Teen, 17, to be charged for allegedly trespassing onto MRT tracks between Tanah Merah and Simei stations

A 17-year-old boy will be charged on Jul 3 for allegedly trespassing onto MRT tracks between Tanah Merah and Simei stations on the East-West Line.

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News outlets CNA and ST said the police received a report on Jun 10 that a person had trespassed onto the MRT tracks along Upper Changi Road East.

SGTrains understands that this track section is the segment where construction works are ongoing for the track viaducts that link to the future East Coast Integrated Depot.

The teenage boy was arrested on Jul 1.

He will be charged with one count of wilfully endangering the safety of railway users under the Rapid Transit Systems Act, and one count of criminal trespass under the Penal Code.

For wilfully endangering the safety of railway users, he could be jailed for up to five years, fined up to $10,000, or both.

For criminal trespass, he could be jailed for up to three months, fined up to $1,500, or both.

Following the identification of the boy’s alleged entry point, the police said that the Land Transport Authority “took immediate action to enhance security measures at the location to prevent similar incidents from re-occurring”.

The police warned that they take a serious view against acts that endanger public safety and will not hesitate to take action against those who blatantly disregard the law, CNA reported.

Rail operator SMRT reported the track trespassing incident to the police in early June, following the circulation of the viral video on social media.

Source: @singapura.legends/Instagram

The viral video footage was taken in dark conditions, showing the perpetrator starting from a seemingly lower angle, possibly crouching in an attempt to avoid detection from the train captain of the MRT train in passenger service.

When the front driving trailer, where the driver’s cabin is, of the MRT train passed, the perpetrator stood up and walked on the track ballast and came up as close as beside the third rail, which supplies direct-current (DC) electrical power of 750 volts.

After the MRT train had passed the track section entirely, the perpetrator crossed the running rail tracks, risking being hit by an incoming MRT train and electrocution from the high-voltage third rail before the video ended.