First new trains bound for CCL, NEL arrive

SINGAPORE — The first of 42 new trains for the Circle Line (CCL) and North East Line (NEL) have reached Singapore, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) yesterday. The remaining trains will arrive over the next few months.

In total, there will be 24 trains for the CCL and 18 for the NEL.

The new trains will undergo “extensive and rigorous testing” at depots before they are put into service progressively from around the middle of next year, said the LTA.

The CCL’s new trains will increase the line’s fleet capacity by 60 per cent, while those for the NEL will boost its capacity by 70 per cent.

The LTA said this increase in capacity will help shorten waiting times and improve service levels for commuters.

More trips will be added on crowded stretches of the NEL, such as southbound stretches during the weekday morning rush hour, it added.

The first new CCL train arrived at Pasir Panjang port on June 29, while the first new NEL train arrived at the same port on July 20. They were sent to the Kim Chuan and Sengkang depots, respectively. CHANNEL NEWSASIA