Public transport operator SMRT Corporation is allegedly shipping back 26 out of the 35 China-made trains it is using due to structural defects.

The issues, which were found in 2013, were revealed after a Hong Kong news outlet reported that trains were "secreted" away to be sent back to its manufacturer. Furthermore, a crowd-funded news site called FactWire revealed that the defects were apparent after it began operating on the North-South and East-West lines.

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The issues cited include repeatedly shattering glass panels because of shoddy workmanship and exploding China-made uninterruptible power supply batteries during repairs. These batteries have been reportedly replaced with Germany-made batteries.

Meanwhile, the Land Transport Authority told TODAY that the issues "are not safety-critical and do not affect the train's systems or performance."

Lee Ling Wee, SMRT Train's managing director, on the other hand, told the press that "our engineers discovered that 26 out of the 35 trains delivered by the manufacturer had cracks in the structure connecting the car body and the bogie after they were delivered in 2013."

He added that they have been closely working with the Land Transport Authority and the manufacturer. The trains will be repaired by the manufacturers since it is still under warranty, and all the 26 defective units will be fixed by 2023.

When prompted about passenger's safety, Lee said they have been closely monitoring the defects, noting that "a monthly safety assessment is conducted by the LTA and manufacturer before the train is put into service."

The C151A-model trains, which are less than five years old, were made by China Southern Railway (CSR) Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company in collaboration with Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

TagsSMRT, defective trains