eat grass.

 

anyway it is a done deal- complain for what- just move on and hopefully rectify the problem.

 

Just an honest mistake lor- suck thumb again. 

 

Willing to swallow not enough. Have to be street smart also. Part of this street smart is showing that we know our stuff.

 

Otherwise, based on past experience, give us urban building project we still eat grass. And that was not just anyone, it was the old man himself.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Alheych

[Bismarck]

Actually I feel that LTA is doing a good job. They did ownself check ownself, found out the problem and tried to find a solution themselves. They don't need to answer to the public because 70% have given them the mandate to ownself check ownself. So don't worry, don't question, and don't complain. Everything will be solved in no time

[Wt_know]

ownself check ownself

ownself cover ownself

ownself answer ownself

ownself reflect ownself

let's move on!

Edited July 6, 2016 by Wt_know

[Baal]

Actually I feel that LTA is doing a good job. They did ownself check ownself, found out the problem and tried to find a solution themselves. They don't need to answer to the public because 70% have given them the mandate to ownself check ownself. So don't worry, don't question, and don't complain. Everything will be solved in no time

Well summarized!

[Wishcumstrue]

Defects also got acceptable % ba

 

QC fail leh, so many trains out of the total purchase got defects...

 

So far, it seems the defects are found only the 1st batch (model code C151A) which was in use since 2011.

 

A 2nd batch (C151B) will start operating this year. This batch isn't listed in the HK's media report.

 

C151B delivered last year - Also at night when traffic is light.

 

Don't understand why the HK media consider this as "secret" .

 

C151B will have new white livery.

[Baal]

I am aware of the political reality of how big they are and how small we are.

 

But the way LTA has behaved does not ensure our national interest. It sends the signal that we can be bullied and we will swallow it.

 

It doesn't have to be diplomatic, just commercial - sorry but your products suck so we won't buy them anymore until you buck up.

V.S MY & INDON already must give way. What more its China here!!! I harbour little or no hope on SMRT seeking justice. More importantly, car lite policy how? No wonder sometime back its changed from disruption to interruption. Not good to use stronger words if foreseeable frequency of downtime is not rare.

[Duckduck]

Actually I feel that LTA is doing a good job. They did ownself check ownself, found out the problem and tried to find a solution themselves. They don't need to answer to the public because 70% have given them the mandate to ownself check ownself. So don't worry, don't question, and don't complain. Everything will be solved in no time

 

in b4 saw chariot

[Wishcumstrue]

Politically, I think covering up is bad strategy.

 

Given the strong anti-China sentiments around the world these days, they could have come clean and blamed it on CSR Sifang. There will be some disquiet about LTA going for price over quality, but nothing like the saga they are facing today.

 

The thought of our officials having to protect other country reputation even after getting fleeced disgusts me.

 

The more I read how this is covered by HK news, the more I sense that politics is involved.

 

Not Singapore's politics, but that of HK's Press playing its influence overseas when reporting on PRC's businesses:

 

Read the original report by FactWire - and you decide:

 

 

Mainland manufacturer for MTR secretly recalls 35 trains from Singapore due to cracks

https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/07/05/mainland-manufacturer-mtr-secretly-recalls-35-trains-singapore-due-cracks/

 

Chinese-made subway trains in Singapore have cracks in their car bodies and key structural components, resulting in 35 trains being shipped back to their manufacturer in Qingdao for replacement, FactWire can reveal.

 

Details of the defects and the recalls have been kept secret in both Singapore and China. The same mainland manufacturer is responsible for manufacturing nine trains for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XLR) and 93 trains for the Mass Transit Railway Corporation’s (MTR Corporation) four urban lines.

train tarp

 

Trains wrapped in green covering could be seen inside the factory in Chengyang district. Photo: FactWire.

 

A source from the mainland railway industry told FactWire that Singapore’s subway operator SMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT) was secretly shipping defective trains back to mainland China for replacement and repair by manufacturer CSR Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Company Ltd  (CSR Sifang).

[Wishcumstrue]

Hong Kong Free Press YouTube channel shows drone-footage of restricted zones at night over Singapore's port to capture the returning C151A carriages.

 

 

Another HK TV news on Singapore's "secret" operation.

 

[Pinobii]

Hmmm...then if in this case, is security considered compromised, since its filmed from restricted zone

[Kusje]

So far, it seems the defects are found only the 1st batch (model code C151A) which was in use since 2011.

 

A 2nd batch (C151B) will start operating this year. This batch isn't listed in the HK's media report.

 

C151B delivered last year - Also at night when traffic is light.

 

Don't understand why the HK media consider this as "secret" .

 

C151B will have new white livery.

 

B model coming in no need to wrap like ba zhang. A model RMA must wrap for "protection". So if wasn't intended to cover up, are you telling me that the new trains don't need to be protected but the old spoilt ones somehow need extra protection?

 

Also, when LTA has new trains coming in, they make a big fuss out of the announcement but they say nothing when having to RMA 35 trains back? This is a big deal.

That Chinanese firm that collaborated w kawa, is it state owned and/or have strong links to the CCP?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSR_Corporation_Limited

 

China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corporation Limited (CSR) (SEHK: 1766, SSE: 601766) was a state-owned enterprise supervised by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.

