• Coils of concertina wire can be found at the spot near Kallang MRT Station where a man was killed by a train on Thursday
• The area is a part of the East-West Line where the track transitions from overland to underground, known as a portal
• There are spots at the incident side which can be easily scaled, unlike at other MRT portals

SINGAPORE — Coils of concertina wire have appeared on the MRT viaduct near the spot 150m away from Kallang MRT Station where a man, 31, was killed by an oncoming train on Thursday (Feb 25).

During a visit to the site on Sunday, TODAY found the newly-placed wire, which is used to prevent entry in a manner similar to barbed wire, at the track viaduct that was around 3m above ground. The wire was not present on Friday afternoon.

A police investigation into the unnatural death is ongoing, and SMRT has declined to comment on whether surveillance cameras or systems had detected the man’s presence before the accident.

TODAY has sent queries to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Thursday's incident, which had occurred around 9pm, had led to train disruptions between Bugis and Aljunied stops. Both Kallang and Lavender stations had to be closed later that night.

It is not publicly known how the man had accessed the eastbound track, which is unique as it is a part of the East-West Line where the track transitions from overland to underground. This is known as a tunnel entrance or portal.

There are six other locations in Singapore with such portals — at Redhill, Bishan, Expo, Kranji, Bukit Batok, and between Kembangan and Bedok stations.

When TODAY visited the site on Sunday, there were areas of the Kallang MRT viaduct that could be scaled due to its low height of around 4m and design features in the concrete viaduct itself which could be used as footholds.

There were also no fences that prevented people from accessing the area under the low viaduct, though some fencing was installed on the viaduct itself. Several people were picnicking in the shade provided by the viaduct, right under the spot where the body was found.

While the design of the viaduct near Redhill MRT Station also allows people to picnic under it — several groups were seen doing so on Sunday — the track itself is protected by tall barbed wire fences, and no easily scalable areas could be found.

And at Bishan MRT Station, fences that are at least 10m high prevent anyone from easily entering the track without permission.

The viaducts at Redhill and Bishan are also V-shaped, which will hinder attempts to climb up the side.

On Thursday after the incident occurred, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung acknowledged on his Facebook page that the public had many questions about the incident, but that there is “a limit to what can be said publicly” due to the police investigation.

Said Mr Ong: “There was a time when there were occasional incidents of people going onto the tracks from station platforms. That is why we have the platform screen doors for above ground stations as well as underground ones now. Outside of the station, tracks are either on viaduct, underground or if at (ground level), fenced up.”

Retired LTA planner and transport analyst Gopinath Menon said that the spate of fatal incidents a decade ago led to the installation of platform screen doors, which have been effective at stopping track intrusions.

In general, security features such as physical barriers, detection systems like closed-circuit television cameras and radar devices, as well as manned patrols can prevent such incidents.

However, there is a greater risk of unauthorised track access at portal areas, since they are typically located far from MRT stations, said Dr Menon.

"If someone is hell bent on entering the track, there are only so many ways to prevent that. The authorities can think of various ways of control, but they can't put men in every corner," he said.

Where to get help:

• Samaritans of Singapore Hotline: 1800 221 4444

• Institute of Mental Health’s Helpline: 6389 2222

• Singapore Association of Mental Health Helpline: 1800 283 7019