Appointment of inspector
Open ↗22.—(1) The Minister may in writing appoint any person to be an inspector for the purposes of this Part.
(2) The powers conferred by section 23 or by any regulations made under this Act may be exercised by an inspector only —(a)
for the purpose of ensuring the safety of any railway or any part thereof; or
(b)
when an inspector is directed to do so pursuant to such regulations, for the purpose of investigating an accident on any part of any railway,
after the railway or the part in question has commenced operation for public use.
(3) An inspector may appoint any persons that the inspector considers necessary to assist him or her in the performance of his or her duties and may in writing authorise any such person to exercise any power conferred on the inspector by section 23 or by any regulations made under this Act for any purpose mentioned in subsection (2).
(4) When exercising any power, an inspector or a person authorised under subsection (3) must produce to any person who requests him or her to do so evidence of his or her identity and, in the case of an inspector, of his or her appointment or, in the case of a person so authorised, of his or her authority.
General powers of inspector
Open ↗23.—(1) An inspector may —(a)
at all reasonable times, enter upon premises to which this subsection applies;
(b)
carry out on premises to which this subsection applies, or on any machinery, plant or equipment thereon, any tests and inspections that the inspector considers expedient;
(c)
require any person to whom this subsection applies —(i)
to do anything which the inspector reasonably considers to be necessary for facilitating any test or inspection; and
(ii)
to provide the inspector with any information relating to any railway or any machinery, plant or equipment connected with the railway that the inspector may specify, and to answer any question or produce for inspection any document which is necessary for that purpose; and
(d)
take copies of any document produced to the inspector under paragraph (c)(ii).
(2) Subsection (1) applies to —(a)
any railway premises and the premises of any contractor or subcontractor who is carrying out or has carried out any work on the railway; and
(b)
any employee of the Authority, any licensee, any employee of any licensee, any contractor or subcontractor mentioned in paragraph (a) and any employee of that contractor or subcontractor.
(3) Any person who —(a)
without lawful excuse, fails to comply with a requirement under subsection (1)(c);
(b)
knowingly furnishes to an inspector or a person authorised under section 22(3) acting under subsection (1)(c) information that is false or misleading in a material particular; or
(c)
obstructs an inspector or a person authorised under section 22(3) in the exercise of his or her powers under subsection (1),
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.
Screening, etc., train passengers or entrants to railway premises
Open ↗23A.—(1) It is a condition of entry to any train or railway premises that a train passenger of the train or an entrant to those premises must, if asked by a police officer or an approved person anywhere in or in the immediate vicinity of the train or railway premises, do one or more of the following for the purpose of ensuring the security or safety of persons who are or may be on board the train or on the railway premises:(a)
undergo any form of security screening mentioned in subsection (2);
(b)
undergo a frisk search;
(c)
permit an inspection to be made of the personal property of the train passenger or entrant;
(d)
permit a search through any bag, container or other receptacle or any garments removed in accordance with subsection (2).[12/2021]
(2) To ensure the security or safety of persons who are or may be on board a train or on any railway premises, a police officer or an approved person may ask a train passenger of the train or an entrant to the railway premises to do one or more of the following:(a)
walk through a screening detector;
(b)
pass the personal property of the train passenger or entrant through an X‑ray machine;
(c)
allow the police officer or approved person to pass a hand‑held scanner in close proximity to the personal property of the train passenger or entrant;
(d)
allow the police officer or approved person to inspect the personal property of the train passenger or entrant;
(e)
produce or empty the contents of any bag, container or other receptacle in the possession or apparently in the immediate control of the train passenger or entrant;
(f)
turn out the train passenger’s or entrant’s pockets or remove all articles from the train passenger’s or entrant’s clothing, and allow the police officer or approved person to inspect them;
(g)
remove any coat, jacket, gloves, shoes or hat or any other thing worn or carried by the train passenger or entrant, which may be conveniently removed if worn and that is specified by the police officer or approved person, and allow the police officer or approved person to inspect the coat, jacket, gloves, shoes or hat or other thing;
(h)
open an article for inspection and allow the police officer or approved person to inspect it.[12/2021]
(3) To ensure the security or safety of persons who are or may be on board a train or on any railway premises, a police officer or a senior approved person may also ask a train passenger of the train or an entrant to the railway premises to do one or more of the following:(a)
undergo a frisk search;
(b)
allow the police officer or senior approved person to pass a hand‑held scanner in close proximity to the train passenger or entrant.[12/2021]
(4) To avoid doubt, a police officer or an approved person may make a request to a train passenger of a train or an entrant to a railway premises to do anything under subsection (2)(d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) if the police officer or approved person (as the case may be) reasonably considers it necessary to make such a request under that provision, whether or not the train passenger or entrant or the personal property of the train passenger or entrant has been subjected to screening or a frisk search under subsection (2)(a), (b) or (c) or (3).[12/2021]
(5) Without limiting subsection (6), where any train passenger of a train or entrant to any railway premises refuses —(a)
to permit to be screened or inspected under subsection (2) or (3) by a police officer or an approved person —(i)
the personal property of the train passenger or entrant; or
(ii)
any bag, container or other receptacle in the possession or apparently in the immediate control of the train passenger or entrant;
(b)
to allow a police officer or an approved person under subsection (2) or (3) to pass a hand‑held scanner in close proximity to the train passenger or entrant or personal property of the train passenger or entrant; or
(c)
to undergo a frisk search under subsection (3) by a police officer or a senior approved person,
the police officer or approved person (as the case may be) may order the train passenger or entrant (as the case may be) to immediately leave the train or railway premises and with that personal property, bag, container or receptacle, as the case may be.
