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SINGAPORE – Coils of concertina wire were placed to deter other intruders near the scene where a man who stepped onto the MRT tracks was killed on Thursday (February 25).
The added precaution, about 150 meters from the Kallang MRT station, is in addition to other fences and barbed wire already in the area.
Concertina cables reinforce safety on a portion of the track above ground where elevated fields, scalable features on the viaduct and the proximity of a trail to the track make it especially vulnerable to intruders.
No details have been provided on how the 31-year-old man who died last Thursday accessed the tracks, or if he was seen on any of the closed-circuit television cameras.
The Straits Times understands that he found his way into the tunnel heading east between the Lavender and Kallang MRT stations, accessing the tunnel through a portal area where the train tracks enter the underground tunnel from an above-ground position.
This is a short walk from where the concertina cables were installed, close to where the body was finally found.
Thursday night’s incident caused a disruption on the East-West line between the Bugis and Aljunied MRT stations, and raises questions about whether more could be done to protect the MRT tracks – and the system – from intruders that could cripple train service for hours.
After the alert sounded last Thursday at 9.35pm, the Lavender and Kallang MRT stations had to close for the day.
Ikhsan Suri, executive director of the Singapore Safety Association, said there have been very few fatal incidents related to the rig since screen gates were installed on MRT lines.
The North-South and East-West lines, for example, were modernized with half-height platform screen doors between 2009 and 2012.
He added: “Perhaps more that can be done is to continue to review and update safety and security risks across the entire train system and infrastructure.
“Technology such as smart sensors or video analytics implemented in conjunction with an expanded CCTV network could be leveraged to reduce the chances of such tragic accidents happening in the first place, and also shorten the response time of emergency services in such incidents “.
Last Thursday’s incident was the first death on an MRT track since two SMRT trainees were hit by a train in March 2016. A year later, in March 2017, another death occurred on the Bukit Panjang LRT track. After someone who was drunk got on the tracks near Fajar Station, she was hit by a train and died.
LRT stations have also been equipped with similar platform screen doors since 2015, although these do not have sliding doors but do have fixed openings that trains align their doors with.
Mr. Ikhsan cautioned that it would be a “Herculean task to keep the most determined intruders out”, and that security arrangements must be balanced against cost.
“However, all accidents should be treated as preventable,” he said.
Since 2015, the Land Transport Authority has erected anti-climbing barriers to prevent such incidents from paralyzing the train network. The tunnel portal at Redhill MRT station, for example, has a 3m high fence topped with razor blades.
Police have said they do not suspect a dirty act in the latest incident. Investigations continue.
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