Singapore’s MRT network maintained a steady reliability rate in March, remaining unchanged from February levels, according to data released by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on April 17.
The network achieved a 12-month moving average of 1.74 million train-km between delays lasting more than five minutes for the period between April 2025 and March 2026. This performance remains comfortably above the national rail reliability target of 1 million train-km.
Performance Variance Across MRT Lines
The North East Line (NEL), operated by SBS Transit, continues to lead as the most reliable line, seeing a slight increase to 4.45 million train-km from 4.42 million in February.
The Circle Line (CCL), managed by SMRT, followed in second place with an average of 2.37 million train-km, marking a significant rise from the previous month’s 1.8 million train-km.
In contrast, the SBS Transit-operated Downtown Line (DTL) experienced a performance drop, falling to 2.1 million train-km from an average of 2.8 million.
The network’s oldest lines, SMRT’s East-West Line (EWL) and North-South Line (NSL), ranked fourth and fifth respectively. The EWL saw a marginal increase to 1.45 million train-km, whereas the NSL remained steady at 1.24 million train-km, a figure held since January.
Punctuality and Schedule Adherence
Overall train punctuality—the percentage of trips completed within two minutes of the scheduled time—dipped slightly from 99.46 per cent to 99.43 per cent across the five main lines.
While the EWL and NSL showed improvements in punctuality, other lines saw marginal decreases. The proportion of services operating exactly according to schedule fell from 99.98 per cent to 99.90 per cent.
Among mature lines, only the NSL improved its schedule adherence, rising from 99.96 per cent in February to 99.97 per cent in March.
New Line Integration and LRT Challenges
The Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), the network’s newest addition, recorded a drop in performance to 374,000 train-km between delays, caused by three incidents in March exceeding five minutes.
LTA noted that early-stage lines often present lower mileage due to lower ridership and atypical train frequencies. The TEL’s performance is currently excluded from overall network reliability results.
The final stage of the TEL, including Sungei Bedok and Bedok South stations, is scheduled to open in the second half of 2026. It is likely that the line’s performance can only be fairly compared to other lines once it is fully open and operations have stabilised.
While the MRT network reported no major delays exceeding 30 minutes in March, the LRT network did. A major delay occurred on the SBS Transit-operated Sengkang-Punggol LRT.
Overall LRT reliability dropped to 374,000 car-km from 410,000 car-km in March. This included a dip for the SMRT-managed Bukit Panjang LRT, which fell to 186,000 car-km from 200,000 car-km.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current reliability target for Singapore’s MRT network?
The Republic’s rail reliability target is 1 million train-km, also known as mean kilometres between failure (MKBF), for the entire network.
Which MRT line was the most reliable in March?
The North East Line (NEL), operated by SBS Transit, was the most reliable line with 4.45 million train-km.
Why is the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) excluded from overall reliability results?
As the newest line, the TEL is in its early stages and typically sees lower mileage due to lower ridership and trains not running at typical frequencies. LTA stated it can be fairly compared only after it is fully open and operations have stabilised.
Do you believe the reliability of the older MRT lines will eventually match that of the newer systems?
