$2.6 Billion North-South, East-West MRT Line Upgrade Nears Completion by December 2023

SINGAPORE – The decade-long renewal and upgrade project for Singapore’s North-South and East-West MRT lines (NSEWL) is nearing its final stages, with the majority of work set for completion by December 2023. This extensive $2.6 billion initiative, which began in 2012, focused on six core systems, including sleepers, third rail, signaling system, power supply, track circuits, and the train fleet.

Four of these core upgrades are now complete, with the power system replacement finished in September 2023, The Straits Times reports. Speaking at a ceremony at Bishan Depot, Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat praised the efforts of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT teams. When renewal work commenced, NSEWL lines operated at about 65,000 mean kilometers before failure (MKBF); by 2019, reliability had increased to over 1 million MKBF.

Chee commended engineers and technicians for their contributions, highlighting long-serving staff members who played pivotal roles in transforming the rail infrastructure. The power supply upgrade alone involved replacing 1,300km of power cables and 250km of fiber-optic cables, enhancing real-time condition monitoring for faster fault detection.

The project’s next phase includes completing the track circuit replacement by December. Meanwhile, seven of 106 new trains ordered have already entered service, with the remainder expected by 2026.

“Our commitment to rail renewal ensures a safe, efficient, and reliable commuting experience for Singaporeans,” said Chee in his concluding remarks.