[sustran] Singapore's LRT system

[Al R Dizon]

Singapore's LRT system (sort of a rail system within a satellite town) was
inaugurated on November 6. Following are some facts and figures about that
system, known as the Bukit Panjang (BP) LRT System.

Genesis of LRT

The idea to adopt the LRT system in Singapore was first conceived some
fouryears ago. In February 1995, a government delegation led by Mr Mah Bow
Tan, then-Minister for Communications, and Dr Tan Cheng Bock, then Chairman
of the
Government Parliamentary Committee for Communications, went on a study
mission to visit some of the best rail systems in the world. The delegation
saw the LRT system as a possible transport mode for some of the HDB towns
in Singapore. 
Lighter and cheaper than MRT systems, the LRT offers a practical
alternative for lighter traffic corridors.

When the Land Transport Authority or LTA was formed in September 95, one of
its first major undertaking was to plan and build the first LRT system in
Singapore. The 1996 White Paper on Land Transport set out the strategies
and plans of the new Authority to meet the challenge of building a world
class land transport system in Singapore. The promise to Singaporeans was a
bold one *) to deliver a world class land transport system within the next
10 to 15 years.

To meet this challenge, one of LTA's most immediate tasks was to start
expanding the rapid transit network. A good rapid transit network is
essential to promote fast and easy travel in a compact city like Singapore.
It is also environmentally friendly. A comprehensive, rail-based public
transport infrastructure is thus a cornerstone of LTA*,s strategy to
provide an
efficient land transport system.

World Class Transport System *) Expanding RTS Network

The decision to build the first LRT system in Bukit Panjang was announced
by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 10 February 1996, on the occasion of the
opening of the Woodlands Line. This was followed in March 1996 with the
announcement to proceed with the North East MRT line.  In November 1996,
DPM Lee announced the extension of the existing East-West MRT line to
Changi Airport. During the same year, it was also announced that two LRT
systems will
be planned as an integrated part of the new towns of Sengkang and Punggol.
These two LRT systems will be connected to the North East line and from
there to the entire MRT network, seamlessly connecting the two towns to the
other
parts of the island.

All these new lines will be ready over the next few years - the Changi
Airport Line in 2001, the North East Line in 2002, the Sengkang LRT, also
in 2002, and the Punggol LRT in 2004. With the completion of these
projects, the Rapid Transit System (RTS) network will increase by more than
60% to about 140 km by the year 2004.

Community Consultation

As a pilot project, the Bukit Panjang (BP) LRT system has brought about
much excitement. There has been close consultation with grassroots leaders
and residents along the way; and valuable feedback has been received on
various features of the system. This includes the names of the stations,
the choice of the colour of the trains, and architectural designs like the
shape of the station roofs. There was a public exhibition on the system in
Raffles City and in Bukit Panjang Community Club in 1996 before
construction began. 

Throughout the three-year construction period, LTA officers were frequently
in touch with the grassroots leaders and residents to help them cope with
the inevitable construction dust, noise and night work. I commend the LTA
officers
for forging a proactive and consultative partnership with the people they
serve, and for going out of their way to understand and meet the needs of
their customers - the residents of Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang and Yew Tee
towns. 

Linking Communities

The LRT system will not only link the residents of Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu
Kang and Yew Tee towns to one another, but it will also link them to the
rest of Singapore, by seamless connection to the MRT and the bus system.

Breaking of New Ground

In many ways, the BP LRT system has brought a number of firsts to the
community here. Firstly, the system will be run as a fully-automated
operation, following the trend in the rapid transit industry throughout the
world.  In this respect, passengers will be very important sources of
feedback to allow the operator to make improvements to the system and
service levels.

Another first is that the integration of the depot of the BP LRT system
with a commercial building, the Ten Mile Junction. This building comprises
two storeys of retail shops, restaurants, a supermarket and a foodcourt.
There is also a
LRT station in this building and there are plans to have residential
development on top of the Ten Mile Junction in the future. These residents
will be able to shop, live and travel, all under one roof. Their homes will
only be an elevator ride away from the air-conditioned comfort of our rapid
transport system, which will connect them to the rest of Singapore.

Integrated Transport Infrastructure

Further down the road, there will be more challenging and exciting
opportunities to integrate transport infrastructure with town planning to
allow more efficient land use and to develop better links to enhance the
accessibility and convenience of public transport. LTA should continue to
be bold and imaginative in its approach to building up a comprehensive
integrated
transport network that will be fast, reliable and comfortable.



The BP LRT was built by  the consortium of Daimler Chrysler Rail Systems,
Keppel Engineering Ltd and Gammon Pte Ltd.
Al R Dizon
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GOD IS MY WITNESS.
TRUTH IS MY BEACON..
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