Commitee of Supply Debate 2024: Public Transport Offerings

At the Ministry of Transport’s (MOT) Committee of Supply (COS) Debate 2024 on 5 March 2024, updates on several public transport projects were announced. We summarise the latest Public Transport offerings as highlighted in this year’s COS Debate.

Rail Construction Projects Updates

Opening of Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 4

7 new stations on the Thomson-East Coast Line will open on 23 June 2024, providing commuters in the East Coast area with alternate travel options. Preview the TEL4 stations for free during the opening event on 21 June 2024!

The 7 stations are:

• TE23 Tanjong Rhu
• TE24 Katong Park
• TE25 Tanjong Katong
• TE26 Marine Parade
• TE27 Marine Terrace
• TE28 Siglap
• TE29 Bayshore

The opening of TE30 Bedok South, TE31DT37 Sungei Bedok and DT36 Xilin stations have been delayed until 2026 due to challenges brought by the pandemic, and other construction challenges brought about by tunnelling close to existing critical infrastructure.

North East Line Extension

Works on the North East Line Extension are progressing well. NE18 Punggol Coast station is expected to open by end-2024, connecting commuters to the Punggol Digital District and Punggol North area.

Six new Alstom Metropolis C851E trains progressively entered service since last year to support the NELe and boost the overall capacity of the North East Line.

Downtown Line Hume Station

DT4 Hume is currently undergoing construction and outfitting works, and is on track to open in 2025.

Circle Line Stage 6

The Circle Line Stage 6 is also on track to open in 2026.

• CC30 Keppel
• CC31 Cantonment
• CC32 Prince Edward Road

One train platform is closed at Telok Blangah and HarbourFront Circle Line stations to facilitate integration works from January to May 2024.

Bukit Panjang LRT Upgrading Works

Bukit Panjang LRT train services will be adjusted as part of ongoing overhaul works since 2018.

• Dual loop services have resumed on Saturdays from 11am to 1pm, and 5pm to 7pm, since 16 March 2024
• Early closure of LRT services on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Mar–Jun 2024 [Link]

New Alstom Innovia APM 300R (C801B) trains will also begin service in the third quarter of 2024.

Upgraded Commuter Infrastructure

The LTA will invest around $1 billion over the next decade in support of Walk, Cycle, Ride journeys. Part of this upgrade will be spent on upgrading and implementing senior-friendly features at more bus stops – such as additional seats with arm and back rests. To improve barrier-free access, more covered linkways will be built near MRT stations, and more pedestrian overhead bridges will be retrofitted with lifts.

Performance Incentive

The MRT network has maintained a Mean Kilometres Between Failure, or MKBF, of over 1 million train-km since 2019. While reliability has improved over previous years, operators’ maintenance costs have increased, and the LTA aims to work closely with operators to achieve high reliability while keeping costs sustainable.

A Rail Reliability and Performance Incentive was announced for 2024 to 2028, to incentivise rail operators to keep up rail reliability standards, invest in workers and improve manpower productivity. This incentive appears to supersede an earlier Rail Reliability Incentive (RRI), a temporary grant from 2020 to 2023 awarded to rail operators for operational performance and safety. In 2020, SBST and SMRT were awarded a total of $173 million under this incentive structure.

References:

• Speech by Minister for Transport, Mr Chee Hong Tat, at the Ministry of Transport Committee of Supply Debate – Ministry of Transport
• LTA | Additional $1 Billion to Encourage More Walk Cycle Ride Journeys
• Written Reply by Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung to Parliamentary Question on Incentive Programmes Offered to Public Transport Companies for Reliability (mot.gov.sg)