Singapore to Expand, Upgrade Rail Network Over Next Few Years

Singapore’s rail network will be expanded and upgraded over the next few years to cater to the increased demand in commuter travel, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced Thursday.

Based on a recent review with public transport operators, several new initiatives beyond what had been announced in the Land Transport Masterplan will be implemented over the next few years to enhance the capacity of the North-South-East-West Line (NSEWL) and the North-East Line (NEL), LTA said.

To further improve train frequencies, the signalling system for the NSEWL will undergo a major upgrading programme from 2011. This upgrade will allow trains to run at intervals of 100 seconds at peak periods, compared with 120 seconds currently, translat- ing to shorter waiting times for commuters and a 20 per cent improvement to the existing capacity, LTA said. Additional trains will also be purchased for the NSEWL to reap the full benefits of its upgraded signalling capability.

LTA noted that given the complexity of upgrading the signalling system on an operational line, the project will be completed in stages, with works on the North-South Line targeted for comple- tion first in about six years, followed by the East-West Line some two years later.

The capacity of the 20-kilometre North East Line (NEL) will also receive a boost with the purchase of new trains, scheduled to arrive in about four to five years’ time. These trains will augment the capacity of the NEL and cater to the future ridership growth along the north-east corridor from Harbour Front to Punggol, LTA said. The authority expects to progressively increase the NEL’s peak capacity by about 50 per cent.

LTA also announced Thursday that the Jurong East Modification Project (JEMP) is targeted for completion in May 2011, when an estimated five out of 22 new trains would first be delivered. By 2012, the NSEWL’s capacity is expected to increase by about 15 per cent when all 22 new trains are added to the system, LTA said. The authority added that commuters would then be able to enjoy a shorter waiting time of between two to three minutes during the peak periods, compared with the existing 2.5 to 4.5 minutes.