Sengkang LRT line

Planning and construction The Sengkang estate was first earmarked for development in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's 1991 Concept Plan. At the groundbreaking ceremony of the Bukit Panjang LRT line on 27 September 1996, deputy prime minister Tony Tan announced the government's decision to construct the Sengkang LRT (SKLRT). The line would be developed alongside the Sengkang estate and integrated with future developments, intended to improve accessibility and convenience for residents. An exhibition for the SKLRT opened on 7 December 1996 in Ngee Ann City. At the time, according to communications minister Mah Bow Tan, the SKLRT was planned to be completed in 2002. The contract for the design and construction of the Sengkang and Punggol LRT lines was awarded to a joint venture on 4 July 1998 for S$656 million (US$ million On 20 May 1999, Singapore Bus Service (later renamed SBS Transit) was appointed to operate the SKLRT along with the North East Line and the Punggol LRT line. Construction of the SKLRT stations and viaducts was completed in 2001. In December of that year, subcontractor BRR Holdings withdrew from the LRT project due to financial difficulties, and handed over its responsibilities to SembCorp Engineers and Constructors. According to Singapore's transport agency – the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the withdrawal had minimal impact on the construction schedule. On 1 September 2002, the LTA transferred operations of the SKLRT to SBS Transit, which conducted extensive test runs and trials on the line. This came in light of frequent delays and breakdowns experienced on the Bukit Panjang LRT. In December 2002, transport minister Yeo Cheow Tong said the opening of the SKLRT would be delayed due to modifications required for the communication and radio systems. Due to limited funding from the 1997 financial crisis and low projected ridership, the Sengkang LRT line was initially constructed for single-car operations, even though it had been designed for two. Nevertheless, provisions were made for future upgrades to two-car operations during the expected equipment replacement cycle within 15 to 20 years. Opening The east loop commenced operations on 18 January 2003, offering free rides during its first two days. The system experienced its first breakdown on 5 September that year because of a computer failure. In October 2004, Today reported that the SKLRT was operating at a loss due to low ridership, as only 37,000 of the projected 95,000 public flats had been completed. With the exception of the Farmway, Cheng Lim, and Kupang stations, To mark the commencement of the west loop, Wee Siew Kim, Adviser to Jalan Kayu Grassroots Organisations, officiated the opening of the bridge linking Thanggam Station to Jalan Kayu via Lorong Samak. On 4 January 2010, the west loop commenced bidirectional services only on weekday peak hours from 6:45am to 9:00am and from 6:15pm to 8:30pm. Kupang station opened on 27 June 2015 to cater to new residential developments in its vicinity. Daily ridership on the SKLRT at the time had reached 60,000. A power trip caused a two-hour disruption on the evening of 1 June 2016. On 16 February 2018, a dislodged power collector shoe caused a train to stall near Sengkang station. On 9 June 2024, the signalling system's power supply failed during upgrading works. As a result, no trains could be launched on that morning, with services only resuming at 10:12am. Upgrades On 31 October 2012, the LTA announced plans to increase passenger capacity of the Sengkang and Punggol LRT lines (SPLRT) to cater to increased ridership on the SPLRT. The Straits Times reported in September that the LTA had completed engineering studies for upgrading the system from one-car to two-car operations. The upgrading works involved retrofitting 16 of the 41 one-car trains for two-car operations while purchasing 16 additional cars. Two-car operations on the SKLRT began on 22 December 2015, However, in October 2024, Sengkang GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Jamus Lim highlighted commuter concerns about inconsistent train frequencies and the irregular use of two-car trains during peak hours. These works included power rail and signalling maintenance, along with reinforcing viaduct crossheads and replacing bearings after cracks were found during inspections. The maintenance works took place on selected Sunday mornings from 14 January to 25 February 2018, during which the affected loops operated unidirectional services. Rectification works on the concrete plinths and elevated slabs were conducted on Sunday evenings between May 27 and October 7. Maintenance works during service hours continued in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Although these works were originally scheduled for completion in 2022, the LTA announced in 2021 that the renewal had been delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans to refurbish Sengkang station was announced in May 2018. The upgrades included expanding the LRT platform and installing new dual-speed escalators and a new lift to connect the platforms, concourse and mezzanine levels of the station. New signs and queue markings were introduced on the platform to indicate new stopping points for each of the four LRT routes plying the station. The refurbished LRT platforms began operations at the end of September 2024. On 5 February 2021, the LTA said they would purchase 17 two-car trains for the SPLRT, which were expected to be delivered from 2024 to 2027. The Sengkang Depot would also be expanded to to increase capacity and maintenance space for the new trains. The depot expansion also included two new reception tracks to reduce train launching time. In February 2022, the contract for the depot expansion was awarded to Sato Kogyo (S) Pte Ltd for S$157 million (US$ million), and the contract for the new fleet of trains was awarded to Mitsubishi Corporation for S$439 million (US$ million). ==Network and operations==

