Sengkang LRT line explained
The Sengkang LRT is a 10.7km (06.6miles) automated guideway transit line in Singapore. The line, which initially opened on 18 January 2003, connects the residential districts and suburbs of Sengkang to Sengkang Town Centre, where it connects with the North East MRT line, Sengkang Bus Interchange, Compass One and Compassvale Bus Interchange. It is the second line of the LRT system in Singapore and like all other LRT lines, it is fully elevated and uses automated trains. It is the first LRT line to be operated by SBS Transit.
History
Planning for the Sengkang LRT line was underway when the Bukit Panjang LRT was opened by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 6 November 1999.[3] Construction began in January 2000 for both the East Loop and West Loop. Meanwhile, the Sengkang LRT line was awarded to Singapore Bus Service (present-day SBS Transit) on 20 May 1999.[4] [5]
On 18 January 2003, the East Loop was opened, the first section of the line to do so.[6] The West Loop, with the exception of Farmway, Cheng Lim and Kupang stations, commenced operations on 29 January 2005. These three stations then opened on 15 November 2007, 1 January 2013 and 27 June 2015 respectively.[7] [8]
Improvements
On 31 October 2012, the Land Transport Authority announced that starting from first quarter of 2016, both the Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems would be upgraded to two-car trains, doubling the passenger capacity. An additional 16 more cars were to be ordered, bringing the total fleet size to 57. The longer trains also required modifications to the signalling and communication system.[9]
On 22 December 2015, the line began operating two-car trains, five years after plans to raise the capacity of the increasingly packed light-rail system were announced.[10]
Around the end of 2016, two-car trains started being deployed on both directions of the West Loop during the weekday peak hours, due to the increasing number of commuters living in new HDB flats located near Thanggam, Kupang and Farmway stations. Before this, two-car trains were only deployed towards the direction of Cheng Lim during morning peak hours, and towards the direction of Renjong during evening peak hours.
On 15 December 2017, the Land Transport Authority said there will be limited services on parts of the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) on most Sundays from 14 January 2018 to 25 February that year, to facilitate renewal and improvement works (except 18 February as it is a Chinese New Year holiday). Only one platform will open for service at 5.30am on Sundays. The other platform will open from 7am.[11] [12] [13] On 22nd of that month, SBS Transit said the arrangement is expected to continue until end April that year.[14] [15]
From 27 May to 7 October that year, limited services on Sundays will continue on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT). One platform will open at 5.30am and the other platform will open at 5.30pm.[16] [17]
On 5 February 2021, the Land Transport Authority announced that it has purchased 17 two-car trains for the Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems. The new trains will be delivered progressively from 2024 to 2027. In addition to new trains, the Sengkang Depot will also be expanded to from the existing to ensure there is capacity and maintenance space for the new trains. The expansion of the depot will also see two new reception tracks being built to shorten the train launching time. To ensure there is enough electricity to support the larger fleet of trains, 3 new power stations will be built, increasing the total number of power stations supporting the system to 8 once completed.[18]
Stations
Sengkang LRT line stations timeline! Date !! Project !! Description| 18 January 2003 | East Loop | East Loop completely opened in both directions throughout the day. |
| 29 January 2005 | West Loop | West Loop (except for Cheng Lim, Farmway and Kupang) opened in uni-directional manner.[19] [20] |
| 15 November 2007 | Farmway opened for passenger service.[21] |
| 4 January 2010 | West Loop operated in both directions during the morning and evening peak hours on weekdays.[22] |
| 1 January 2013 | West Loop operated in both directions throughout the day and Cheng Lim was opened for passenger service.[23] |
| 27 June 2015 | Kupang opened for passenger service.[24] |
|
List
| Station code | Station name | Images | Interchange;
Adjacent transportation | Opening | Location(s) |
|---|
| Sengkang | |
―
Sengkang | align=center | 18 January 2003;
| Sengkang |
| East Loop |
|---|
| Compassvale | | rowspan="5" | 18 January 2003;
| Sengkang |
| Rumbia | |
| Bakau | |
| Kangkar | |
| Ranggung | |
| West Loop |
|---|
| Cheng Lim | | rowspan="8" | align=center | 1 January 2013;
| Sengkang |
| Farmway | | align=center | 15 November 2007;
|
| Kupang | | align=center | 27 June 2015;
|
| Thanggam | | 29 January 2005;
|
| Fernvale | |
| Layar | |
| Tongkang | |
| Renjong | | |
Services
There are four services in total, with two on each loop. However, on the Electronic Display, they will not show the service letters.
