LTA pulls out all stops to double rail network by 2030

Expect shorter waits and less crowded rides.

Commuters can look forward to shorter waits and less crowded rides as plans to double Singapore’s rail network by 2030 are on track. According to a press release by LTA, construction of new lines, upgrades on existing ones, and addition of new trains and train-cars are all on schedule.

Beginning 27 December 2015, commuters in the Bukit Panjang and Bukit Timah areas can enjoy an additional route into the city, thanks to the Downtown Line 2. Meanwhile, Downtown Line 3 is also on track for completion by 2017.

The construction of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) is also well underway, LTA said. Tunnelling works that began in August this year as well as the construction of earth-retaining structures for most of the stations are in full swing, while the excavation for Caldecott, Gardens by the Bay, Marina South and Woodlands have begun.

Set to swap with three MRT lines by 2021, the Marina Bay station is seeing construction and ground improvement works in preparation for the construction of TEL tunnels under the existing tunnels of the North-South Line (NSL) and Circle Line (CCL).

LTA is also on track to deliver the upgraded signalling system for NSL by mid-2016. Once completed, the signalling upgrade will lead to an increase in capacity of up to 20% with six trains every 10 minutes from the current five. The East-West Line (EWL) will enjoy the same system upgrade by 2018.

Other improvements to the EWL include sleeper replacement works and the replacement of the third rail system. The NSL also started third rail system renewal works last September, which are set to be completed by March 2017.

NSEWL’s current fleet of 141 trains will enjoy a 40% boost as 57 new trains are added. On the North East Line, 3 of 18 new trains were added last October, while the rest will be introduced into the system progressively by the end of 2016. This will put the fleet number at 43 trains, spelling a surge of more than 70%. 

The CCL fleet of 40 trains have seen the addition of 12 new ones since June this year, and 11 more trains to be added by mid-2016 will expand the fleet by 60% to 64 trains total. 

The Bukit Panjang LRT system, meanwhile, enjoyed an expansion of 13 more train-cars that reflected a 70% growth in fleet size. For the Sengkang-Punggol LRT system, LTA modified 16 of the existing 41 train-cars to function in pairs, with another 16 new train-cars to be added to bring the fleet to 57 train-cars. Sengkang LRT capacity will be bolstered by 1Q16 when the coupled cars enter service. The Punggol LRT is also being revamped to enable two-car operations by the first quarter of 2017.