Commuters can enjoy free Wi-Fi at more MRT stations soon.

By the end of next year, all 16 stations on the North-East Line (NEL), and 12 more on the North South Line (NSL) and East West Line (EWL) will offer free Wi-Fi access.

This will bring the total to 32 stations on those lines - the only ones offering Wi-Fi on the entire MRT system - the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a report yesterday. The report provided updates on its progress for the year and summarised its plans.

Free Wi-Fi is available at City Hall, Orchard, Raffles Place and some platforms at Bishan, Dhoby Ghaut and Outram Park stations.

Joining these will be the rest of the NEL, as well as Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bukit Batok, Buona Vista, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi, Eunos, Jurong East, Khatib, Paya Lebar, Sembawang and Yishun stations.

LTA also gave updates on its upgrading works to make the train service more reliable.

After a spate of breakdowns, including major ones in December 2011, LTA began extensive renewal works on the NSL and EWL in 2012.

These include replacing timber sleepers with concrete ones, which requires trains to run slower while the new sleepers are stabilised.

Work on the NSL is about 76 per cent completed and should end by the middle of next year. Trains are back to full speed between Yio Chu Kang and Khatib stations.

Quality assurance engineer Lu Huimin, 26, travels between Toa Payoh and Woodlands on weekdays, but has not noticed the slower running times. She looks forward to faster train rides after the works are done.

"It's a chore to have to spend so long sitting or standing in a train on the way home," she said.

The signalling system is being upgraded to let trains run more frequently. Works are 73 per cent complete for the NSL and will start early next year for the EWL.

Work will also start next year to replace the power-supplying third rails of the NSL and EWL, and is due to be completed by the end of 2016.

Defective or sagging third rails have caused several train disruptions over the years.

On the NEL, wires and U-bolts are being replaced. These are part of the overhead system which supplies power to trains, and have caused breakdowns in the past when they became corroded and snapped.

Construction on the Downtown Line's second stage is close to 90 per cent complete, with its 12 stations on schedule to open by the first quarter of 2016.

The final stage's 16 stations are on track to open by 2017.

Work has started on the northern stretch of the Thomson-East Coast Line, with civil tenders to be called early next year for its eastern stretch. It will be completed in stages from 2019 to 2024.

LTA has also called a tender for Canberra Station on the NSL, between Sembawang and Yishun stations. Work, will start in the second quarter of next year and end in 2019.

The capacity of existing lines is being boosted as well, with a 48 per cent increase in the train fleet under way.

The first of 18 new NEL and 24 new Circle Line trains will enter service from the middle of next year. From 2016 to 2019, the NSL and EWL will get 57 new trains.

The LRT lines are also getting a boost, with 13 more train cars for the Bukit Panjang LRT system and 16 more to arrive for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT from 2016.

janiceh@sph.com.sg

BY THE end of next year, all 16 MRT stations on the North-East Line (NEL) and 12 more on the North-South Line (NSL) and East-West Line (EWL) will offer free Wi-Fi access.

With this, 32 stations across the entire MRT system will offer free Wi-Fi, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday in a report. All such stations are located on these three lines.

Free Wi-Fi access is currently available at City Hall, Orchard, Raffles Place and some platforms at Bishan, Dhoby Ghaut and Outram Park.

Joining these will be the rest of the NEL, as well as Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bukit Batok, Buona Vista, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi, Eunos, Jurong East, Khatib, Paya Lebar, Sembawang and Yishun.

The LTA also gave updates on its upgrading works to make train services more reliable.

After a spate of breakdowns, including major ones in December 2011, the LTA began extensive renewal works for the NSL and EWL in 2012.

These included replacing timber sleepers with concrete ones. The replacement process requires trains to run slower while the new sleepers are stabilised.

Replacement work on the NSL is about 76 per cent complete and due to finish by the middle of next year. Trains are back to full speed from Yio Chu Kang to Khatib.

Quality assurance engineer Lu Huimin, 26, travels between Toa Payoh and Woodlands on weekdays. She looks forward to faster train rides after the works are done.

"It's a chore to have to spend so long sitting or standing in a train on the way home," she said.

The signalling system is being upgraded to let trains run more frequently. Works are 73 per cent complete for the NSL and will start early next year for the EWL.

Work will start next year to replace the power-supplying third rails of the NSL and EWL and is due to finish by the end of 2016. Defective or sagging third rails have caused several train disruptions over the years.

On the NEL, wires and U-bolts are being replaced. These are part of the overhead system which supplies power to trains, and have caused breakdowns in the past when they corroded and snapped.

Meanwhile, construction on the Downtown Line's second stage is close to 90 per cent complete, with its 12 stations on schedule to open by the first quarter of 2016. The 16 stations in the final stage are on track to open by 2017.

