The Singapore metro system has completed a comprehensive upgrade program on the North-South and East-West lines (NSEWL), this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Upgrading the Subway System

Starting in 2012, the work was divided into stages and carried out in collaboration with SMRT Trains.

Reconstruction of the Riedbahn Railway in Germany

The replacement of wooden sleepers with concrete ones was completed in December 2016, and the update of the third rail was finished in September 2017. In 2018, a radio-based train control system (CBTC) was implemented.

Subsequent stages included the replacement of rail chains, the modernization of the power supply system, and the upgrading of rolling stock.

The replacement of over 1,100 rail chains, 1,300 km of power cables, and 250 km of fiber-optic cables, along with the transformation of transformers and traction substations, led to a significant increase in train reliability, comparable to 1 million train-km after 2019, compared to 70,000 km in 2012 on the North-South line and 60,000 km on the East-West line.

Furthermore, LTA ordered 396 MOVIA family metro cars from Bombardier to replace the first-generation trains that had been in operation since 1987. In 2020, an additional 40 six-car trains were ordered to replace the second and third-generation rolling stock.

As of now, 26 new trains have already arrived, with seven of them in passenger service, while the rest are undergoing testing.

The delivery of all units is planned to be completed by 2026.

This upgrade will significantly enhance the quality and reliability of public transportation in Singapore.

Photo source: LTA.

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