Route and service The Sengkang LRT (SKLRT) is a fully elevated automated guideway transit line, with a route length of . On dynamic passenger information displays and static signs on the platforms, yellow indicates the east loop, and red indicates the west loop. The SKLRT has four routes operating on two bi-directional loops that converge at Sengkang station. The line generally runs along road medians, On the east loop, the line heads north after Sengkang station before curving eastward and running along the medians of Compassvale Street and Rivervale Drive. After passing Rumbia station, it turns south along Rivervale Drive, then west along Sengkang East Avenue, completing the loop by heading north back to Sengkang station. The SKLRT continues along Anchorvale Street and Fernvale Street. Between the Farmway and Kupang stations, the line crosses Sungei Punggol. After Kupang station, the line turns south along Fernvale Road, and turns east along Sengkang West Avenue. It crosses Sungei Punggol again between Layar and Tongkang stations, with reception tracks connecting the line to Sengkang Depot. The SKLRT is operated by SBS Transit. Since 2018, the SKLRT has been part of the New Rail Financing Framework (NRFF). Previously, the operator (the owner of the rail assets) had to bear the cost of maintaining and upgrading trains and signalling. Under the NRFF, the LTA and SBS Transit share the profits and financial risks in operating the line and the LTA will take control of its operating assets on 1 April 2033. SBS Transit operates the line under a 15-year licence which will expire on 31 March 2033. To ease the morning crowds riding on the NEL, from 27 December 2025, free fares apply to those tapping in at any of the stations on the SKLRT on weekday mornings before 7.30am, or between 9am and 9.45am. Stations The east loop has five stations, while the west loop has eight stations. == Infrastructure ==

Rolling stock .|alt=An elevated view of the Sengkang Depot building, a modern, large structure with a curved roof, situated next to an elevated LRT track. Some trains were parked on the top level where the LRT trains are tabled. Below the tracks are roads with traffic lights and some vehicles. The Sengkang and Punggol LRT lines (SPLRT) utilise the Crystal Mover Automated People Mover (APM) rolling stock manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The rubber-tyred trains are fully automatic and can accommodate up to 105 passengers per vehicle. The SPLRT has an initial fleet of 41 APMs, with 16 more APMs delivered under contract C810A. The APMs are configured for single car or two-car operations, In February 2022, the LTA ordered another fleet of 17 two-car APMs from Mitsubishi for S$439 million (US$ million) . This was followed by another order for eight more two-car trains in May 2023, costing S$87 million (US$ million The new trains are set to replace the 25 one-car trains and half of the 16 two-car trains, bringing the overall SPLRT fleet to 33 two-car APMs. and entered passenger service on 15 July 2025. The Crystal Mover APMs have a top speed of , with a maximum operational speed of . They are powered by 750V DC third rail located on one side of the guideway. Each vehicle is long and wide. The exterior has a crystal-like design with a polyhedral nose reflective of its namesake. Mitsubishi describes the curved sides of the Crystal Mover APM as a design choice to "soften" the sharpness of its polyhedral shape. The exterior is painted pearl white and indigo blue. As driverless cars, the APMs do not include a driver cabin. Instead, detrainment doors at both ends of the cabin allow emergency evacuation of passengers onto the track. The emergency stop button and emergency notice system are located at the right-side corner of the vehicle's front, while line maps and service information are displayed on the left. The interior features white side panels and ceiling, a grey floor, grayish-blue seats, and handrails and grip bars accented in a wine color. The cabins are air-conditioned. The SPLRT trains are maintained and stabled on the second floor of Sengkang Depot. Located between the Layar and Tongkang LRT stations, the depot also houses the trains of the North East Line. Train control and power system The Sengkang LRT line is fully automatic The line's automatic train control (ATC) is composed of automatic train protection (ATP) which ensures safe operations, automatic train operation (ATO) which controls the automatic operations, and automatic train supervision (ATS) for overall command, monitoring and recording of the system. To reduce equipment mass on the train, the onboard ATP and ATO systems are integrated into one unit, although for safety reasons, the function and control logic of the ATP and ATO systems remain independent. These subsystems are connected via LAN and managed by a computer-based interlocking (CBI) system that oversees traffic safety of the APM. In July 2024, the LTA reported that the SPLRT has a "mean kilometres between failures" (MKBF) of 814,000 train-km ( train-miles), which was a decrease from 1.22 million train-km ( train-miles) in 2023. The power system of the SKLRT includes a 22 kV AC power intake and distribution network, a 750V DC traction power system, and a 400V AC system for station services. Power is supplied via two 22kV AC feeders from the North East Line to improve reliability and take advantage of the 66kV tariff. The AC supply is distributed through a closed ring network to prevent power disruptions during single outages. At each station, the AC supply is stepped down to 400V AC using service transformers for mechanical and electrical needs. Traction power substations (TPSS) further step down the 22kV AC to power rectifiers that convert it to 750V DC for train operations. Each TPSS is equipped with an inverter system to return excess energy from regenerative braking back to the 22kV distribution network. In 2004, the SKLRT had three TPSS, with one on standby to maintain operations during outages; it presently has five operational substations, which will increase to eight with the planned expansion of Sengkang Depot. The stations are also equipped with fire extinguishers and fire phones. Emergency stop buttons on both sides of the station platform, when activated, cut off traction power supply and halt incoming trains. To enhance safety, SBS Transit has implemented the VAnGuard track intrusion detection system on the SPLRT. When an intrusion is detected, operations control centre staff can press the emergency stop button to halt services on a specific loop. The system also triggers an alarm when intruders or foreign objects are detected. In addition to track intrusions, the system can spot unattended items on station platforms, allowing staff to provide assistance or undertake security precautions. ==Notes and references==

Notes Citations Sources • • • ==External links==