Work has started on the northern stretch of the Thomson-East Coast Line, with tenders for civil works to be called early next year for its eastern stretch. It will be completed in stages from 2019 to 2024.

The LTA has also called a tender for Canberra station on the NSL between Sembawang and Yishun. Work will start in the second quarter of next year and finish in 2019.

Existing lines are getting greater capacity, with a 48 per cent increase in the train fleet under way. The first of 18 new NEL and 24 new Circle Line trains will enter service from the middle of next year. From 2016 to 2019, the NSL and EWL will get 57 new trains.

The LRT lines are also getting a boost, with 13 more train-cars for the Bukit Panjang LRT system and 16 more to arrive for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT from 2016.

janiceh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on December 19, 2014.
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The Land Transport Authority Thursday released an update on Singapore's MRT network.

It summarises the progress made in 2014 and outlines upcoming changes to the rail network.

Here are the highlights of the report.

1. More trains being added to existing lines

The Land Transport Authority Thursday released an update on Singapore's MRT network.

It summarises the progress made in 2014 and outlines upcoming changes to the rail network.

Here are the highlights of the report.

1. More trains being added to existing lines

More trains will be added to existing lines every year from 2015 to 2019. The first of the 18 new North East Line (NEL) and 24 new Circle Line (CCL) trains have arrived and will be progressively put into service from the middle of 2015. From 2016 to 2019, 57 new trains will be progressively added to the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL), boosting rail network capacity by about 40 per cent.

From November this year, 13 additional train-cars will be progressively put into service for the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) system, increasing the fleet size by about 70 per cent. From 2016, 16 new train-cars will arrive for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SKPGLRT), increasing the fleet size by about 40 per cent.

2. Facelift for Clementi, Commonwealth and Queenstown MRT stations

These three stations will get new station entrances, equipped with fare gates and ticketing machines. Each station will have an additional pedestrian link bridge to improve accessibility.

Work at the three stations is expected to complete by mid-2015.

3. Additional platform for Tanah Merah station

The additional platform will allow trains heading to and from Changi Airport to arrive and depart the station at shorter intervals. This will reduce waiting times for commuters heading to Expo and Changi Airport stations. Work is expected to be completed by 2024.

4. Free WiFi access at more MRT stations

By end-2015, commuters waiting for trains at the platforms of 32 stations will be able to access free WiFi service to check their e-mails, surf the web, or connect to social media platforms. The stations include all on the NEL, and 12 stations in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bukit Batok, Buona Vista, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi, Eunos, Jurong East, Khatib, Paya Lebar, Sembawang and Yishun.

5. Noise barriers to be installed at more locations

The first phase of the noise barrier installation works at Admiralty, Marsiling, and Sembawang stations has begun and is on schedule for completion by 2016. LTA is evaluating tender proposals to appoint a contractor for the next set of installation works at nine other locations in Bedok and Eunos in the east; and Clementi and Jurong in the west.

6. Shorter waiting times for commuters and greater rail network capacity

Work to replace timber sleepers with concrete sleepers on the North-South Line and East-West Line is on track for completion by mid-2015 and end-2016 respectively. New concrete sleepers, which last twice as long as the old wooden sleepers, will allow trains to pick up speed.

The signalling system for the North-South Line and East-West Line is being upgraded to allow trains to run at shorter intervals of 100 seconds, compared to the shortest possible intervals of 120 seconds under the old signalling system.

7. On-going expansion of rail network

The Downtown Line (DTL) and Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) are under construction. LTA is adding four more stations on the East-West Line and one more station on the North-South Line. Phase 2 of DTL is on schedule to open by first quarter of 2016. The 16 stations in Phrase 3 of the DTL are on track to open by 2017. The 31 stations on the TEL will be completed in stages from 2019 to 2024.

Source: Land Transport Authority

This article was first published on December 18, 2014.
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A new enclosed sound barrier built on elevated MRT tracks along Toh Guan Road in Jurong East has provided residents nearby much-needed relief from the noisy MRT line nearby.

The 150m-long, 4.5m-high sound barrier, completed in May, is part of a plan by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to cut noise levels in residential areas near MRT tracks or busy roads.

These barriers cover the tracks almost entirely, save for a gap at the top, unlike standard barriers which do not have such a "roof". They are placed along turnouts - places where trains merge or change tracks - as noise levels are higher there compared with stretches of straight tracks.

Other locations with such barriers are near Block 269 in Tampines Street 21 and Block 110 in Jurong East Street 13, which are next to train tracks.

The LTA says more standard noise barriers are currently being built at Admiralty, Marsiling and Sembawang MRT stations. They are due to be completed in 2016.

Residents of Block 266, Toh Guan Road, which is right beside the tracks, told The Straits Times that the barriers have kept a lid on train noise.

