Solutions or Replacement for Bukit Panjang LRT System

5 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Transport how will the Ministry fix the problem-prone Bukit Panjang LRT system and whether there are plans to overhaul the entire system or to replace it with a more reliable transport mode to better serve the residents living there.

The Minister for Transport (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Madam, Light Rail Transport (LRT) systems are normally deployed for straightforward point-to-point connections on flat terrain. Typical examples include the Sentosa Express and skytrains in airports to connect terminal buildings. The decision to implement the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT), required shoe-horning an LRT system into a built-up town. This has posed significant engineering challenges, requiring the LRT to make sharp bends and over undulating terrain. The BPLRT's reliability has therefore been unsatisfactory, despite significant efforts by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) and the train manufacturer, Bombardier over many years.

There are two main technical challenges for BPLRT. First, the current design of the power rail. It requires three points of contact simultaneously with the trains' collector shoes. Any misalignment could trigger a power trip or even dislodge the collector shoes, causing a disruption. The sharp bends and undulating terrain further contribute to this problem. Sixty percent of the major disruptions in the past three years were caused by power trips or dislodged collector shoes.

Second, the current track layout in the vicinity of Bukit Panjang station and the LRT service routing require trains leaving the Bukit Panjang station to constantly switch tracks. This has made the switch point a critical vulnerability.

Meanwhile, many key components, including the trains, power rail and the signalling system, are coming to the end of their design lives in about four to five years' time. They will have to be replaced. We are taking this opportunity to redo the BPLRT to enable a step jump in reliability. Fortunately, there are now better technology and designs available, compared to 17 years ago.

The engineering study is ongoing. Our likely approach comprises two key elements. First, we are studying a redesign of Bukit Panjang station, its track layout and the BPLRT routing to remove the need to constantly switch tracks and to smoothen some parts of the alignment. Second, we are sourcing for new trains, power rail, signalling system and various other critical components to replace our first-generation assets. These measures should improve reliability and performance.

There have been suggestions to replace the BPLRT with a bus-only transport system. This is not feasible. The road network in Bukit Panjang will not be able to cope.

Mdm Speaker: Mr Liang Eng Hwa.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah): Madam, I appreciate the very candid reply from the Minister and I thank him for the clearest indication yet that the LRT system will not be scrapped. The news headline of that possibility has caused great anxiety and concerns to our residents. But notwithstanding the service breakdowns that they had experienced, I think they still want the LRT system because replacing it with a bus system is just not practical.

So, I would like to ask the Minister, whilst we are looking into how we can significantly upgrade the system to enhance the reliability, in the interim, can LTA improve on the response to breakdowns because there could still be some more breakdowns as we discover new things, whether we can have provision of more buses within the town, feeder service so that in the event there is a disruption or breakdown, the buses can be re-deployed to respond to breakdowns and to minimise inconvenience to our residents?

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The short answer is yes and we do. And I think the Member would know that if you look at recent incidents of handling, things have improved. But for BPLRT, in particular, a lot of energy is right now also spent on sorting out the medium-term solutions which we need to clean up within the next four or five years. I am reasonably confident that we can tackle this problem. I am more confident about this than my bet on who is the next American President.

Mdm Speaker: Mr Liang Eng Hwa.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: Yes, we are equally concerned over the next President as well. I just want to also ask the Minister, from my interactions with the SMRT staff and engineers looking after the BPLRT system, I get the sense they are not placing enough priority, or maybe they are not resourced enough to deal with some of these operational problems that they have. And maybe, indeed, they were also thinking and hoping that the system will be scrapped. So, I would like to ask the Minister, as we look at this whole change to enhance the system, whether it makes sense to have this system run by a separate entity on a not-for-profit basis so that we get the system stabilised first before we look at how we can worry about other commercial considerations.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Madam, I find the comment rather unfair on the existing leadership or team working at SMRT. I have worked with them for one year now. I have been in the Ministry for one year. I spend a lot of time on the ground talking to the people from top, senior level to the junior level, including many of the engineers, assistant engineers and technicians working their guts out in the trenches. I cannot speak for the previous leadership of SMRT but, for the current team, they are taking this very seriously, not just BPLRT but the entire MRT network, because they know that whatever they do or fail to do have major impact.

As I said a couple of days ago, more than two million commuters use our service every day and we can make a difference to their lives. That is a very important function that we play.

So, I am less interested in the past but on the way forward. In fact, in the past few months, I believe that things are improving. I take trains, and many commuters come forward to express their direct experience because they are daily users of the service. Just last week, on a train, one secondary school student came to me. He recognised me and he came for a chat. So, I asked, "Do you use the train service every day?" He said, "Yes, every day. How else can I move around?" I asked, "Have you personally experienced disruptions?" He said, "Many." I was very sad to hear that. So, I asked, "When was your last disruption experience?" He said, "December last year." I said, "That means this year, things have improved?" He said, "Oh yes."

Mdm Speaker: Mr Azmoon Ahmad.

Mr Azmoon Ahmad (Nominated Member): For the Minister of Transport, I have one question. The investments made on the older LRT in Bukit Panjang, have they been recovered already?

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: I think from a purely financial viewpoint, my understanding from SMRT is it has always been loss-making for the BPLRT. But they are also responsible for the North-South East-West Lines. So, as a company, they look at it from a total portfolio point of view. As I said earlier, the current team does not look at it from a pure bottom-line angle, rather that they are a public service provider, they have a duty to perform, and their job is to deliver it to the best of their ability.

From an overall system's point of view, I must make a point that if you want a good train service, one must invest sufficient resources into the operator, whoever is the operator. Since resources come from both the Government as well as fares collection, fare revisions have to be timely and adequate. That is why we have an independent Public Transport Council (PTC) to ensure the long-term viability of all the train services.