[12/2021]
(6) An individual commits an offence if the individual, without reasonable excuse, refuses or fails to comply with any request or order of a police officer or an approved person under subsection (2), (3) or (5).[12/2021]
(7) An individual who is guilty of an offence under subsection (6) shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.[12/2021]
(8) However, it is not an offence under subsection (6) for any individual to refuse to comply with any request or order made or given by —(a)
a police officer who is not in uniform and who fails to declare his or her office; or
(b)
an approved person who fails to declare his or her office and, in the case of an outsourced enforcement officer, who also refuses to produce his or her identification card on demand being made by that individual.[12/2021]
(9) In this section —“approved person”, in relation to any train or railway premises, means any of the following individuals who is authorised by the Authority in writing to exercise any power under this section at or in relation to the train or those railway premises:(a)
an officer or employee of the Authority;
(b)
a member of an auxiliary police force in uniform;
(c)
an employee of a licensee authorised to operate a rapid transit system using that train or railway premises;
(d)
a security officer (within the meaning of the Private Security Industry Act 2007) engaged by a licensee mentioned in paragraph (c);
(e)
an outsourced enforcement officer;
“entrant”, in relation to any railway premises, means an individual who is about to enter the railway premises, and includes an individual who is within the railway premises, whether or not a train passenger;
“frisk search” means a search of an individual conducted by quickly running the hands over the individual’s outer clothing;
“hand‑held scanner” means a device that may be passed over or around an individual or an individual’s personal property to detect metal, dangerous objects or explosive or other hazardous substances;
“identification card”, in relation to an outsourced enforcement officer, means an identification card issued under section 11(3) of the Land Transport Authority of Singapore Act 1995 to the officer;
“inspecting an article” includes handling the article, opening it and examining or moving its contents;
“personal property”, in relation to an individual, means things carried by the individual or things apparently in the immediate control of the individual, but does not include clothing being worn by the individual;
“railway premises” includes a bicycle parking facility or vehicle set down facility adjoining the railway premises;
“senior approved person”, in relation to any train or railway premises, means an approved person who is authorised by the Authority in writing to exercise any power under this section at or in relation to the train or railway premises concerned, as follows:(a)
a member of an auxiliary police force in uniform;
(b)
a security officer (within the meaning of the Private Security Industry Act 2007) engaged by a licensee authorised to operate a rapid transit system using that train or railway premises;
(c)
an outsourced enforcement officer;
“train passenger”, in relation to any train, means an individual carried on board the train, and includes —(a)
an individual boarding or intending to board the train for the purpose of travelling on board the train as a passenger; and
(b)
a driver, fare collector or an inspector while carrying out work or on duty on board the train in that capacity, or intending to board the train for the purpose of carrying out that work or duty.[12/2021]
Obstructing railway premises, etc.
Open ↗23B.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), a person must not cause or allow any small vehicle, article or thing to remain on —(a)
any part of the railway premises; or
(b)
any part of a bicycle parking facility or vehicle set down facility adjoining the railway premises,
so as to create any obstruction or inconvenience to the passage of the public to, from or within the railway premises.