"It was hard to sleep last time because of train noise. It wasn't painful, but it was distracting," said secondary school student Kavi Ganesan, 15. But while residents agree that the sound barrier in Toh Guan Road has reduced noise levels, the design has become a sore point with some residents.

The reflective material which forms the roof of the barrier reflects sunrays into apartments which face the track. Retired machine operator Poh Kian Lam, 64, who lives on the fifth floor, described the reflected rays as being like "a big fire" in his apartment.

"The whole hall is bright," he said. "We have to cover the gate (of the flat) with blankets to block the sunlight."

His neighbour three floors up, housewife Lim Chuey Beng, 51, said in Mandarin: "It's so bad during the afternoon, I get blinded when I step out in the doorway."

An LTA spokesman said that the authority is aware of the issue and will be rectifying it.

"Something will be done to the finishing of the barriers," he said.

This article was first published on Dec 30, 2014.
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They are tiny objects but they caused a big ruckus yesterday morning, making a train door jam and slowing MRT services on the East-West Line.

In response to queries, SMRT said an earring and two beads - retrieved by technicians - caused the door to jam on an eastbound train travelling from Joo Koon to Dover at 8am.

It added that trains travelled at slower speeds, and passengers at Chinese Garden Station were asked to alight and board two other trains instead.

Earlier, commuters vented their frustration on social media, with a photo making the rounds purportedly showing a screen announcing an additional 10 minutes of travelling time between Joo Koon and Clementi stations on the East-West Line, in the direction of Pasir Ris.

Others tweeted pictures of long queues at MRT stations.

SMRT did not issue any updates on its Facebook or Twitter pages.

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SINGAPORE - Barriers will be installed along MRT tracks in nine more locations where noise levels exceed the National Environment Agency's current noise criterion of 67 decibels averaged over an hour.

The locations of the 3.5km-long noise barriers are as follows:

1. From the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) to Simei Street 1

2. From Bedok Park Connector to Bedok Road

3. From Siglap Park Connector to Lorong Mydin

4. From Eunos Road 2 to Eunos Road 5

5. From Paya Lebar Road to Geylang East Avenue 1

6. From Lorong 3 Geylang to Lorong 1 Geylang

7. From Clementi Road to Clementi MRT Station

8. From Jurong East Central to Block 107, Jurong East Street 13

9. From Lakeside MRT Station to Corporation Road

Costing about $17 million, installation works are expected to complete by mid-2017, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement today.

Following successful pilot projects in Bishan and Jurong East, the LTA had in December 2013 awarded the first contract to install 10km of noise barriers at 16 locations.

Installation works are still ongoing in Admiralty, Marsiling and Sembawang, and will next be carried out at Ang Mo Kio, Pioneer and Yew Tee. All installation works are on schedule to complete in 2016, the LTA said.

The noise barriers are expected to reduce railway noise levels by five to 10 decibels.

The second phase of the railway noise barrier programme, which the LTA targets to complete by 2019, is projected to begin in 2016. Further details will be announced by the LTA later this year.

huizhen@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - Soon, commuters will be able to hold rail operators to an even higher standard of service.

A number of regulatory standards will be tightened further as a billion-dollar programme to repair and upgrade the rail system goes into full swing, with additional trains being injected into the network as well.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday that delays and disruptions will be measured in more stringent ways. This will reflect more accurately what commuters feel on the ground.

Most significantly, any service degradation that leads to slower rides along a line will be monitored. If the problem is prolonged for more than an hour, the operator can be fined.

This is on top of a relatively new standard that allows no more than one major disruption (defined as a delay of more than 30 minutes) in a space of four weeks.

Further, delays will be measured on an end-to-end journey basis, rather than per station.

Standards will be raised for station amenities such as lifts, escalators and air-conditioning.

Security-related standards will be introduced too, to ensure video surveillance systems on trains and at stations and depots are in good working order, said the LTA.

Most of these changes will come into effect from the second quarter of this year.

From next year, train service frequency will increase substantially, to coincide with the completion of resignalling works on the North-South Line.

Service intervals during morning peak hours will be narrowed to 100 seconds, from 120 seconds currently.

Resignalling of the East-West Line will be completed in 2018. Then, morning peak intervals on the route will come to 110 seconds - slightly more than for the North-South Line, because of a technical constraint at the Pasir Ris station.

Intervals on the North-East Line will be 120 seconds, down from 160 seconds now.

And Circle Line trains will run as often as once every 160 seconds, compared with 210 seconds currently.

LTA chief executive Chew Men Leong said the network's overall capacity will increase by 25 per cent as a result. This, he said, would outpace the expected growth in train ridership.

"We've been working very hard to improve the system in recent years," he said.

"Now we are ensuring that service standards are raised, so commuters can enjoy shorter waiting times, as well as faster, safer and more comfortable journeys."

