Implementation of Long-term Maintenance and Renewal Strategies to Enhance MRT Resilience Over Past Five Years

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question

Mr Jackson Lam asked the Acting Minister for Transport

a.          over the past five years, what long-term maintenance and renewal strategies have been implemented to enhance MRT resilience as the network ages;

b.          how often are rolling stock and signalling systems replaced or upgraded; and

c.           whether the current asset management practices are benchmarked against global best practices to reduce systemic faults.

Reply by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow:

1.          Major systems on our rail network, such as rolling stock, signalling and power systems are scheduled for replacement based on the original equipment manufacturers’ recommended service life, historical performance and whether components continue to be supported by the original equipment manufacturers.

2.          The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operators also perform periodic technology upgrades on these systems to ensure reliable operation throughout their service life. Additionally, they install condition monitoring tools on these systems to enable predictive maintenance and early detection of potential faults.

3.          LTA and the rail operators’ practices meet the international ISO 55000 standard, which sets out what is required to establish and maintain an effective asset management system. The standard requires processes and systems to regularly evaluate the performance of assets, and to institutionalise clear risk assessment and decision-making frameworks to guide asset maintenance and replacement. Metro operators in cities such as Hong Kong and London also benchmark their rail asset management practices to this standard.

4.          The Rail Reliability Taskforce has also submitted its report, which includes recommendations to further improve management of rail assets. This includes how renewal of core rail systems can be prioritised and carried out in a shorter time, and more comprehensive use of condition monitoring to strengthen maintenance. The Ministry of Transport is reviewing the Taskforce’s recommendations and will provide a response by the first quarter of this year.