The Sengkang LRT line is a 10.7-kilometre (6.6 mi) automated guideway transit line in Singapore.
Sengkang and Punggol Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines are Singapore’s 2nd and 3rd LRT systems. Opened in 2003, the Sengkang LRT connects residents in the area to the town centre, Sengkang MRT station on the North-East Line, and the Sengkang bus interchange. The line serves 14 stations across two loops. Punggol & Sengkang Light Rail Transit Systemsare the 1st design and built LRT systems in Singapore with a fully automated train operation & control system that eliminates human errors. Recently, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore announced that it is expanding the capacity of the Sengkang-Punggol LRT System.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHIENG) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Asia Pacific (MHI-AP) will enhance the capacity of the automated guideway transit (AGT) system used on the Sengkang-Punggol light rapid transit (LRT) lines. MHIENG will supply 17 new two-car trainsets, a signalling system, guideway system, and vehicle maintenance equipment. The company will co-ordinate with its Singapore-based technical service centre on this project to provide more localised services.
Benefits of Adding Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) System
The fundamental idea behind all AGT systems is to lower personnel costs through automated operations. AGTsincrease journey speeds and travelling comfort through operation on their own guideways.
Commenting on the expansion of The Sengkang-Punggol LRT system, Kenji Terasawa, President and CEO of MHIENG, said: “Since delivering the vehicles and system to inaugurate Singapore’s Sengkang-Punggol LRT system in 2003, we have continued to support LTA by enhancing the system’s transport capacity and providing a wide range of after-sales services. These include the supply of additional vehicles to accommodate two-car linked operations and upgrade of the rolling stock workshop.”
Simultaneously, SMRT Corporation is working on the renewal works for BPLRT – Singapore’s first light rail system that opened in November 1999. The renewal works will be completed by 2024. SMRT has delivered retrofitted vehicles to BPLRT’s depot in April 2021. The remaining 11 vehicles will also be retrofitted over time. They will be part of BPLRT’s future fleet, which will include 19 new vehicles. Commenting on the renewal works and continued delivery of quality transport services, SMRT Chairman, Seah Moon Ming, said: “We kept our service standards up even as the pandemic raged. All our MRT lines clocked above 1 million train-km in mean kilometers between failure (MKBF). Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (BPLRT) did well too, with MKBF reaching more than 100,000 car-km.”
Previously, both Sengkang-Punggol LRT Systems had one-car operations. They were upgraded from one-car to two-car operations in 2016. In the coming years, more of such two-car trains will be added to the SPLRT fleet to better serve the long-term public transport needs of the commuters. The SPLRT depot will be expanded by 2027 to accommodate two-car operations and new AGT systems.
Conclusion
The fully driverless Sengkang and Punggol Light Rapid Transit (SPLRT) system serves two of the fastest-growing residential estates in Singapore. With the expansion of AGT systems along the Sengkang-Punggol LRT Lines, commuters will be able to travel comfortably and faster in the coming years.
About the Author
Jiwon Lee
Jiwon has been working as a design lead at a heavy industries engineering firm in Germany. She loves to share her views on anything related to the transportation industry and the latest technology introduced in transport services. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and exploring new places.