Commuters have welcomed the news. Equity broker Manoj Kumar, 44, who relies on the East- West Line to travel between home and office, said: "It's a good move, but let's make sure it's not all talk."

He acknowledged that "things had already begun to improve" in recent months.

Service standards were last raised just a year ago, in January 2014. A month later, the maximum fine that the regulator could impose on operators for service lapses was increased as well.

Previously, the fine was capped at $1 million; now, it can come to as much as 10 per cent of the annual fare revenue of a rail line. For a fairly short one such as the North-East Line, that could translate into well over $10 million.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said in a Facebook post yesterday that the joint effort by the LTA and public transport operators "will result in a better transport system in the coming years".

christan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on January 16, 2015.
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The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is taking steps to make it harder for intruders to gain access to MRT tracks.

Last month, it called a tender for anti-climb barriers to be built at the Redhill MRT Station.

Topped with razor blades, the 3m-high fence will be built at the top of the Redhill MRT tunnel portal, and will prevent intruders from climbing down onto the tracks.

"This approach... is adopted after considering the need to ensure minimal disruption to train operations," said an LTA spokesman, adding that if the tracks were covered up instead, works would be more extensive and train services might be affected.

Redhill MRT Station is the first station where these new barriers are being rolled out.

The LTA said similar barriers would be installed at other stations but declined to reveal which ones.

A total of 177 track intrusions have been recorded on the MRT network since 2003.

In 2012, a man in his 20s was found dead beside the tracks in the tunnel between the Redhill and Tiong Bahru stations.

He had climbed over a locked gate at the end of Redhill MRT Station and walked east into the tunnel and towards the Tiong Bahru station.

The latest incident was in February last year, when an elderly man was found lying on the elevated tracks close to the Expo station.

The LTA is also looking to implement several other security enhancements. These include security screens which will be installed at selected overhead pedestrian bridges next to MRT tracks.

The screens are meant to prevent foreign objects from being thrown onto the tracks. Although there have not been any such cases, the LTA said it is taking pre-emptive steps.

Train operator SMRT has welcomed the additional safeguards "because such objects could pose a hazard to train operations".

"Last year, our train staff found about 200 foreign objects on our tracks," said Mr Patrick Nathan, SMRT's vice-president for corporate information and communication.

But he added that the items - which ranged from mobile devices, wallets and shoes to pieces of cardboard and clothing - were small and did not compromise train operations.

Work on the enhancements will begin next month and will be completed by September next year.

Member of Parliament Cedric Foo, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, believes the enhancements will strengthen the integrity of the MRT network.

He said: "The MRT is the backbone of our public transport network; its security and service reliability should be safeguarded."

dansonc@sph.com.sg

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Work on the Stevens and Mount Pleasant MRT stations officially started yesterday, when Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew also revealed an extra addition.

He said an underpass is being built to connect the Singapore Chinese Girls' School (SCGS) with the Stevens MRT station, which will serve as an interchange for the new Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and the Downtown Line.

The 60m underpass, which is due to open in 2019, will run under the Bukit Timah and Dunearn roads, and end in two entrances just outside the school.

It will be 11m underground at its deepest.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it will build the underpass with a machine which is capable of drilling a rectangular-shaped tunnel.

The box-jack tunnel boring machine will allow the digging to be conducted without affecting work on the surface, explained Mr Henry Foo, one of the directors of the Thomson-East Coast Line.

He added that if the LTA had built the underpass using the conventional "cut-and-cover" method, roads, canals and utilities running on the surface would have to be diverted for excavation works.

"You can say that this new machine will save us about 30 per cent of the manpower," said Mr Foo.

It is the first time such a machine will be used in Singapore. There are also plans to use the machine at the Havelock station on the $24 billion TEL.

Mr Lui, who was guest of honour at the ground-breaking ceremony, assured residents that emphasis will be placed on building the pedestrian link, which will be available ahead of the station's opening.

"This will benefit residents, students and staff of SCGS, who will have a more comfortable and safer alternative to cross the very busy roads," he said.

Both the Stevens and Mount Pleasant stations are expected to be operational by 2021.

They are part of the 31-station TEL that stretches from Woodlands to Bedok.

Construction of the TEL-side of Stevens station will take place along a 200m stretch of Stevens Road.

The road, which is nine-lane at its widest, will be diverted in stages during construction.

Meanwhile, residents and parents are already looking forward to the line's opening, in the hope that it will ease traffic congestion in the area.

"Every morning, we have to wake up earlier to avoid the jam," said fund manager William Tan, 57, who leaves his home near the Botanic Gardens at 6.25am to take his two daughters to SCGS.

