Long queues also formed at the bus stops near Jurong East and Queenstown stations from 5.45pm.
It was a similar picture soon after the EWL disruption occurred in the morning.
Entry to the EWL platforms at the Buona Vista and Jurong East stations was blocked, with passengers being directed to various exits for bus services.
Ms Dimitria Hamzah, who was travelling with her seven-month-old baby, said she found out about the train disruption when she alighted at Buona Vista station at around 10.45am. She was planning to transfer from the Circle Line at Buona Vista, and switch to the EWL to travel to Clementi.
The 26-year-old administrative executive said she was not rushing for appointments, so she was not too bothered by the delay.
At Clementi station, retiree Fathiah Sahdan was waiting at around 11.45am to board a less crowded bus towards Jurong East to get home. The 74-year-old said her lunch preparation would be delayed due to the longer than usual wait.
“I can’t get angry, if so, my high blood pressure will rise,” she said.
At 1.45pm, Yeo Rui Xuan at Jurong East station said that figuring out where to get on the bridging buses was a “messy” and “inconvenient” process for passengers, as they had no proper guidance.
The 17-year-old student added that she was confused about where to head to, but would try to take the bridging bus going towards Tanjong Pagar, where she was meeting her friends.
Similarly, insurance agent Lim Kian Seng, 66, who was waiting at around 2pm for a bus bridging service to travel from Queenstown to Boon Lay, said the announcements being broadcast at the MRT stations were not clear.
He said in Mandarin: “It is okay the breakdown is happening now, but if it happens later during peak hours when people are getting off work, it will be quite bad.”
Mr Lim added that more signs should be placed at the station exits and entrances.
Art studio manager C.A. Cheah, who did not want to give her full name, said this was the first time she experienced a train service disruption in Singapore, and that it was “no big deal” for her.
Ms Cheah, who is in her 30s, was travelling from Bedok to Bukit Batok in the afternoon.
She had been waiting for a bus for about 15 minutes.
She said that, ideally, the bus frequency should match that of the MRT trains.
But she noted that it might not be feasible, as the passenger volume might be too large for the buses to handle.
Several commuters told ST they were upset because they were late for work in the morning.
Ms Junis, a consultant who gave only her first name, said she was at least one hour late getting to her workplace in Queenstown.
The queue for the bridging buses near Jurong East station was too long, she said, adding that she wished she had received the update sooner so she could have planned her journey better.
Madam Uma Raju, 54, was also affected while she was on her way to work at around 10am.