Sengkang LRT line

(Redirected from Bakau LRT Station)

The Sengkang LRT is a 10.7-kilometre (6.6 mi) automated guideway transit line in Singapore. The line, which initially opened on 18 January 2003, connects the residential districts and suburbs of Sengkang to Sengkang Town Centre, where it connects with the North East MRT line, Sengkang Bus Interchange, Compass One and Compassvale Bus Interchange. It is the second line of the LRT system in Singapore and like all other LRT lines, it is fully elevated and uses automated trains. It is the first LRT line to be operated by SBS Transit.

Sengkang LRT
Logo of Sengkang LRT line
A C810 on the Sengkang LRT
A C810 on the Sengkang LRT
Overview
Native nameLaluan LRT Sengkang
盛港轻轨线
செங்காங் லைட் ரெயில் வரி
StatusOperational
OwnerLand Transport Authority
LocaleSingapore
TerminiSengkang
Stations14
Service
TypeAutomated guideway transit/People mover
SystemLight Rail Transit (Singapore)
Services4
Operator(s)SBS Transit Ltd (ComfortDelGro Corporation)
Depot(s)Sengkang
Rolling stockMitsubishi Crystal Mover (C810)
Mitsubishi Crystal Mover (C810A)
Mitsubishi Crystal Mover (C810D) (Future)
Daily ridership27,541 (July 2020)[1]
History
Opened
  • 18 January 2003; 21 years ago (2003-01-18) (East Loop)
  • 29 January 2005; 19 years ago (2005-01-29) (West Loop)
Technical
Line length10.7 km (6.6 mi)
CharacterFully elevated
Track gauge1,850 mm (6 ft 2732 in)
Guideway span: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Electrification750 V DC Third rail
SignallingKyosan APM fixed block ATC under ATO GoA 4 (UTO), with subsystems of ATP, ATS and CBI[2]
Route map

West loop
 SW5  Fernvale
 SW6 
Layar
Thanggam
 SW4 
Kupang
 SW3 
 SW7 
Tongkang
Farmway
 SW2 
 SW8 
Renjong
Cheng Lim
 SW1 
Sengkang East Road
 STC 
 NE16 
Sengkang
non-revenue track
to Punggol LRT
 SE5 
Ranggung
Compassvale
 SE1 
Punggol Road
 SE4 
Kangkar
Rumbia
 SE2 
Bakau  SE3 
East loop

History

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Planning for the Sengkang LRT line was underway when the Bukit Panjang LRT was opened by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 6 November 1999.[3] Construction began in January 2000 for both the East Loop and West Loop. Meanwhile, the Sengkang LRT line was awarded to Singapore Bus Service (present-day SBS Transit) on 20 May 1999.[4][5]

On 18 January 2003, the East Loop was opened, the first section of the line to do so.[6] The West Loop, with the exception of Farmway, Cheng Lim and Kupang stations, commenced operations on 29 January 2005. These three stations then opened on 15 November 2007, 1 January 2013 and 27 June 2015, respectively.[7][8]

Improvements

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On 31 October 2012, the Land Transport Authority announced that starting from the first quarter of 2016, both the Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems would be upgraded to two-car trains, doubling the passenger capacity. An additional 16 cars were to be ordered, bringing the total fleet size to 57. The induction of longer trains also required modifications to the signalling and communication system.[9]

On 22 December 2015, the line began operating two-car trains, five years after plans to raise the capacity of the increasingly packed light-rail system were announced.[10]

Around the end of 2016, two-car trains started being deployed on both directions of the West Loop during the weekday peak hours, due to the increasing number of commuters living in new HDB flats located near Thanggam, Kupang and Farmway stations. Before this, two-car trains were only deployed towards the direction of Cheng Lim during morning peak hours, and towards the direction of Renjong during evening peak hours.[citation needed]

On 15 December 2017, the Land Transport Authority said there will be limited services on parts of the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) on most Sundays from 14 January 2018 to 25 February that year, to facilitate renewal and improvement works (except 18 February as it is a Chinese New Year holiday). Only one platform will open for service at 5.30am on Sundays. The other platform will open from 7am.[11][12][13] On 22nd of that month, SBS Transit said the arrangement is expected to continue until end April that year.[14][15]

