Train signalling trial goes smoothly; SMRT to hold another on Thursday
SMRT staff giving out vouchers for a free one-time train ride, with a validity period of one year. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY
SINGAPORE — Rail operator SMRT will carry out another trial of its new signalling system on the North South Line (NSL) on Thursday (March 30), after a temporary switchover on Tuesday went smoothly, with trains running on the new system for more than an hour before services ended at night.
Hours before the start of the trial, however, two unrelated breakdowns occurred: A stretch of the NSL — between Bishan and Sembawang — was hit by a signalling fault that persisted for two hours, causing delays of up to 15 minutes. The issue was resolved at about 10.20pm — less than an hour before the trial started. Elsewhere, SMRT’s Bukit Panjang LRT system broke down for an hour.
Nevertheless, there were no hiccups during the temporary switchover — which started at about 11.15pm — to the new system, which involved more than 30 trains and all 26 stations on the NSL. At the start of the test, trains were halted for less than 10 minutes, before services resumed using the new signalling system.
SMRT described the test as successful, and it monitored train operations until the end of service. Some changes tested out included the automatic opening and closing of train doors on the new signalling system. Under the existing system, train captains control the doors manually.
Before the switchover, SMRT employees were seen putting up notices on train doors at stations such as Dhoby Ghaut and Bishan. They also started giving out free-ride vouchers.
At around 10.45pm at Yew Tee MRT Station, SMRT employees were seen at the ground and platform levels giving out the vouchers and explaining to commuters that a new system was going to be tested. Automated announcements warned that from 11pm, doors would automatically close with the new system.
The announcement for the switchover came at 11.15pm, informing commuters that the new signalling system was being tested and the train service would stop. This was heard a couple of times in the eight minutes it took for service to resume.
On Monday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT said that they would start testing the new system progressively during operating hours. Test-runs during non-service hours, which began last August, have been completed.
Putting the system through the motions during service hours would take the trial into a real-life environment with commuters on board. It will look, for instance, at how passengers react to the workings of the new system. The results of the trial will help the LTA determine when to roll out tests across longer stretches during service hours, and when the NSL will transit completely to the new system.
