LTA delays roll out of new train signalling system, Tuas service

he Land Transport Authority (LTA) has delayed the roll-out of an upgraded train signalling system on the North-South Line as well as the commencement of train service on the Tuas West Extension, citing the need for more time to conduct tests and fine-tune both systems.

The new signalling system, initially expected to be ready by end of this year, will instead go into operation in the first quarter of next year. When fully operational, commuters travelling on the North-South Line (NSL) can expect shorter waiting times of just under two minutes during peak hours and less disruptions.

"As the move to an entirely new signalling system is a complex project and problems could impact commuters across the entire line, LTA will, as a precautionary measure, devote more time to do more extensive tests to ensure the reliability of the system before launching it," the agency said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 26). "This is also on the advice of international metro operators who have carried out similar re-signalling projects in the past."

Tests have been underway since August on the completed NSL system.

Efforts are also underway to upgrade the signalling system on the East-West Line (EWL). The LTA said more than 80 per cent of the upgrading work have been completed, with the new EWL signalling system expected to be operational in 2018.

Meanwhile, commuters living in the far West looking forward to the commencement of train service on the Tuas West Extension (TWE) by end of this year will also have to wait longer for train services to reach their doorstep.

The TWE, which extends the existing East-West Line (EWL) from Joo Koon Station to Tuas Link, will come into service only in the second quarter of next year instead of end 2016, the LTA said citing a similar need for more time to conduct tests and make adjustments.