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BPLRT to start running later on Sundays from Nov 12 for renewal works

SINGAPORE — The Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (LRT) system will begin operations at 7am, instead of 5.30am, on all Sundays from Nov 12 until the end of the year, to allow more time for works to improve service reliability.

SINGAPORE — The Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (LRT) system will begin operations at 7am, instead of 5.30am, on all Sundays from Nov 12 until the end of the year, to allow more time for works to improve service reliability.

In a press statement on Monday (Oct 23), rail operator SMRT said the extra 1.5 hours of downtime on eight Sundays will allow its workers to carry out track maintenance and renewal work to replace ageing rail mounting frames and rail expansion joints on the problematic LRT network.

The shortened operating hours on Sundays will raise the time maintenance workers have on the tracks from two hours currently, to 3.5 hours. This will allow engineers to do heavy maintenance work which is otherwise not possible during a two-hour window. Replacement work will be sped up as a result, SMRT said.

“These works are important to maintain the reliability of the power rail system and ensure smooth operations of the trains,” SMRT said.

To cushion the impact on commuters, shuttle bus services will ply routes along the LRT line from 5.30am to 7am. Riders will have to tap in and out, as with regular bus rides.

Advising commuters to plan their journeys and consider alternative transport, such as bus services, SMRT said announcements will be made in stations and its employees will be on hand to guide commuters on the affected Sundays.

Mr Roger Lim, SMRT’s vice-president for the Circle Line and Bukit Panjang LRT, said the operator was grateful to commuters for adjusting their travel schedules to facilitate maintenance and renewal work.

“Our engineering staff value every additional minute of track access to carry out their work,” he said.

Speaking in Parliament earlier this month, Second Transport Minister Ng Chee Meng revealed that the Government was mulling over shortened operating hours for the Bukit Panjang LRT.

This is to allow the LTA and SMRT more time on the tracks to carry out extra rectification work ahead of the LRT system’s overhaul, for which a tender will be called at year’s end. The contract will be awarded by the first half of next year.

Last month, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan derided the Bukit Panjang LRT, describing it as an “afterthought” that was built under “political pressure”, resulting in a design that makes for uncomfortable rides.

“No LRT is designed that way, in such a masochistic manner, where you force yourself up and down, twist and turn,” he said, adding that the few occasions he had taken the LRT left him dizzy.

Weighing in on the Bukit Panjang LRT again last week, Mr Khaw said an extensive shutdown for major upgrading work was among the options the Government was evaluating for the LRT system.

However, he added that he would be “hard put” to take this decision, as it could mean residents going without the LRT service for three years.

While some residents who spoke to TODAY said a shutdown would benefit commuters if the problems that have dogged the line can be fixed at one go, the majority – including young parents – were worried about the impact on their daily routines.

Mr Ng had previously explained in Parliament that because Bukit Panjang town had been planned and built without an LRT system in mind, the line had to snake through sharp turns over undulating terrain to accommodate the existing developments.

This made it prone to hiccups, especially power trips at the sharp bends where the trains’ collector shoes would often dislodge from the power rail.

Launched in 1999, the Bukit Panjang LRT has been beset with problems. Last year, for instance, there were eight major disruptions lasting more than 30 minutes. In 2015, the line, which has 14 stations in a 10.5km-long loop, was hit by 10 such delays.

In the first half of this year, two major trip-ups were on record. The most recent disruption on Sept 9 halted services for more than six hours.

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