Guessing because they have ordered from kawasaki since 1986, thot i read this somewhere

 

So maybe smrt didnt build up their technical knowledge or expertise in this area and needed them for this reason?

 

If that's the truth then why bother to hold tender and wayang? Waste time and effort from other train makers.

[Wishcumstrue]

B model coming in no need to wrap like ba zhang. A model RMA must wrap for "protection". So if wasn't intended to cover up, are you telling me that the new trains don't need to be protected but the old spoilt ones somehow need extra protection?

 

Also, when LTA has new trains coming in, they make a big fuss out of the announcement but they say nothing when having to RMA 35 trains back? This is a big deal.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSR_Corporation_Limited

 

China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corporation Limited (CSR) (SEHK: 1766, SSE: 601766) was a state-owned enterprise supervised by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.

 

If that's the truth then why bother to hold tender and wayang? Waste time and effort from other train makers.

 

AFAIK, none of the incoming new MRT trains were ever wrap up like the returning ones, regardless of the vendors.

 

That also includes the latest driver-less models from France to the 1st generation trains  in the 1980s - majority were moved during night time when traffic is light.

 

In fact, this is the 1st known case of having trains being return and to suspect this is all "secret" operation because the carriages are wrap and moved during night time is to me nothing more than juicing up an "investigative" journalism.

 

And by your reference that the contract involving "state own enterprise" is indeed, in line with what I had suspected about this HK-origin news - This is all about politics.

 

 

 

 

[Alheych]

B model coming in no need to wrap like ba zhang. A model RMA must wrap for "protection". So if wasn't intended to cover up, are you telling me that the new trains don't need to be protected but the old spoilt ones somehow need extra protection?

 

Also, when LTA has new trains coming in, they make a big fuss out of the announcement but they say nothing when having to RMA 35 trains back? This is a big deal.

 

I believe there are cheaper and better ways to "protect" the trains as well. The way it is covered up doesn't look like it's for protection as much as it is to hide something.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Alheych

[Sabian]

Why cannot they send the replacement trains then we send them back the defective trains?

 

Sorry but trust usually doesn't rank very high on their agenda

[Alheych]

AFAIK, none of the incoming new MRT trains were ever wrap up like the returning ones, regardless of the vendors.

 

That also includes the latest driver-less models from France to the 1st generation trains  in the 1980s - majority were moved during night time when traffic is light.

 

In fact, this is the 1st known case of having trains being return and to suspect this is all "secret" operation because the carriages are wrap and moved during night time is to me nothing more than juicing up an "investigative" journalism.

 

And by your reference that the contract involving "state own enterprise" is indeed, in line with what I had suspected about this HK-origin news - This is all about politics.

 

There are many issues involved now - transparency, safety, security (arising from the drones)... I think foremost on people's minds is transparency. What are they trying to hide and who are they trying to protect? We should stay focused on this.

 

I agree with you on the covers. See my previous post:

It's possible to say MSM knows about it but blackout etc... but I think the MSM was simply clueless about it. And this incident leaked because given the sheer number of people involved, there's no way it can remain a secret forever.

 

Quite a bad place to be caught for MSM... if they know, they are conspirators; if they don't know, they are lousy journalists.

 

The ones we should really be looking at are LTA and the train operators. 

 

The way the trains are wrapped up looks like it is done to cover up the incident, not to protect the train from the elements - there are much quicker and cheaper ways to do it. Even when the trains were first delivered, they weren't wrapped up...

 

I searched for past precedence and realised that all of our current running stock arrived without such cover:

 

In chronological order, let's start with EW/NS lines:

 

 

 

NE line:

 

 

 

Circle line:

 

 

 

Downtown line:

 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2016 by Alheych

[Shibadog]

The more I read how this is covered by HK news, the more I sense that politics is involved.

 

Not Singapore's politics, but that of HK's Press playing its influence overseas when reporting on PRC's businesses:

 

Read the original report by FactWire - and you decide:

 

 

Mainland manufacturer for MTR secretly recalls 35 trains from Singapore due to cracks

https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/07/05/mainland-manufacturer-mtr-secretly-recalls-35-trains-singapore-due-cracks/

 

Chinese-made subway trains in Singapore have cracks in their car bodies and key structural components, resulting in 35 trains being shipped back to their manufacturer in Qingdao for replacement, FactWire can reveal.

 

Details of the defects and the recalls have been kept secret in both Singapore and China. The same mainland manufacturer is responsible for manufacturing nine trains for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XLR) and 93 trains for the Mass Transit Railway Corporation’s (MTR Corporation) four urban lines.

train tarp

 

Trains wrapped in green covering could be seen inside the factory in Chengyang district. Photo: FactWire.

 

A source from the mainland railway industry told FactWire that Singapore’s subway operator SMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT) was secretly shipping defective trains back to mainland China for replacement and repair by manufacturer CSR Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Company Ltd  (CSR Sifang).

 

yes I think that the HKG paper breaking the story may be politically-motivated.

 

But we shouldn't let that distract us from the facts:

1) Cracks found from July 2013; Returns started July 2014.

2) SG MSM, LTA, SMRT did not mention these defects, returns and refurbishments at all, until after the article was published by HKG.

3) Some LTA/SMRT staff would have been aware of this, but apparently kept the "secret" too. No SMRTLeaks?

 

so, let's keep our eyes on the pertinent issues, and not be distracted by the messenger.