The recently completed Tuas Depot, which has a new substation and provides the East-West Line with its own major maintenance facility, will allow the rail network’s staff to “sleep a little bit better”, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on Monday (Nov 13).

“For 30 years, we have only the Bishan Depot to support two major MRT lines (the North-South and East-West Lines), for all their major maintenance overhaul activities. This is a severe handicap for our engineering and maintenance crew,” Mr Khaw said at a showcase of future railway technologies for depots and trains.

LTA said that it is looking to implement Augmented Reality in the training of operation and maintenance staff. Autonomous robots are also being tested to carry and move heavy loads which will remove the heavy lifting that technicians usually do allowing them to focus on real maintenance work.