Singapore Teen Gets Probation for Dangerous MRT Track Intrusion
A 17-year-old in Singapore has been sentenced to 18 months' probation after illegally entering operational MRT train tracks and filming passing trains, highlighting serious security vulnerabilities in the city-state's transport infrastructure.
The teenager, whose identity remains protected under court orders, must observe a strict 10pm to 6am curfew and complete 80 hours of community service. His parents face a $5,000 bond to ensure compliance with probation terms.
Elaborate Planning and Execution
Court documents reveal the March 2025 incident was premeditated. The offender had spotted scaffolding structures near Upper Changi Road providing potential access to tracks between Tanah Merah and Simei stations.
On the evening of March 27, he waited for construction workers to leave before concealing his identity with his shirt and entering through a fence gap. The teenager then crawled under a gate and climbed scaffolding to reach the active railway.
"He lay down beside the train track to avoid detection and recorded a video of the passing train with his phone," Deputy Public Prosecutor Xu Sijia told the court.
The incident lasted five to ten minutes, during which four to six trains passed. The offender crossed tracks while recording and took additional photos before departing via the same route.
Social Media Exposure Leads to Arrest
Initially sharing the footage only with close Instagram followers, the teenager later reposted it on a secondary account. When the video went viral through third-party reposts, he deleted the account to avoid detection.
However, an SMRT employee spotted the circulating video and alerted authorities, leading to his arrest.
Separate Trespassing Incident
The court also addressed an unrelated May 2025 incident where the same teenager, wearing only underwear and shoes, climbed to the 16th floor of a Housing Development Board block and accessed the rooftop.
When police arrived, he evaded arrest by climbing down and entering an elderly woman's apartment through an open window, hiding under her bed for 30 minutes before surrendering.
Public Safety Concerns
Prosecutor Xu emphasized the serious implications: "The accused's actions endangered the safety of the commuters travelling on the trains and himself, and also posed a real risk of disruption to train operations."
The case underscores questions about infrastructure security and the lengths individuals will pursue social media content, regardless of legal consequences or public safety risks.
Beyond probation conditions, the teenager must attend all required psychiatric and psychological assessments and treatments as part of his rehabilitation program.