"If they took the train with the new line, maybe they could sleep in more."

dansonc@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on January 25, 2015.
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New trains with tip-up seats and Wi-Fi on board, similar to what is available in European cities, may soon make their way to Singapore.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has called for a tender for 12 new trains on the North-South and East-West lines, with manufacturers asked to include tip-up seats in their cabin design.

These seats can be remotely locked up in a folded position via a push button, and passengers should not be able to fold them down when locked, according to tender document specifications.

While details were not given, this could mean the rail operators control the seats remotely.

There will be two rows of seven tip-up seats in each of the six train cars - accounting for about 30 per cent of all seating.

"For tip-up seats, the intent is to provide flexibility in seat configuration but we will have to study this initiative further," an LTA spokesman said in response to queries from The Straits Times.

While tip-up seats offer flexibility in seating configurations, they incur maintenance costs as the mechanical parts have to be serviced, said Mr Piers Connor, managing director of British firm PRC Rail Consulting.

Commuters will also have to play their part for the seats to be used effectively.

"When the train is crowded, you have to persuade people to give up their seats so more people can stand," Mr Connor said.

The tender, which closes in March, also requires bidders to supply trains with mounted brackets and provisions for power supply among other things, to cater for Wi-Fi on trains.

The LTA said this infrastructure will cater for Wi-Fi on board trains, should it be found "feasible in the future".

In Britain and Germany, onboard Wi-Fi is available on selected train routes. Commuters sometimes have to pay for the service.

Currently, free Wi-Fi is offered only at City Hall, Orchard and Raffles Place MRT stations and on the platforms of Bishan, Dhoby Ghaut and Outram Park. This service will be extended to another 32 stations by the end of this year.

Commuter Dan Chua, 25, a market researcher, said: "Onboard Wi-Fi will be good for times when the telco signal is poor, such as in tunnels."

The first batch of four trains under this tender will be commissioned for use in the middle of 2018.

All 12 trains are targeted to be put into service by early 2019.

In total, 57 new trains will be added to the North-South and East-West lines from next year to 2019, which will boost capacity on the lines by about 40 per cent.

adrianl@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on January 31, 2015.
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As early as the first half of next year, commuters will be able to take an MRT train to the western tip of the island and get a panoramic view of Singapore's industrial heartland along the way.

Details have been revealed of the new MRT Tuas West Extension, which will feature Singapore's tallest viaduct at 23m above ground - almost twice the height of the average MRT viaduct.

At Gul Circle, the first of the extension's four stops, the station ceiling will be 33m above ground - about the height of a 10-storey Housing Board block.

There are two reasons for the heights. First, the 7.5km, $3.5 billion extension goes over the Ayer Rajah Expressway viaduct at the Pan-Island Expressway interchange.

Second, a 4.8km portion of the line is being integrated with a road viaduct, which runs below the rail line.

It will be the first twin-tier viaduct in Singapore, with the new elevated dual three-lane road designed to relieve Tuas' infamous heavy traffic load, which is set to become heavier once the port is moved there in 2030.

The structure is supported by a series of massive columns, each designed to bear 13,000 tonnes of weight. Columns at existing rail viaducts carry 5,300 tonnes of weight each.

Project director Andrew Yap said the piles for the columns go as deep as 60m into the ground.

Mr Yap, 62, a Land Transport Authority veteran who built the first MRT line in the 1980s, said most of the columns are already up and more than half of the horizontal beams are in place.

"Overall, the project is over the halfway mark," he said.

Work started in late 2011, and is slated to be completed next year. Mr Yap would not commit to a more specific time, but going by the progress so far, it could be ready by the first half.

The most challenging parts of the project have already been tackled. Mr Yap said these include diverting major utilities serving Tuas and upgrading a 1km-long drain in Tuas Road.

The MRT extension is expected to carry 100,000 commuters a day to Tuas, an area currently not well served by public transport.

The project includes a 26ha depot that can hold 60 trains.

It will join depots in Changi, Bishan and Ulu Pandan that serve the East-West Line.

Mr Yap said structural provisions have been made for a Tuas South extension.

The Gul Circle station will incorporate a platform serving the Tuas South extension that accommodates a split-viaduct design. Instead of eastbound and westbound tracks facing each other across a platform, one is above the other.

While this design has been employed in underground lines, Mr Yap said this will be the first time for an elevated line.

The northern end of the Tuas West Extension includes a 300m overrun track, a braking buffer that can also facilitate future extensions of the line.

christan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Feb 3, 2015.
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SINGAPORE - SBS Transit will be extending operating hours for its train services on the on the North East and Downtown Lines by half an hour on Feb 14.

This is to cater to commuters' travel needs for the upcoming Lunar New Year, the public transport operator said in a statement today.

