99 new trains
to help boost rail reliability: Khaw Boon Wan
SINGAPORE: The 99 new trains that will be added to Singapore’s
rail network will cost more than S$1 billion upfront, but they are
a “worthy investment” to help improve the reliability of the MRT
system, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on Wednesday (Dec
2).
The new trains will be added from now until 2019, he said.
Fifty-seven of the trains will go to the North-South and East-West
Lines (NSEWL), 24 to the Circle Line (CCL) and 18 to the North-East
Line (NEL).
As part of the purchases, rail engineers and technical staff
from Singapore will be posted to the overseas factories where the
trains are being built to monitor the entire assembly process and
participate in train testing, he added.
“This also helps our officers gain valuable experience and
enhance their technical understanding of the trains,” Mr Khaw
said.
The new trains will have improved propulsion systems, and more
reliable and durable AC synchronous motors which require less
maintenance. The new NSEWL trains will also have electric train
doors that need lower maintenance and will eliminate air leakage
problems associated with the older pneumatic doors, he said.
The operations data for each train door will be logged and
stored for the maintenance crew to pre-empt door faults before they
occur. Nearly half of the major disruptions on the NSEWL were due
to train issues, with other factors such as track or power faults
causing the rest, Mr Khaw said.
“As with all machines, as trains age, we must work harder to
keep them in good condition ... Eventually, we must decide when to
replace them with new trains,” he said.
“Fortunately, with time, better train models with enhanced
reliability features have become available in the market. These
trains are also easier to operate and maintain. Adding them to our
fleet can therefore make a difference to the overall performance of
the rail network and in turn, better our service delivery.”
- CNA/cy