Rolling stock
The Sengkang LRT operates on the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Crystal Mover rolling stock shared with the Punggol LRT. An initial 41 trainsets entered service in 2003 under C810, with an additional 16 trainsets were delivered in 2016 under C810A, bearing only minor exterior differences from its predecessor. They are maintained and stabled at Sengkang Depot, with a service track between the Punggol and Sengkang LRT systems for the Punggol LRT trains to head to and from the depot.
The procurement of a further 34 vehicles (17 two-car trains) to boost the capacity of the Sengkang-Punggol LRT was announced by the Land Transport Authority in February 2021.
These trains, also known as automated people movers, are rubber-tyred for minimised operating noise within built-up areas and are guided by two side rails and a power rail on either side. They operate in both single-car and double-car arrangements.
Train control
The line is equipped with Kyosan APM fixed block signalling system for Automatic train control (ATC) under Automatic train operation (ATO) GoA 4 (UTO).[25] The subsystems consist of Automatic train protection (ATP) to govern train speed, Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) to track and schedule trains, and a computer-based interlocking (CBI) system that prevents incorrect signal and track points settings.
Incidents
- On 20 April 2015, the East Loop suffered a brief service disruption due to a power fault.[26]
- On 8 May 2015, more than two weeks after the April 2015 disruption, another service disruption occurred on the West Loop, stranding a number of trains for three hours at 5.00 pm.[27]
- On 16 February 2018, the first day of Chinese New Year, a train broke down near Sengkang station from the West Loop due to a dislodged power collector shoe at 11.09 am. A rescue train managed to haul the faulty train away and services were resumed approximately two hours later.[28]
- On 9 June 2024, a signalling fault on the Sengkang LRT and Punggol LRT lines caused services to be suspended from the first trains around 5.45 am until 10.12 am.[29]
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Land Transport DataMall . mytransport.sg . 20 August 2020 . 21 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200821123230/https://www.mytransport.sg/content/mytransport/home/dataMall.html . live .
- Web site: 2018. Kyosan Corporate Report 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200616073148/https://discl.quick.co.jp/PDF/OT2019122500017. 16 June 2020. 16 June 2020. 19 to 20.
- Web site: Speech By Mr Mah Bow Tan Minister For Communications At The Sengkang LRT Exhibition At Ngee Ann City . NAS. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201001033915/https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/mbt19961207s.pdf. 1 October 2020.
- Web site: Appointment of operator for the North East MRT line . NAS . 22 November 2019 . 20 May 1999 . 23 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191123175914/https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/1999200503.htm . live .
- Web site: SBS to run North-East line Tibs to merge with SMRT . The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB) . 6 October 2019 . 21 May 1999 . 6 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191006165442/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19990521-1.2.2 . live .
- Web site: Free LRT service in Sengkang . Today (retrieved from NLB) . 13 October 2019 . 17 January 2003 . 8 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190708084249/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/today20030117-2.2.5.9 . live .
- Web site: Cheng Lim LRT station To Open And Sengkang West LRT to Run in Both Directions . SBS Transit . 21 December 2012 . 21 December 2012 . 24 December 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121224110914/http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/press/2012-12-21-01.aspx . live .
- Web site: Kupang LRT station to open on Saturday, 27 June 2015 . SBS Transit . 15 June 2015 . 15 June 2015 . 24 November 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151124090502/https://www.sbstransit.com.sg/download/kupang_lrt_station.pdf . live .
- Web site: 2-car System for Sengkang Punggol LRT by 2016; Improvements to Choa Chu Kang LRT station . Land Transport Authority . 31 October 2012 . 12 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131022195642/http://app.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=8a70fc51-fd2a-4793-ac12-700db7586496 . 22 October 2013 .
- News: Tan . Christopher . 24 December 2015 . 2-car trains roll out on Sengkang LRT . The Straits Times . 28 October 2017 . 28 October 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171028093848/http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/2-car-trains-roll-out-on-sengkang-lrt . live .
- Web site: Limited service along Sengkang-Punggol LRT on Sundays in Jan, Feb to facilitate rail works . 17 December 2017 . 16 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171216201515/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/limited-service-along-sengkang-punggol-lrt-on-sundays-in-jan-feb-9502364 . live .