On the North East Line, the last train towards HarbourFront will depart from Punggol station at 12.02am, Serangoon station at 12.13am, Dhoby Ghaut station at 12.26am, Chinatown station at 12.30am and Outram Park station at 12.32am. The last train towards Punggol will leave HarbourFront station at 12.29am, Outram Park station at 12.32am, Chinatown station at 12.34am, Dhoby Ghaut station at 12.38am and Serangoon station at 12.51am.

Services on the Punggol and Sengkang LRT systems will also be extended. The last trains on the Sengkang LRT and Punggol LRT will depart their Town Centre stations at 1.05am and 1.07am respectively.

On the Downtown Line, the last train towards Bugis will depart Chinatown station at 12.19am, Bayfront station at 12.23am and Promenade station at 12.25am. The last train towards Chinatown will leave Bugis station at 12.22am, Promenade station at 12.24am and Bayfront station at 12.26am.

huizhen@sph.com.sg

Half of the 88 trains ordered for the Downtown Line have arrived in Singapore.

The 44 trains, yet to be painted in operator SBS Transit's livery, will be used for Phase 2 of the MRT line - which will run from Bukit Panjang to Rochor.

The line is scheduled to open by the first quarter of next year, and it runs through the affluent Bukit Timah corridor.

The new three-car, fully automated trains are made by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier Transportation.

The first order of 73 trains, costing $571 million, was placed in 2008. In 2013, an order for 15 additional trains costing $119.2 million was placed.

Eight trains are already in operation on Downtown Line 1 that serves Marina South.

All the new trains will eventually be stabled at the 21ha Gali Batu Depot in Woodlands.

The massive facility is about twice the size of the underground Kim Chuan Depot, which serves the Circle Line.

Around 2,000 old graves at the Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery, a little-known graveyard said to date back to the 1940s, were exhumed to make way for the Gali Batu Depot.

The depot is scheduled to be completed this year. But the Land Transport Authority is already expanding its capacity.

It recently awarded a $137.4 million contract to Hock Lian Seng Infrastructure to design and build additional stabling - train berthing - at the facility.

The project is expected to be completed by November 2019.

christan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Feb 10, 2015.
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SINGAPORE - Imagine a mode of transport that almost halves the current fastest door-to- door travel time between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

That is the exciting prospect offered by the KL-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project, where instead of 4.2 hours by air, you will be whisked city to city in 2.5 hours. These times include airport/station transfers, wait time and immigration clearance.

Because of this sheer speed and accessibility, the KL-Singapore HSR - which can be up and running by 2025 if work starts next year - is expected to change profoundly the way people in both countries live, work and play. An HSR links up cities far more effectively than planes can.

Singapore has shortlisted three possible sites for its terminus, each with its own potential - and pitfalls.

Until now, the possibility of an HSR line linking two countries that were once one - an idea bandied about for three decades - remained vague, the way cross- border projects (not just those involving Singapore and Malaysia) tend to be. But developments are firming up. The choice of site for the Singapore terminus will be announced when ministers on both sides meet at the Leaders' Retreat here, said to be tentatively slated for the end of next month.

Singapore has thrown up three possible sites for the terminus: Tuas West, Jurong East and the city centre. Here are the pros and cons for each.

Tuas West

It may seem like the boondocks right now, but this area is slated to become an enormous hub for trade and industry.

There is plenty of land there, so an HSR terminus - which requires quite a lot of space - can be built without much difficulty. And because it is currently an area of sparse development, builders have a fairly blank canvas to work with. This saves costs, as there would be no or minimal land acquisition and diversion of existing infrastructure required.

The terminus can link up with the MRT Tuas West Extension for relatively painless transfers to the rest of the island.

Freight transport an option: A future MRT line will also extend towards Tuas South, and this could form a link to Singapore's new port location.

Indeed, while HSR lines are predominantly associated with high- speed passenger commutes, there are interesting developments to suggest that HSR can be an attractive option for freight.

Freight can be moved during off-peak passenger hours; or concurrently, using well-timed schedules that allow passenger and cargo trains to share the same line safely.

If the KL-Singapore HSR can double as a freight service, freight can subsidise operating costs, and consequently, passenger fares. Another cost upside of Tuas is that the line need not go underground in this non-residential district.

The downside is that Tuas has an industrial setting, and is quite unglamorous for an HSR terminus. And, of course, it is far from the Central Business District (CBD) and the hip Marina Bay area, making cross-border rail commutes - to seal deals or to wine and dine - several stops short of chic and seamless.

Jurong East

Singapore is positioning this precinct to be the "jewel in the west", and plans are already taking shape to turn the once sleepy hollow into a vibrant "lake district" in which to work, live and play. Shopping malls have sprouted (seemingly overnight), and hotels are being erected, recreation areas zoned, a hospital is near completion and, of course, dozens of housing projects are in the pipeline.

The existing Chinese and Japanese gardens are also being merged to create Jurong Lake Gardens. Even a highway is being moved to free up more land for waterfront housing.

