Bukit Panjang LRT system to be overhauled, not ditched: Khaw

SINGAPORE — The problematic Bukit Panjang LRT system will be overhauled rather than ditched, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, as he sketched out the causes of the persistent failings with the ageing network.

Noting that Bukit Panjang’s road networks would not be able to cope if the LRT system were to be scrapped, Mr Khaw said the authorities are working on ways to bring about a “step-jump in reliability” instead, including a possible redesign of Bukit Panjang LRT Station and the track layout there.

Currently, trains leaving that station have to constantly switch tracks, which made the switch point a “critical vulnerability”, he explained in 
Parliament.

As key components of the Bukit Panjang LRT system, such as the trains, power rail and the signalling system, are also nearing the end of their design lifespan and would need to be replaced, Mr Khaw said this was an opportunity to “redo” the system.

An all-bus system to replace the LRT in Bukit Panjang was floated by operator SMRT last month, but Mr Khaw put paid to the idea 
yesterday.

He noted that LRT systems are typically deployed for straightforward, point-to-point connections on flat terrain, such as the Sentosa Express and sky trains in different terminals in airports. Bukit Panjang, however, has uneven terrain, said Mr Khaw, adding that there had to be sharp bends along the tracks since the system was shoehorned into a built-up town.

“The BPLRT’s reliability has therefore been unsatisfactory, despite significant efforts by the LTA, SMRT and the train manufacturer, Bombardier, over many years,” he said.

Responding to Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Liang Eng Hwa’s question of whether the Land Transport Authority could improve its response to disruptions in the interim, such as providing more feeder service buses so they could be redeployed during disruptions, Mr Khaw said it had already been doing so.

But the minister acknowledged that a lot of energy was being spent “sorting these medium-term solutions”, which the authorities would need to “clean up” over the next four or five years. TOH EE MING