Locale Singapore Daily ridership 152,000 (2015) | Number of lines 3 | |
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Owner Land Transport Authority Transit type Automated guideway transit/People mover (APM) Number of stations 43 (2 not in operation) | ||
The Light Rail Transit (LRT), also known as the Light Rapid Transit, is a series of localised automated guideway transit systems acting as feeder services to the heavy rail Mass Rapid Transit, which together with the LRT forms the core of Singapore's rail transport services. The first LRT line was opened in 1999 and the system has since expanded to three lines, each serving a public housing estate, namely Bukit Panjang, Sengkang and Punggol. Trains on these lines have at least one station linking it to the MRT and in turn the remainder of the LRT network.
Contents
- Conception
- Opening of lines
- Improvements
- Facilities
- Bukit Panjang LRT BPLRT
- Sengkang LRT SKLRT
- Punggol LRT PGLRT
- Depots
- Rolling stock
- Signalling
- Fares and ticketing
- Safety
- References
All LRT lines use fully automated and driverless rubber-tired rolling stock closer in size and scope to an people mover system such as those found in many airports around the world. They are elevated and grade-separated in their entireties, and run on viaducts in order to save scarce land space in Singapore. In these respects, the LRT departs from the traditional sense of a light rail system (which are rarely grade-separated and in many cases include street running sections).
Along with the MRT, the LRT is constructed by the Land Transport Authority, with operating concessions currently handed to SMRT Light Rail and SBS Transit.
Conception
The concept of having rail lines which could bring people from door to door without requiring the use of road-based buses was much favoured by the government transport planners, especially with the increased emphasis on a rail-based public transport network. For intra town travel, LRTs were favoured over buses because trains run on dedicated elevated guideways, bypassing any traffic congestion and traffic lights on the roads, and do not add to road traffic. Train arrival and departure times are also almost guaranteed this way. It is also cleaner as the trains are electrically powered, and therefore lessens the effects of air pollution.
Opening of lines
The Bukit Panjang LRT opened on 6 November 1999, with all 14 stations opened at the same time. Ten Mile Junction station was closed from 10 December 2010 till 30 December 2011 for retrofitting works due to the closure and redevelopment of Ten Mile Junction shopping mall (now known as Junction 10), marking the first time an LRT or MRT Station completely closed in Singapore after opening.
The Sengkang LRT opened in two main stages, the East Loop opening first on 18 January 2003 and most of the West Loop on 29 January 2005. Farmway on the West Loop subsequently opened on 15 November 2007. On 1 January 2013, Cheng Lim opened for passenger service and the west loop now operated in a bidirectional way. Kupang opened for passenger service on 27 June 2015, marking the completion of the opening of all stations along the Sengkang LRT Line.
For the Punggol LRT, the East Loop started operating on the same day as the Sengkang LRT's West Loop, with two stations closed. Oasis was opened for service on 15 June 2007, after more residents moved into Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats in the station's vicinity. Damai opened on June 20, 2011. The West Loop opened on 29 June 2014 at 11.15 am, with Nibong, Sumang and Soo Teck being the first stations to open. Sam Kee and Punggol Point opened on 29 February 2016 and 29 December 2016 respectively.
SBS Transit has announced that Samudera will be opening in March 2017, while Teck Lee will remain closed until the area around Teck Lee has been developed.
Improvements
On 31 October 2012, LTA announced that by 2016, Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems will be upgraded to a two-car system for 16 of the 41 existing train cars, allowing double the number of passengers to board at any one time. Each train car can take up to 105 passengers. Hence, there is also the need to modify the signalling and communication system.
On 22 December 2015, the two car trains entered service on the Sengkang LRT line, boosting capacity to 204 per trip as compared to 105 in a single car configuration.
As of 2017, two car trains entered service on the Punggol LRT line.
