SINGAPORE — Commuters headed to the airport by train may want to factor in extra time for their journey, after rail operator SMRT said that it had found a crack in the crossing at Changi Airport MRT Station.

A crossing is an intersection where two tracks meet.

SMRT told TODAY on Friday (Jan 17) that the crack was found during engineering hours on Monday.

After the crack was found, all trains were diverted to one platform to avoid the affected section, SMRT said.

As a precautionary measure, trains will still be travelling at a slower speed when they are close to the affected stretch.

Ms Margaret Teo, SMRT’s chief communications officer, said that the rectification work for the crack is “complex” and will be completed only by Jan 21.

“During this period, there will be additional train travel time of less than 5 minutes,” she added. “We seek commuters’ understanding and patience.”

Just earlier this month, a platform along the Punggol East LRT line was closed for urgent maintenance after a crack was discovered on part of the track.

An SBS Transit staff member first spotted the crack on one of the elevated concrete slabs — known as plinths — on which the LRT’s light rail vehicles run.

SBS Transit said that the “isolated” crack was located between the Riviera and Coral Edge stations.