Oral Reply by Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng to Parliamentary Question on Bukit Panjang LRT Planning

Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     whether the Bukit Panjang LRT system was built as an afterthought; and

b.     what were the political pressures faced by the Government when it decided to build the Bukit Panjang LRT system.

Reply by Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng:

1.     In the 1990s, LTA was exploring a pilot Light Rail Transit (LRT) network to bridge the last-mile gap from the MRT system and ease vehicle congestion within housing estates where population growth had stretched the road capacity. Bukit Panjang was identified in 1994 for the pilot, even though it was planned and built without LRT in mind. 

2.     To accommodate the existing developments, the LRT had to take sharp turns over undulating terrain. Over time, we discovered that this made the LRT prone to faults, especially power trips at the sharp bends where the trains' collector shoes often dislodge from the power rail. LTA and SMRT have put in significant efforts to improve system reliability, including detailed power rail checks, hotspot replacement and installation of an additional power source. They are also exploring extending engineering hours to address these additional works.  

3.     As the LRT is coming to the end of its design life, we will be calling a tender at the end of this year to overhaul the LRT.