Facilities
Since the LRT system was built in the 1990s, plans for barrier-free facilities have already been included during the planning stages. All 43 stations are equipped with such facilities, thus there will be no difficulties present for the old and handicapped. Barrier-free facilities include lifts, ramps, tactile guidance system and toilets with handicapped-friendly facilities; all stations include wide faregates. These barrier-free facilities will be included in all future LRT stations.
Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT)
The Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) is a 7.8 km light rail line opened in 1999 and part of Singapore's light rail system.
Sengkang LRT (SKLRT)
The Sengkang LRT (SKLRT) is a 10.7 km light rail line which partly opened on 18 January 2003. It forms part of the LRT system together with the other two lines. The East Loop forms 5 stations, all operational, from Compassvale to Ranggung whereas the West Loop forms 8 stations from Cheng Lim to Renjong. Kupang is the last station on the Sengkang LRT to be operational at 27 June 2015. The completion of several new residential developments in the area deemed it suitable to operate after 12 years.
For a comparison, Cheng Lim opened for passenger service on 1 January 2013 while Farmway opened for passenger service on 15 November 2007 while the rest of the West Loop stations opened for passenger service on 29 January 2005.
Punggol LRT (PGLRT)
The Punggol LRT (PGLRT) is a light rail line in Singapore within the LRT system together with the other two lines. Its first phase, which comprises a 10.3 km light rail line with 15 stations, began operating on 29 January 2005 (with the exception of Oasis, which was opened on 15 June 2007 and Damai, which was opened on 20 June 2011) whereas the Nibong, Sumang and Soo Teck were opened on 29 June 2014, the rest of the stations are not opened as Punggol was halfway developed. Subsequently, Sam Kee opened on 29 February 2016 while Punggol Point opened on 29 December 2016 when the areas became more developed. Samudera will be opening in March 2017 while Teck Lee will be opening in tandems with the developments around the area.
Depots
The LRT system consists of two depots, which run the maintenance, inspection, train overhaul facilities and house the cars overnight. The Ten Mile Junction Depot houses cars for Bukit Panjang LRT, and the Sengkang Depot houses cars for the Sengkang LRT and Punggol LRT, together with the North East Line of the Mass Rapid Transit.(MRT)
Rolling stock
The trains on the LRT system are fitted with rubber tyres, rather than steel wheels, on specially-constructed guideways from which its power is also sourced. All cars are fully automated and driverless, and are controlled from their respective depots.
Rolling stock that is on the Light Rail Transit are also used on the Changi Airport Skytrain, where the only change is in 2006 from the Bombardier C-100 to Mitsubishi Crystal Mover.
Little is known regarding the fate of the older Bombardier C-100s that was built in 1990 for the Changi Airport Skytrain.
Signalling
All Light Rail Lines are able to run automatically, are fully driverless and automated. The following list documents the systems:
Depots
The LRT system consists of two depots, which run the maintenance, inspection, train overhaul facilities and house the cars overnight. The Ten Mile Junction Depot houses cars for Bukit Panjang LRT, and the Sengkang Depot houses cars for the Sengkang LRT and Punggol LRT, together with the North East Line of the Mass Rapid Transit.(MRT)
Fares and ticketing
The Light Rail Transit uses the same ticketing system as the Mass Rapid Transit. It uses the contactless EZ-Link smart card and a standard single trip ticket.
In the future, Bukit Panjang LRT Line will uses Retractable Faregates instead of using Turnstile Faregates which is faster and easier and will be completed by 2016.
Safety
By 2018, glass and steel platform barriers will be installed at all 42 LRT stations to prevent people from falling onto the tracks. Unlike the ones in overground MRT stations, the LRT structures will not have sliding doors but fixed openings. The barriers have been erected at Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang LRT stations in anticipation of higher commuter traffic with the opening of Downtown Line 2. This will be followed by the rest of the stations on the Bukit Panjang and Sengkang-Punggol LRT systems, with the work completed in 2017 and 2018 respectively.