SINGAPORE: Train services between Ang Mo Kio and Marina Bay stations were disrupted Saturday morning, in the third service breakdown this week for Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT).
In its latest update at 1.18 pm, SMRT said the southbound train service between Toa Payoh and Raffles Place stations is now available.
The service between Raffles Place and Marina Bay stations is not available.
The northbound train service between Raffles Place and Jurong East stations is available.
The train service between Raffles Place and Toa Payoh stations are running but not at a normal frequency.
A bus bridging service is available between Ang Mo Kio and Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and Raffles Place, as well as Marina Bay and City Hall stations.
Passengers on the affected stretches are advised to use alternative transport or take the bus bridging service.
They should also commute using the Circle Line, which has been running at a three-minute frequency since 8.40 am to cater to the influx of passengers.
Calls to Channel NewsAsia on Saturday's service disruption started coming in at about 7.00 am.
One caller, Jeannie said that at about 6.50 am, she and other passengers who were in a train near City Hall MRT were asked to evacuate the train and had to walk along the tunnel after "the doors got stuck".
Another caller said at 7.21 am that when service on the North-South Line broke down towards Marina Bay, an announcement was made about the breakdown but no reason was given.
On Wednesday, parts of the Circle Line were affected by a technical glitch during morning peak hours.
A day later, a service breakdown on the North-South Line caused commuter chaos during evening peak hours.
Callers told Channel NewsAsia on Saturday that they saw the SMS alert to taxi drivers informing them of the breakdown.
One caller said the alert was more "diplomatic", stating "FYI: train breakdown both directions".
She was referring to a similar message sent on Thursday night to inform SMRT drivers of an "income opportunity" following the train disruption.
The message was posted online by a passenger and went viral instantly, drawing heavy criticism.
SMRT had admitted that the alert was "insensitive" and a "very bad mistake".
The breakdown came a day after SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa apologised for Thursday's glitch which affected 127,000 passengers, including 1,000 trapped in each of the four stalled trains.
With the COE at an all time skyhigh amount, taxi companies raising their fares unanimously, even Singapore's railway system is showing signs instability now. Bus services remain undependable and slow. So what is the best way of commuting around here? Hong Kong is able to privatise public transport with desirable effects, but in Singapore, the opposite happens.
STOCKHOLM: Saab Automobile filed for bankruptcy on Monday, bringing to an end two years of efforts to rescue the iconic brand which has been the hallmark of Swedish cars for six decades.
The final desperate attempts to raise funds in China were frustrated by Saab's former owner General Motors which still holds key licences.
Saab's owner Swedish Automobile said in a statement that "the company without further funding will be insolvent and that filing bankruptcy is in the best interests of its creditors.
"It is expected that the court will approve of the filing and appoint receivers for Saab Automobile very shortly."
The court approved the filing several hours later and appointed receivers for Saab Automobile.
Swedish Automobile's charismatic chief executive Victor Muller had been due in court on Monday to determine whether to lift or extend the three-month bankruptcy protection Saab had been placed under while it was attempting to negotiate a rescue deal.
Muller had struggled to clinch an agreement in recent months with two Chinese groups, carmaker Youngman and car distribution company Pang Da.
But GM repeatedly said it would refuse to agree to the necessary technology licence transfers to the Chinese firms and Pang Da pulled out of the negotiations a few weeks ago.
GM owns the rights to Saab's models 9-3, 9-5 and 9-4X.
As recently as this weekend, GM reiterated its opposition to any deal with a Chinese suitor, a statement seen as the death knell for Saab.
"Each proposal results either directly or indirectly in the transfer of control and/or ownership of the company in a manner that would be detrimental to GM and its shareholders. As such, GM cannot support any of these proposed alternatives," GM spokesman James Cain said.
Swedish Automobile said Youngman pulled following Cain's remarks.
"In the end the complete lack of cooperation from GM was a big problem," Muller told a press conference at Saab's main plant in Trollhaettan, Sweden, adding that he had lost some 13 million euros of his own money in Saab.
He said, however "there are parties out there that have expressed an interest in Saab.
"Although this may seem like the end, it may not necessarily be so. There could be a new beginning, a possibility for Saab to rise like a phoenix out of the ashes," he added.
The attempts to sell Saab to Chinese partners were seen as the last chance of saving the carmaker, which was already on the brink of bankruptcy when GM sold it to Swedish Automobile - at the time called Spyker - in early 2010 for $400 million (308 million euros).
It has been a rocky road since then.
Saab - which began life in 1937 as an aircraft manufacturer, something which became evident in the aerodynamic, sporty shape of its first concept car designs -- was forced to halt production in April as suppliers stopped deliveries over mountains of unpaid bills.
Its funds ultimately ran out and Saab's 3,700 employees did not receive their November paychecks.
Employees and union officials were dejected after Monday's news.
"It's so sad," Ulf Drufva, who has worked at the Trollhaettan plant for 39 years, told Swedish news agency TT.
He said GM's blocking of the Chinese deal was "strange."
"It's as if GM sees Saab as a threat. And I can't understand that, as small as we are."
The head of the IF Metall union, Stefan Loefven, said bankruptcy was a tragedy for the employees and voiced hope that a buyer would save Saab intact.
"A scenario where the company is divided up is much worse and a lot more jobs risk being lost," he told TT.
The head of Trollhaettan city council, Paul Aakerlund, who was formerly the head union representative of Saab's branch of IF Metall, said there was still hope for the town's carmaking future.
"I know there are parties who want to buy all of Saab and run the business in Trollhaettan."
Others were less optimistic.
"I would be very surprised if anyone wanted to take over Saab," Lars Holmqvist, the chief executive of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, told TT.
The end of the road for the Swedish car maker? There aren't many Saabs currently running in Singapore, well at least not as many as the Volvos I reckon, considering they come from the same country. Well it makes you wonder why. It has class, it has pedigree and it has good safety standards. Poor marketing? Overpriced?
