CBS uses Depot Emergency Crew (DEC) for medium-scale service disruptions.

For the first time in CBS history, CBS used its Depot Emergency Crew (DEC) for the SMRT Train service disruption on Saturday 5th June 2004.

CBS' DEC is designed to handle service disruptions of various scales and they will be deployed immediately once a service disruption is encountered. The drivers in the DEC are daytime standby drivers and they live near the various CBS depot for convenience. The last time a service disruption occured was during the Nicoll Highway Collapse. A total of 8 buses, mostly from BNDEP, were dispatched on various routes to cover the diverted and disrupted sectors.

In this disruption, a total of 40 buses were used - 20 from BSDEP and 20 from AMBP. They were deployed immediately @2120 hrs once SMRT informed CBS HQ of a power trip at Newton Station. Most buses were deployed at Newton Station Northbound while some went further down to Dhoby Ghaut Station. All shuttle services ended at Toa Payoh/Bishan Stations. Southbound passengers can take the shuttle service from Toa Payoh to Orchard.

This shuttle service ceased when the MRT resumed normal operations at 0001 hrs on Sunday, 6th June 2004.

Here are some of the shuttle service routes..

1. Dhoby Ghaut -(express)--> Somerset -(express)--> Orchard -(express)--> Novena -(express)--> Braddell -(express)--> Toa Payoh.
2. Dhoby Ghaut -(express)--> Somerset -(express)--> Orchard -(express)--> Novena -(express)--> Bishan.
3. Orchard -(express)--> Novena -(express)--> Braddell -(express)--> Toa Payoh.
4. Newton -(express)--> Novena -(express)--> Braddell -(express)--> Toa Payoh.
5. Newton -(express)--> Novena -(express)--> Bishan.
6. Newton -(express)--> Toa Payoh -(express)--> Bishan.
7. Toa Payoh -(express)--> Novena -(express)--> Newton -(express)--> Orchard.

CBSBus Press Release: 7th June 2004