Besides the East-West MRT Line that serves the area now, the future Cross Island Line and Jurong Region Line will improve connections to other parts of Singapore.

While not as sparse as Tuas West, there are open spaces where an HSR terminus can be built. And unlike Tuas, the image of the transformed Jurong East fits in nicely with the high-tech, wind-chiselled picture of an HSR.

Detractors may say it is still a distance from the city centre, where the action is. But in the not-too-distant future, Jurong East might have its own fair share of action. An HSR terminus there will complete its transformation.

Downside? While it could become as cool as New York's rejuvenated Meatpacking District, it is no Wall Street. For that, we still have to look south.

City centre

The undisputed financial centre of Singapore is Raffles Place. To have an HSR stop there will undoubtedly add to the downtown buzz.

That the fast-developing Marina Bay area is just next door adds to the attraction. For a traveller, nothing beats coming out of a station and strolling over to his final destination.

Indeed, HSR lines the world over tend to link city centres. London to Paris; Zurich to Brussels; Taipei to Kaohsiung, and so on.

But not all of them are right smack in the middle of the city. For instance, the Tokyo-Osaka leg of Japan's Shinkansen stops 3km outside Osaka's city centre. This apparently was to avoid the engineering difficulties of running the HSR into the heart of the city.

If Singapore were to build its terminus in the city centre, where would it do it?

Well, the old Tanjong Pagar railway station would be nice, as it will be in the middle of an intense mixed-use district once the port moves to Tuas.

The facade of the grand old building, as well as some elements of its interior, can be retained, and it can be a wonderful link between the past and the future.

Station platforms will have to be underground, as an HSR line running into the city will no doubt have to be below ground because of space constraints.

Largely because of this, a city terminus will be the costliest option. Excavations will have to be deep to avoid a congested subterranean area filled with utilities, pilings, basement floors, and MRT tunnels. It will also have to be cavernous. This will add to the final bill, which can easily be five times that of Tuas and three times that of Jurong East.

Expense versus benefits

A terminus in Marina Bay would be a good compromise. It is central, but there is still plenty of space above ground for an HSR station. There is even enough space for train stabling. Yes, it would be expensive, prime land. Too precious to be set aside for a train station, some say. Yet, it is exactly what Hong Kong has done.

Prime real estate in West Kowloon has been set aside for its HSR terminus. The decision whipped up plenty of controversy, but decision-makers believe that future benefits outweigh the hefty initial capital outlay.

Once it is built, people from Guangzhou can zip to Hong Kong for dinner and the theatre, and still return home before midnight. It will allow Hong Kong to tap more effectively into a population of 60 million in the Pearl River Delta region.

Hopefully, policymakers here think likewise. They have to believe the HSR line will benefit Singapore as much as it will Malaysia - if not now, then in the future.

Academics have suggested that HSR lines create a so-called "straw effect", where economic value flows towards the strongest city along a line. It has not been proven conclusively but if true, which city along the KL-Singapore HSR will benefit most from the straw effect?

On that score, Kuala Lumpur is making sure it has a convincing "pull" at its end of the line. It is siting its terminus in Bandar Malaysia - an ambitious project that transforms the old Sungei Besi area (3km from KL's financial district) into a dynamic, connected township.

Which of Singapore's three choices trumps Bandar Malaysia?

This article was first published on February 11, 2015.
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SINGAPORE - The second phase of the Downtown Line (DTL), which runs from Bukit Panjang to Rochor, looks set to open as scheduled in the first quarter of next year.

This will come after the main train stabling and maintenance facility at the Gali Batu depot in Woodlands is completed this July.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) told The Straits Times during a site visit earlier today that trains have been tested from the depot up to Bukit Panjang, Cashew, Hillview and Beauty World stations. These are the first four stations of the DTL.

The second phase of the DTL, which will run over 12 stations, will be integrated with the current line that runs between Bugis and Chinatown.

Meanwhile, the 21ha Gali Batu depot will be further expanded to stable more trains.

In January, LTA awarded a $137.4 million contract to build more train berths, adding another 4ha to the facility. This is targeted for completion by November 2019, The Straits Times reported.

debwong@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - Singapore's sixth rail depot, which will be used to stable and maintain trains for the Downtown Line (DTL), will be ready in July.

The completion of the Gali Batu depot in Woodlands will pave the way for the second phase of the DTL to open in the first quarter of next year.

Trains have already been successfully tested to run from the depot to the first four stops on the upcoming 12-station section of the line - Bukit Panjang, Cashew, Hillview and Beauty World.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said during a site visit yesterday that testing will also have to be done to integrate Downtown Line 2 with the first phase of the DTL, a six-station stretch between Bugis and Chinatown which was launched in December 2013. The depot is now in its final stages of completion and will be handed over to operator SBS Transit before the end of the year.