- Web site: Limited Sengkang-Punggol LRT services on Sunday mornings from 14 Jan . 17 December 2017 . 21 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171221084358/http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/works-sengkang-punggol-lrt-system-will-see-limited-services-sunday-mornings-jan-14 . live .
- Web site: Limited service on Sundays for Sengkang-Punggol LRT . 16 December 2017 . 17 December 2017 . 18 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171218235208/http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/limited-service-on-sundays-for-sengkang-punggol-lrt . live .
- Web site: Maintenance work to resume on Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems on 4 Mar . 23 February 2018 . 23 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180223171302/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/maintenance-work-to-resume-on-sengkang-and-punggol-lrt-systems-9981524 . live .
- News: Maintenance works to resume on Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems . The Straits Times . 22 February 2018 . 23 February 2018 . 23 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180223171526/http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/maintenance-works-to-resume-on-sengkang-and-punggol-lrt-systems . live . Hussain . Amir .
- News: SBS Transit extends limited service on Sundays for Sengkang, Punggol LRT to October . The Straits Times . 11 May 2018 . 14 May 2018 . 14 May 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180514213504/https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/sbs-transit-extends-limited-service-on-sundays-for-sengkang-punggol-lrt-to . live . Lam . Lydia .
- Web site: Limited service hours on Sundays for Sengkang-Punggol LRT to be extended . 14 May 2018 . 15 May 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180515043515/https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/limited-service-hours-sundays-sengkang-punggol-lrt-be-extended . live .
- Web site: Sengkang-Punggol LRT to get 17 new two-car trains to boost capacity. CNA. 5 February 2021. 6 February 2021.
- Web site: Punggol LRT and Sengkang LRT West Loop to Commence Revenue Service on 29 January 2005 . SBS Transit . 30 August 2019 . 10 January 2005 . 30 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190830050757/https://www.sbstransit.com.sg/press/2005jan_10-3.aspx . live .
- Web site: Punggol LRT (East Loop) And Sengkang LRT (West Loop) Commence Revenue Service Today . SBS Transit . 29 January 2005 . 29 June 2014 . 11 February 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130211084342/http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/press/2005jan_29-1.aspx . live .
- Web site: Farmway LRT Station to open on 15 November 2007 . SBS Transit . 7 September 2017 . 14 November 2007 . 7 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170907075334/http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/press/2007-11-14-01-S.aspx . live .
- Web site: SK West Loop Peak Hours . SBS Transit . 16 December 2009 . 30 August 2019 . 19 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160219235824/http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/download/SK_West_Loop_Peak_Hours.pdf . live .
- Web site: Cheng Lim LRT Station To Open And Sengkang West LRT to Run in Both Directions . SBS Transit . 21 December 2012 . 21 December 2012 . 24 December 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121224110914/http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/press/2012-12-21-01.aspx . live .
- Web site: Kupang LRT Station to open on Saturday, 27 June 2015 . SBS Transit . 15 June 2015 . 15 June 2015 . 24 November 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151124090502/https://www.sbstransit.com.sg/download/kupang_lrt_station.pdf . live .
- Web site: Products and Services Kyosan Electric Mfg. Co., Ltd.. www.kyosan.co.jp. en. 13 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170716031824/http://www.kyosan.co.jp/english/product/product07-03.html. 16 July 2017. dead.
- Web site: Sengkang LRT East Loop train service stopped briefly. migration. 20 April 2015. The Straits Times. en. 25 August 2019. 25 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190825064623/https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/sengkang-lrt-east-loop-train-service-stopped-briefly. live.
- Web site: Sengkang LRT trains stuck on tracks due to power fault. 9 May 2015. The Online Citizen. en-GB. 25 August 2019. 25 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190825064625/https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2015/05/09/sengkang-lrt-trains-stuck-on-tracks-due-to-power-fault/. live.
- Web site: Sengkang LRT train breaks down on first day of CNY, passengers get down and walk on tracks. hermesauto. 16 February 2018. The Straits Times. en. 25 August 2019. 25 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190825064623/https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/sengkang-lrt-train-breaks-down-on-first-day-of-cny-passengers-get-down-and-walk. live.
- Web site: Punggol-Sengkang LRT service resumes after 4-hour disruption on Sunday morning . The Straits Times . 2024-06-09 . 2024-06-09.
