The renewal of the North-South and East-West Lines is halfway to completion.

Three of the lines' six core systems have been renewed. They are the sleepers, the third rail, and the signalling system.

Another three core system renewal projects -- the power supply system renewal, the replacement of track circuits, and the replacement of 66 first generation trains that serve the North-South and East-West Lines -- will be completed by the early 2020s, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in a news release today (Jan. 2, 2020).

Speaking to the media at Bukit Batok station on Jan. 2, Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan said this is a multi-year effort that will cost over S$2.5 billion.

Power supply system renewal

The power supply renewal project is massive and requires "significant investment of time and resources", said LTA.

How massive is it?

It involves replacing 1,300km of power cables, 250km of fibre optic cables, 206 power transformers, 172 switchboards and equipment in 171 substations.

Thankfully, the early closure and late opening of stations on the weekends have enabled LTA engineers to accelerate the power supply renewal.

As of December 2019, all North-South and East-West Lines stations are equipped with new Voltage Limiting Devices that are able to isolate the impact of power faults and prevent these from causing a line-wide disruption to rail operations, said LTA.

The new power supply system will also have features for real-time condition monitoring.

This means that the system can detect and predict faults early, so that intervention works can be carried out before the fault worsens.

This is estimated to be completed by 2023.

Track circuit system renewal

Regarding the track circuit system renewal, the stretch between Bukit Batok and Khatib has been fully replaced.

This new track circuit system will be able to automatically detect broken rails that require repair, and speed up service recovery efforts when there is a track circuit fault.

This is estimated to be completed by 2022.

New trains

Lastly, LTA has procured 66 new trains to replace the first-generation trains on the North-South, East-West Lines that have been serving commuters since 1987.

These trains are equipped with a whole host of new features, including built-in condition monitoring and diagnostic systems which can detect faults early and track real-time performance of various train systems.

The interiors of the trains have been designed to make boarding easier and more accessible for all commuters including parents with strollers and wheelchair users.

The new trains will be delivered progressively from 2021.

Khaw added that government spending on new MRT lines will peak over the next two terms of government as new lines are added to the MRT network.

New upcoming lines include the Thomson-East Coast Line (of which stage one will be opening this month), the Jurong Region Line, the Circle Line extension and the Cross Island Line.

Top image by Joshua Lee.