Singapore’s MRT reliability takes a backward step in August, per LTA’s new monthly report
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) released its inaugural monthly rail reliability report on Friday, revealing a decline in the MRT network’s performance for August. This marks a shift from the previous quarterly cadence and underscores the agency’s push for greater transparency in how Singapore’s rail system performs over time.
At the heart of the report is the MKBF metric — mean kilometres between failures — a standard gauge of train reliability used worldwide. MKBF tracks the average distance a train travels before encountering a delay exceeding five minutes. By presenting MKBF data on a 12-month moving average, LTA provides a smoother view of performance, dampening the impact of short-term spikes while highlighting underlying trends.
August figures show a dip in MRT reliability
According to the latest data, the MRT network’s MKBF fell to 1,740,000 train-km by the end of August, down from 1,818,000 train-km at end-July. The target MKBF for the MRT remains 1,000,000 train-km, a benchmark the agency emphasises as a baseline for operational reliability.
The declines were observed across several lines: the Downtown Line (DTL) dropped from 4,131,000 train-km to 2,760,000 train-km, and the North East Line (NEL) slipped from 4,262,000 train-km to 2,142,000 train-km. The East-West Line’s MKBF also declined, moving from 2,021,000 train-km to 1,684,000 train-km. In contrast, the North-South Line (NSL) and Circle Line (CCL) showed improvements, with MKBF rising to 1,648,000 train-km and 1,245,000 train-km respectively.
LTA attributed the August dips to the effect of a single delay on each affected line, noting how MKBF is highly sensitive to small changes when the metric is around the one-million mark. “These were due to one delay on each line in August 2025, reflecting the sensitivity of MKBF to small variations in the number of delays above 1 million train-km,” the agency stated.
New lines, new data: TEL included in the picture
In this edition, LTA also announced that it would begin publishing the MKBF performance and the number of delays lasting more than 30 minutes for the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). TEL is currently in a phase where teething issues are expected as it stabilises and matures. LTA explained that newer lines often operate with shorter mileage and lower ridership, which can influence reliability metrics compared with mature lines.
The TEL is described as being in its initial engineering “bathtub” stage, with ongoing collaboration among LTA, the operator, and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to address issues such as the line’s new signalling system. LTA stressed that results during this early period should be interpreted with caution, as the line has yet to reach full commercial maturity. “The TEL project is not fully complete, as works on TEL Stage 5 are still underway,” the agency noted, and it expects performance to improve once TEL opens fully in 2026 and stabilises.
LRT and a note on broader reliability measures
Among the light rail transit (LRT) network, MKBF dropped slightly from 442,000 train-km to 420,000 train-km for the overall system. The Sengkang-Punggol LRT declined to 840,000 train-km, while the Bukit Panjang LRT rose to 209,000 train-km. Four delays lasting more than 30 minutes were recorded on the LRT network this year, including two in August.
LTA emphasised that MKBF, while widely used and internationally recognized, does not capture the full picture of disruption impact, such as the duration of each incident or the actual commuter experience. In addition to MKBF, the authority said it would publish the number of delays lasting more than 30 minutes each month and is exploring other indicators — including the proportion of scheduled mileage traveled by revenue trains and punctuality at terminus stations — to enable international comparisons and a fuller understanding of rail reliability.
Looking ahead
Preliminary discussions point to a broader set of indicators for future reports, potentially including the number of commuter trips affected by disruptions, adjusted for how long and how widespread the interruptions were. LTA also indicated that similar monthly updates would continue for both the overall MRT network and individual lines, with TEL data added as it matures and stabilises.
As Singapore’s rail network embraces a new reporting cadence, commuters can expect ongoing transparency on reliability metrics and a more nuanced view of how each line performs as both mature services and newer lines continue to evolve.
