Singapore will be building Southeast Asia's first-ever Integrated Train Testing Centre (ITTC).
This is part of an ongoing effort to ensure rail reliability and to help build local expertise in railway technologies.
Fully operational by 2024
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that it has awarded a S$639.5 million contract for the design and construction of the ITTC to GS Engineering and Construction Corp (GS Engineering).
The ITTC is located at the former Raffles Country Club site, occupying approximately 50 hectares.
The design of the ITTC is modelled after similar testing centres in countries like Germany, South Korea and Japan.
The ITTC will commence operations in phases with the first phase opening by end 2022 to receive new trains and systems for Circle Line 6.
The facility will be fully operational by end-2024.
Here's how it might look:
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There will be an Operations Control Centre, testing equipment and features around 11km of test tracks to support endurance, performance integration, and high- speed testing for new trains and supporting systems.
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The ITTC is also equipped with a rolling stock workshop, stabling tracks and maintenance tracks to support the major refurbishment of existing trains.
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More efficient and minimises impact on passengers
Local railway operators will be able to evaluate new railway infrastructure, develop proofs-of-concept, as well as conduct research and development into railway technologies, using the ITTC as a testing ground, the release stated.
The ITTC will also speed up diagnoses and rectification of faults, as more troubleshooting can now be done locally.
Integrated systems testing can be performed round the clock within ITTC, minimising the disruption caused to the passengers and frees up limited engineering hours on the existing lines for other activities such as maintenance and renewal works.
Rail workers can also get to learn about the intricacies of new rail systems at ITTC before they are deployed.
Top photo from LTA
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