Costing $410 million, the 21ha facility has 14 tracks at the stabling building and can currently hold up to 42 three-car trains. However, berth space will be expanded by November 2019 to park 39 more trains. Last month, the LTA awarded a $137.4 million contract to build these additional train berths, which will add another 4ha to the site.

Apart from train stabling and maintenance for the DTL, the depot will also house an operations control centre, which will monitor, supervise and control operations along the entire line.

It is also the first MRT depot to achieve the Gold Award under the Building and Construction Authority's Green Mark certification. Among its various green features is the train workshop which is naturally ventilated and lit with natural light to minimise the use of air- conditioning and lights.

LTA's deputy group director of rail for the Circle Line and DTL Ng Kee Nam said that besides the sheer size of the depot - 1.8km in length and 250m wide - the hilly terrain made construction challenging. The amount of earth excavated can fill more than 1,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The Gali Batu depot is more than twice the size of the last depot, which was built at Kim Chuan in 2008 and is about 11ha. The largest depot is in Bishan and spreads over 30ha.

This article was first published on February 18, 2015.
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SINGAPORE - A "track intrusion" caused delays along the North-South MRT Line at around 9pm today.

SMRT first tweeted about an approximate 15-minute delay between Yew Tee and Jurong East stations at 9.05pm. At 9.32pm, it posted an update saying that train services were running normally, only to tweet 12 minutes later that "the person intrudes to the track again".

Train services between Bukit Gombak and Yew Tee stations were halted in both directions as a result of the second intrusion.

At about 10pm, SMRT tweeted that train services Yew Tee and Jurong East stations were halted in both directions as well.

SMRT said in its latest tweet at 10.52pm that normal train services resumed. It added that free bus services, which were activated at about 9.15pm, were still available between Jurong East and Yew Tee stations.

huizhen@sph.com.sg

Police are investigating a case of criminal trespass that occurred on Friday night, which caused train services on both sides of the North-South Line between Jurong and Yew Tee to be disrupted.

A member of the public had alerted the police that a man was walking on the viaduct between Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak train stations on Friday night.

The police confirmed that they had received a call for assistance at Choa Chu Kang station at about 8.36pm that night. The Sunday Times understands that no arrests have been made.

The man is believed to have trespassed alone.

Train operator SMRT had tweeted at about 9.05pm on Friday, calling for commuters to expect a 15-minute delay in their journey between Yew Tee and Jurong stations due to a "track intrusion".

It then provided free shuttle services between Bukit Gombak and Yew Tee and clarified on its Facebook page that a man was seen walking along the train track between Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak stations.

Twenty-seven minutes later at 9.32pm, SMRT tweeted that the trains were running normally.

But 12 minutes later, the train operator said on Twitter that the person was on the track again and that train services were again suspended.

Service resumed only at about 10.35pm that night.

Both Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak stations are on a viaduct.

A portion of the tracks in between the stations, near Choa Chu Kang Avenue 1, descends and comes close to ground level.

That area is closed off to the public by a barbed wire fence.

A total of 177 track intrusions have been recorded on the MRT network since 2003.

The last reported track intrusion incident was in February last year, when an elderly man was found lying on the elevated tracks close to the Expo station.

177: Number of MRT track intrusions since 2003

This article was first published on March 1, 2015.
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The recent spate of MRT disruptions is unacceptable ("Steps taken to fix series of train disruptions: SMRT"; yesterday). However, the problems have only become increasingly frequent, despite harsher penalties.

Clearly, monetary penalties are insufficient to "incentivise" the operator's owners and managers to perform the necessary works.

At least two of the disruptions last month were due to equipment failure. This may be because the fines only indirectly affect the company's bottom line. A fine only "incentivises" certain actions, but cannot "compel" the company to take certain actions.

For example, although SMRT makes losses on its fare operations, it makes most of its profit from non-fare operations - such as advertising and rent - which are only tangentially related to maintaining its assets and far exceed the fines that the Government imposes.

Therefore, we need novel forms of punishment. The penalties for the company should be made in terms of voting rights and/or stock options instead of lump-sum fines. Voting rights and/or stock options will accrue to the public transport regulator. The threat of the public transport regulator exercising its rights should be sufficient to compel the board of directors to act more defensively and to maintain their infrastructure adequately.

The above measures directly affect the value of shares held by the owners without reducing the amount of money SMRT has for operations. Thus, members of the public need not be afraid that the fines will be "passed on" to consumers.

Moreover, the firm's owners can be held directly accountable for failing to run a public service that is up to standard.

Greater voting rights will also give the regulator a direct say in how the transport operators conduct their maintenance procedures, without having to go through the indirect method of imposing fines.

Sum Siew Kee

This article was first published on Mar 5, 2015.
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