Factors Considered When Prioritising Rail Line Upgrades

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question 

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Acting Minister for Transport 

a.     what criteria LTA uses to prioritise rail line upgrades such as transitions from single-car to two-car operations;

b.      whether ridership thresholds, infrastructure readiness, or other factors were considered in prioritising the Punggol LRT ahead of the Sengkang LRT; and

c.      if so, what the corresponding figures or assessments were for each system.

Reply by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow: 

1.     Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT can be deployed across all loops. New two- car LRVs were deployed in the Punggol loops in the second half of last year and new two-car LRVs are being deployed in the Sengkang loops since January this year. By end February 2026, a total of three and four new LRVs will be deployed to the Sengkang and Punggol loops respectively.

2.      The new LRVs were first deployed at Punggol primarily for operational reasons. Any train fault during the initial deployment will be less disruptive and more easily managed when the new LRVs are operating in the Punggol loops, as it would not affect the launching of LRVs from the SPLRT depot located at Sengkang.

3.      The performance of the new LRVs has since stabilised. Subsequent deployment of new LRVs will primarily be based on the level of crowding in each of the loops, while taking into consideration operational requirements.