From 27 May to 7 October that year, limited services on Sundays will continue on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT). One platform will open at 5.30am and the other platform will open at 5.30pm.[16][17]

On 5 February 2021, the Land Transport Authority announced that it has purchased 17 two-car trains for the Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems. The new trains will be delivered progressively from 2024 to 2027. In addition to new trains, the Sengkang Depot will also be expanded to 11.1 ha (27.4 acres) from the existing 3.5 ha (8.6 acres) to ensure there is capacity and maintenance space for the new trains. The expansion of the depot will also see two new reception tracks being built to shorten the train launching time. To ensure there is enough electricity to support the larger fleet of trains, 3 new power stations will be built, increasing the total number of power stations supporting the system to 8 once completed.[18]

Stations

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Sengkang LRT line stations timeline
Date Project Description
18 January 2003 East Loop East Loop completely opened in both directions throughout the day.
29 January 2005 West Loop West Loop (except for Cheng Lim, Farmway and Kupang) opened in uni-directional manner.[19][20]
15 November 2007 Farmway opened for passenger service.[21]
4 January 2010 West Loop operated in both directions during the morning and evening peak hours on weekdays.[22]
1 January 2013 West Loop operated in both directions throughout the day and Cheng Lim was opened for passenger service.[23]
27 June 2015 Kupang opened for passenger service.[24]
 
Stations on the line.

List

Station code Station name Images Interchange;
Adjacent transportation
Opening Location(s)
 STC  NE16  Sengkang    North East Line  

  Sengkang
18 January 2003;
21 years ago
Sengkang
East Loop
 SE1  Compassvale   18 January 2003;
21 years ago
Sengkang
 SE2  Rumbia  
 SE3  Bakau  
 SE4  Kangkar  
 SE5  Ranggung  
West Loop
 SW1  Cheng Lim   1 January 2013;
11 years ago
Sengkang
 SW2  Farmway   15 November 2007;
17 years ago
 SW3  Kupang   27 June 2015;
9 years ago
 SW4  Thanggam   29 January 2005;
19 years ago
 SW5  Fernvale  
 SW6  Layar  
 SW7  Tongkang  
 SW8  Renjong  

Services

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There are four services in total, with two on each loop. However, on the Electronic Display, they will not show the service letters.

Service Terminal via Loop Direction
A Sengkang Renjong West Loop Renjong to Cheng Lim
Clockwise direction
B Sengkang Cheng Lim West Loop Cheng Lim to Renjong
Anti-clockwise direction
C Sengkang Compassvale East Loop Compassvale to Ranggung
Clockwise direction
D Sengkang Ranggung East Loop Ranggung to Compassvale
Anti-clockwise direction

Rolling stock

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A Mitsubishi Crystal Mover C810 train on the Sengkang LRT East Loop.

The Sengkang LRT operates on the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Crystal Mover rolling stock shared with the Punggol LRT. An initial 41 trainsets entered service in 2003 under C810, with an additional 16 trainsets were delivered in 2016 under C810A, bearing only minor exterior differences from its predecessor. They are maintained and stabled at Sengkang Depot, with a service track between the Punggol and Sengkang LRT systems for the Punggol LRT trains to head to and from the depot.

The procurement of a further 34 vehicles (17 two-car trains) to boost the capacity of the Sengkang-Punggol LRT was announced by the Land Transport Authority in February 2021.

These trains, also known as automated people movers, are rubber-tyred for minimised operating noise within built-up areas and are guided by two side rails and a power rail on either side. They operate in both single-car and double-car arrangements.

Train control

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The line is equipped with Kyosan APM fixed block signalling system for Automatic train control (ATC) under Automatic train operation (ATO) GoA 4 (UTO).[25] The subsystems consist of Automatic train protection (ATP) to govern train speed, Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) to track and schedule trains, and a computer-based interlocking (CBI) system that prevents incorrect signal and track points settings.