[38/2018]
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if the obstruction or inconvenience is authorised or permitted by or under this Act or any other Act, or arises out of a lawful and reasonable use of the railway premises, bicycle parking facility or vehicle set down facility, as the case may be.[38/2018]
(3) Where an approved person finds on any part of any railway premises or a bicycle parking facility or vehicle set down facility adjoining the railway premises, any small vehicle, article or thing which has been abandoned, or deposited or left to remain there in contravention of subsection (1), the approved person may move the small vehicle, article or thing, or cause it to be so removed, so that it is no longer an obstruction or inconvenience to other persons on the railway premises.[38/2018]
(4) Subject to subsection (5), an approved person must not exercise a power under subsection (3) unless the approved person has taken reasonable steps to inform the owner of the small vehicle, article or thing (if known) of the approved person’s intention to exercise that power, and allowed or directed the owner to move the small vehicle, article or thing.[38/2018]
(5) An approved person may immediately exercise a power under subsection (3) and move a small vehicle, article or thing, or cause it to be so removed, where the small vehicle, article or thing which has been abandoned, or deposited or left to remain in contravention of subsection (1), is causing obstruction or inconvenience to other persons on the railway premises.[38/2018]
(6) For the purpose of exercising a power under subsection (3), an approved person may, with any assistance that the approved person considers necessary —(a)
move the small vehicle, article or thing by any reasonable means (including by towing it) to a holding yard and detain it there at the risk of its owner; and
(b)
use reasonable force, including cutting or breaking open any lock, seal, fastener or other device on or connected to the small vehicle, article or thing, as the case may be.[38/2018]
(7) A person must remove any small vehicle, article or thing where directed to do so by an approved person under subsection (4).[38/2018]
(8) When a small vehicle, article or thing is moved to a holding yard under this section by an approved person, the approved person must as soon as practicable give to the owner of the small vehicle, article or thing (if known) notice of —(a)
the move;
(b)
the manner by which and the time within which the owner may procure the release of the small vehicle, article or thing, which includes paying to the Authority all expenses incurred by the Authority, the licensee concerned or an approved person in moving and detaining the small vehicle, article or thing; and
(c)
the consequences that may follow under subsection (10) if the small vehicle, article or thing is not claimed within the time specified in the notice.[38/2018]
(9) Without limiting section 37, a notice required under subsection (8) to be given to the owner of a small vehicle, article or thing may be given —(a)
by affixing it to the small vehicle, article or thing in respect of which it applies; or
(b)
by posting it conspicuously at or near the part of the railway premises or a bicycle parking facility or vehicle set down facility adjoining the railway premises from which the small vehicle, article or thing was removed, if the name and address of the owner of the small vehicle, article or thing are unknown or cannot be ascertained despite reasonable diligence.[38/2018]
(10) If the small vehicle, article or thing is not claimed by its owner within the reasonable time specified in the notice mentioned in subsection (8), the Authority may dispose of the small vehicle, article or thing in any manner that the Authority thinks fit (including selling it).[38/2018]
(11) A person —(a)
who contravenes subsection (1) or (7); or
(b)
who, without the authority of an approved person, removes or tampers with any notice required under subsection (8) that has been —(i)
affixed to any small vehicle, article or thing under subsection (9)(a); or
(ii)
posted at any part of, or at or near the part of, the railway premises or a bicycle parking facility or vehicle set down facility adjoining the railway premises under subsection (9)(b),
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.
[38/2018]
(12) In this section —“approved person”, in relation to any railway premises, means any of the following individuals who is authorised by the Authority in writing to exercise any power under this section at or in relation to those railway premises:(a)
an officer or employee of the Authority;
(b)
an employee of a licensee;
(c)
an outsourced enforcement officer;
“small vehicle” means a bicycle, power-assisted bicycle, personal mobility device, mobility vehicle or non‑motorised wheelchair, within the meanings given by section 2(1) of the Active Mobility Act 2017.[38/2018]
[Act 5 of 2026 wef 04/05/2026]
Minister may order defects to be remedied
Open ↗24.—(1) Where in the Minister’s opinion —(a)
the condition of any part of any railway which has been brought into operation or of any machinery, plant or equipment of such part; or
(b)
the manner in which any railway or any part thereof is being operated,
is such as to cause, or to be likely to cause, a risk of injury to any person, the Minister may, by written order, direct the Authority or a licensee (whichever is the relevant party) or both the Authority and the licensee, to carry out the work, or to take the steps, that the Minister may specify in the order to ensure that the condition of the railway, or of the part of the machinery, plant or equipment in question, or the manner of operation will cease to constitute such a risk.
(2) An order under subsection (1) may specify the time before which the Authority or licensee or both (as the case may be) must commence to carry out the specified work or take the specified steps and the time by which the same must be completed.
(3) The Authority or licensee which fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with an order made under this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine of $500 for every day during which it is proved to the court that the failure to comply with the order has continued without reasonable excuse.
(4) Any copy of a document which purports to be an order signed by the Minister for the purposes of subsection (1) —(a)
is to be admitted in evidence in proceedings for an offence under subsection (3) on its production without further proof; and
(b)
is evidence of the Minister’s opinion and of the other matters contained therein.
Offence of wilfully endangering safety
Open ↗25. Any person who wilfully does or omits to do anything in relation to any railway as a result of which the safety of any person travelling or being upon the railway is endangered, or is likely to be so endangered, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both.
Damage to railway or railway premises
Open ↗26. Any person who wilfully removes, destroys or damages any railway or railway premises or any part thereof shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $200,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Compensation for damaging railway or railway premises
Open ↗27.—(1) Any person who removes, destroys or damages, whether wilfully or otherwise, any railway or railway premises or any part thereof shall, in addition to any penalty for which the person is liable for an offence under this Act, be liable to pay compensation for the damage the person has done and the compensation shall be recoverable by civil action or suit before any court of competent jurisdiction.
(2) Subject to subsection (1), any court before which a person is charged with an offence under this Act may assess the compensation payable under this section and may make an order for the payment of the same.
(3) Any order made under subsection (2) may be enforced as if it were a judgment in a civil action or suit.
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
