Bukit Panjang LRT renewal on track for completion by year-end

The renewal programme for Singapore's oldest LRT line began in 2018.

Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow in the third-generation light rail vehicle at Ten Mile Junction Depot on Oct 15, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

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SINGAPORE: The first major renewal of the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (LRT) is on track for completion by the end of 2026, eight years after works began.

The works involve the replacement of its power rail system, a renewed fleet of light rail vehicles and upgrades to the signalling system, power supply system and operations control centre.

Replacement of 16.6km of power rails, including ageing components, is 98 per cent complete and due to finish by year-end, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday (Oct 15).

Upgrades to the fleet, signalling system, power supply system and operations control centre have already been completed.

No further closures are expected as the remaining works continue.

Speaking to reporters at the Ten Mile Junction Depot, Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said authorities will have to plan ahead for the renewal of assets in due time. This involves identifying crucial components and working with train operators and procurers to ensure replacements are done on time.

He said investments have been made in condition-based monitoring, where sensors track the deterioration of components so they can be replaced when needed.

"We are going into more sensors, more data, enabling us to do predictive maintenance," said Mr Siow.

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The Bukit Panjang LRT system is on track to complete its first major renewal by the end of 2026, eight years after works began. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

LTA began the renewal programme in 2018. Key to the renewal was replacing the legacy signalling system with a communications-based train control system, similar to those on MRT lines.

The transition began in 2022, alongside the progressive introduction of third-generation light rail vehicles and upgrades to second-generation vehicles to integrate them with the new system.

The LRT moved to full operations on the new signalling system in November 2025. LTA completed the operations control centre upgrades required for the transition in January 2026 and has since begun decommissioning the legacy signalling equipment.

UPGRADED LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES

The first-generation light rail vehicles that had served commuters since 1999 have been replaced by 19 new third-generation vehicles. All 13 second-generation vehicles have been upgraded for the new signalling system.

The entire fleet of 32 light rail vehicles has been in passenger service since October 2025.

The third-generation vehicles have condition monitoring systems that detect potential faults earlier and support pre-emptive maintenance.

A dynamic route display above the doors replaces the single-line LED display that showed only the station name.

Carriages have brighter, more energy-efficient LED lighting and upgraded air-conditioning for better airflow.

The third-generation light rail vehicles have a new display above the train doors. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

The interior of the new third-generation light rail vehicles currently serving the Bukit Panjang LRT line. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

LTA also upgraded the power supply system to strengthen its reliability and resilience.

A new power supply intake source has been installed at Ten Mile Junction, while the existing intake source at Choa Chu Kang MRT substation continues as back-up.

LTA said the works have significantly improved reliability since 2018. The mean kilometres between failure, which measures the average distance a train travels before a delay of more than five minutes, rose from 53,000 car-kilometres in 2017 to about 443,000 today.

LIFT AND ESCALATOR REPLACEMENT

LTA is also upgrading 25 passenger lifts across all 13 Bukit Panjang LRT stations and one escalator at Choa Chu Kang station.

Eighteen lifts have been replaced and four more will be replaced this month. The remaining three are due by February 2027, one month ahead of schedule.

"This was made possible by optimising the sequencing of works and taking additional measures to expedite the remaining works," LTA said.

"Commuters can refer to posters and banners at Bukit Panjang LRT stations for information on the upgrading schedule and alternative travel arrangements."

The new lifts have tilted floor indicators for better visibility, rear wall mirrors, side-mounted operating panels and larger illuminated buttons.

A new lift at Phoenix LRT station on Oct 14, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

Renewal of the communications systems, including displays and phones, is 88 per cent complete and expected to finish in the second half of 2027.

RENEWING SINGAPORE'S FIRST LRT LINE

Bukit Panjang LRT, Singapore's first LRT line, has had repeated service disruptions over the years. In 2016, eight major delays of more than 30 minutes each were recorded.

In 2017, then-Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan described the line as an "afterthought" built under political pressure.

In 2024, then-Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat acknowledged in parliament that the renewal had been a "long journey" for commuters, but said it was necessary to fix “legacy problems” and deliver better service.

That October, a train stalled near Teck Whye station and the rescue train sent to move it also stalled. Service resumed the next morning.

Three power-related disruptions followed in July 2025.

The renewal was initially slated for completion in 2024, but the timeline was pushed back to 2026 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

LTA said the works had to be carefully planned and coordinated, with engineers having only about two and a half hours each night to carry them out. They took more than 500 nights to replace the legacy power rail.

Since October 2020, the authorities have implemented 10 full Sunday closures and three rounds of early closures.

"Additional closures were carried out to manage risk to operations and provide more time for complex, safety-critical works that could not be completed within normal engineering hours," LTA said.

"These closures provided longer, controlled work windows for safe implementation and testing, while ensuring the railway was ready for service the next morning for commuters."