Incidents

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  • On 20 April 2015, the East Loop suffered a brief service disruption due to a power fault.[26]
  • On 8 May 2015, more than two weeks after the April 2015 disruption, another service disruption occurred on the West Loop, stranding a number of trains for three hours at 5.00 pm.[27]
  • On 16 February 2018, the first day of Chinese New Year, a train broke down near Sengkang station from the West Loop due to a dislodged power collector shoe at 11.09 am. A rescue train managed to haul the faulty train away and services were resumed approximately two hours later.[28]
  • On 9 June 2024, a signalling fault on the Sengkang LRT and Punggol LRT lines caused services to be suspended from the first trains around 5.45 am until 10.12 am.[29]
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Tongkang LRT station is in the centre, with Sengkang Depot behind it. In the distant background lies the HDB blocks of the Fernvale neighbourhood.
Panoramic view showing the Sengkang LRT line (SKLRT). Renjong LRT station lies to the left, and the Sengkang Depot for North East line and SKLRT to the right. In the distant background lie Buangkok and Hougang.

References

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  1. ^ "Land Transport DataMall". mytransport.sg. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Kyosan Corporate Report 2018". 2018. p. 19 to 20. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Speech By Mr Mah Bow Tan Minister For Communications At The Sengkang LRT Exhibition At Ngee Ann City" (PDF). NAS. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Appointment of operator for the North East MRT line". NAS. 20 May 1999. Archived from the original on 23 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  5. ^ "SBS to run North-East line Tibs to merge with SMRT". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 21 May 1999. Archived from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Free LRT service in Sengkang". Today (retrieved from NLB). 17 January 2003. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Cheng Lim LRT station To Open And Sengkang West LRT to Run in Both Directions". SBS Transit. 21 December 2012. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  8. ^ "Kupang LRT station to open on Saturday, 27 June 2015" (PDF). SBS Transit. 15 June 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  9. ^ "2-car System for Sengkang Punggol LRT by 2016; Improvements to Choa Chu Kang LRT station". Land Transport Authority. 31 October 2012. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  10. ^ Tan, Christopher (24 December 2015). "2-car trains roll out on Sengkang LRT". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Limited service along Sengkang-Punggol LRT on Sundays in Jan, Feb to facilitate rail works". Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Limited Sengkang-Punggol LRT services on Sunday mornings from 14 Jan". Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Limited service on Sundays for Sengkang-Punggol LRT". 16 December 2017. Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Maintenance work to resume on Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems on 4 Mar". Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  15. ^ Hussain, Amir (22 February 2018). "Maintenance works to resume on Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  16. ^ Lam, Lydia (11 May 2018). "SBS Transit extends limited service on Sundays for Sengkang, Punggol LRT to October". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Limited service hours on Sundays for Sengkang-Punggol LRT to be extended". Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  18. ^ "Sengkang-Punggol LRT to get 17 new two-car trains to boost capacity". CNA. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Punggol LRT and Sengkang LRT West Loop to Commence Revenue Service on 29 January 2005". SBS Transit. 10 January 2005. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Punggol LRT (East Loop) And Sengkang LRT (West Loop) Commence Revenue Service Today". SBS Transit. 29 January 2005. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  21. ^ "Farmway LRT Station to open on 15 November 2007". SBS Transit. 14 November 2007. Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  22. ^ "SK West Loop Peak Hours" (PDF). SBS Transit. 16 December 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 February 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  23. ^ "Cheng Lim LRT Station To Open And Sengkang West LRT to Run in Both Directions". SBS Transit. 21 December 2012. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  24. ^ "Kupang LRT Station to open on Saturday, 27 June 2015" (PDF). SBS Transit. 15 June 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  25. ^ "Products and Services | Kyosan Electric Mfg. Co., Ltd". www.kyosan.co.jp. Archived from the original on 16 July 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  26. ^ migration (20 April 2015). "Sengkang LRT East Loop train service stopped briefly". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  27. ^ "Sengkang LRT trains stuck on tracks due to power fault". The Online Citizen. 9 May 2015. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  28. ^ hermesauto (16 February 2018). "Sengkang LRT train breaks down on first day of CNY, passengers get down and walk on tracks". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  29. ^ "Punggol-Sengkang LRT service resumes after 4-hour disruption on Sunday morning". The Straits Times. 9 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
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