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新加坡最老的轻轨线路的更新计划于 2018 年启动。

2026年10月15日，交通部长萧敬腾在十里路站车厂乘坐第三代轻轨车辆。（图片：CNA/Syamil Sapari）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：武吉班让轻轨（LRT）的首次重大改造工程进展顺利，预计将于 2026 年底竣工，该工程已启动八年。

工程内容包括更换其电力轨道系统、更新轻轨车辆车队以及升级信号系统、供电系统和运营控制中心。

陆路交通管理局（LTA）周四（10月15日）表示，16.6公里长的电力轨道（包括老化部件）的更换工作已完成98%，预计将于年底前完成。

舰队、信号系统、供电系统和运营控制中心的升级改造已经完成。

由于剩余工程仍在进行，预计不会再有其他道路封闭。

交通部长萧敬腾在十里路枢纽车辆段对记者表示，有关部门必须提前规划，以便及时更新车辆资产。这包括确定关键部件，并与列车运营商和采购商合作，确保按时完成更换。

他表示，公司已在基于状态的监测方面进行了投资，利用传感器跟踪部件的劣化情况，以便在需要时进行更换。

“我们正在引入更多传感器，收集更多数据，以便进行预测性维护，”萧先生说。

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武吉班让轻轨系统正按计划推进，预计将于2026年底完成其首次重大改造，该项目历时八年。（图片：CNA/Syamil Sapari）

陆路交通管理局于 2018 年启动了更新计划。更新的关键在于用基于通信的列车控制系统取代传统的信号系统，类似于地铁线路上的系统。

过渡工作于 2022 年开始，同时逐步引入第三代轻轨车辆，并对第二代车辆进行升级，以使其与新系统集成。

轻轨于 2025 年 11 月全面启用新的信号系统。陆路交通管理局于 2026 年 1 月完成了过渡所需的运营控制中心升级，并已开始拆除旧式信号设备。

升级后的轻轨车辆

自1999年以来一直为通勤者服务的第一代轻轨车辆已被19辆新型第三代车辆取代。所有13辆第二代车辆均已升级以适应新的信号系统。

全部 32 辆轻轨车辆自 2025 年 10 月起投入客运服务。

第三代车辆配备了状态监测系统，可以更早地检测出潜在故障，并支持预防性维护。

车门上方动态路线显示屏取代了之前只显示车站名称的单行 LED 显示屏。

车厢内配备了更明亮、更节能的LED照明和升级后的空调系统，以实现更好的空气流通。

第三代轻轨车辆在车门上方配备了全新的显示屏。（图片：CNA/Syamil Sapari）

这是目前服务于武吉班让轻轨线的第三代新型轻轨车辆的内部结构。（图片：CNA/Syamil Sapari）

LTA还升级了电力供应系统，以增强其可靠性和韧性。

十里路站已安装新的电源输入源，而蔡厝港地铁站变电站的现有输入源继续作为备用电源。

陆路交通管理局表示，自 2018 年以来，这些工程已显著提高了可靠性。衡量列车在延误超过五分钟之前平均行驶的里程的“平均故障间隔里程”从 2017 年的 53,000 车公里增加到目前的约 443,000 车公里。

电梯和自动扶梯更换

陆路交通管理局 (LTA) 还将升级武吉班让轻轨 13 个车站的 25 部客用电梯和蔡厝港车站的一部自动扶梯。

十八部电梯已更换完毕，本月还将更换四部。剩余的三部电梯将于2027年2月前更换完成，比原计划提前一个月。

“这得益于优化工程顺序并采取额外措施加快剩余工程的进度，”陆路交通管理局表示。

“乘客可以查看武吉班让轻轨站的海报和横幅，了解升级改造计划和替代出行安排。”

新型电梯配备了倾斜式楼层指示器，以提高可视性，后墙镜，侧面安装的操作面板和更大的照明按钮。

2026年10月14日，凤凰轻轨站安装了一部新电梯。（图片：CNA/Syamil Sapari）

通信系统（包括显示器和电话）的更新换代已完成 88%，预计将于 2027 年下半年完成。

新加坡首条轻轨线路的更新

新加坡首条轻轨线路——武吉班让轻轨多年来服务中断频发。2016年，该线路共发生8起重大延误，每次延误超过30分钟。

2017 年，时任交通部长许文远称该线路是在政治压力下修建的“事后补救”项目。

2024 年，时任交通部长徐芳达在国会承认，此次更新对通勤者来说是一段“漫长的旅程”，但他表示，为了解决“历史遗留问题”并提供更好的服务，这是必要的。

那年十月，一列火车在德惠站附近抛锚，前去救援的列车也发生故障。列车服务于次日早晨恢复。

2025年7月，发生了三起与电力相关的故障。

该续约工程最初计划于 2024 年完成，但由于 COVID-19 疫情，工期推迟至 2026 年。

陆路交通管理局表示，这项工程必须经过精心计划和协调，工程师每晚只有大约两个半小时的时间进行施工。更换老旧电力轨道耗时超过500个夜晚。

自 2020 年 10 月以来，当局已实施了 10 次周日全天停业和 3 轮提前停业。

陆路交通管理局表示：“采取额外封闭措施是为了控制运营风险，并为无法在正常工程时间内完成的复杂、安全至关重要的工程提供更多时间。”

“这些停运措施为安全实施和测试提供了更长、更可控的工作窗口，同时确保铁路在第二天早上能够为通勤者提供服务。”

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