Speech by Minister for Transport Mr Jeffrey Siow at LTA’s Singapore BusTech & RailTech Grand Challenge 2026

1.            Happy to join you at this year’s BusTech and RailTech Grand Challenge.

a.            This is the 5th run of the BusTech challenge and 3rd for RailTech.

b.            I am especially glad to welcome this year’s edition back to my Brickland-Tengah constituency.

i.            ITE College West is a fitting venue for this competition.

ii.            Just before coming in, I had the chance to visit the school’s facilities, particularly the transport workshops. They are equipped with the same engineering systems and tools our operators use on a day-to-day basis in the depots

iii.            There is even an actual retired MRT carriage on campus!

iv.            Glad that we have a true to life, hands on space for the students.

2.            The BusTech and RailTech Grand Challenge started out simply as a friendly competition among our public transport technicians. Over time, it has grown bigger, bringing together bus and train technicians and students, operators and schools, to tackle real problems in our public transport sector.

3.            This is important because many Singaporeans depend on public transport every day. Commuters who board a bus or train, they do so expecting to arrive safely and on time. This is the responsibility of all of us in the sector.

a.            Not many people think about those who ensure that services run smoothly every day.

i.            Over 20,000 transport engineers, technicians and operations staff work round the clock

ii.            to keep over 400 trains running across eight MRT and LRT lines

iii.            and to make sure some 6,000 buses are fit for service islandwide.

b.            Our public transport workers are indeed the unsung heroes of our transport system.

c.            You are the people who keep Singapore moving.

d.            I want to take this opportunity to thank you.

4.            Over the years, our public transport system has evolved and grown. At the same time, the responsibilities of our transport workers have grown too.

5.            Take our buses.

a.            We are progressively electrifying our bus fleet. By 2030, about half our public buses will be electric, and by 2040, our whole fleet will run on cleaner energy.

b.            For our bus engineers and technicians, this means learning to work with new high-voltage battery systems, electrical components and digital diagnostic tools. Entirely different from maintaining a conventional diesel bus.

6.            Our MRT system is evolving too.

a.            Our train system is about 40 years old.

b.            Our first trains were from Kawasaki Heavy Industries – we just retired them.

c.            But over the years, we have used different systems and vendors, with different lines using parts and systems from various suppliers and countries.

d.            It is understandable because over time, we want to use better technologies, like driverless trains, and new signalling systems, like the CBTC system.

e.            But it is quite rojak.

f.            Our engineers and technicians have to make all these different systems work together, while integrating new technologies, and keeping our trains running smoothly every day.

g.            This is by no means an easy task.

7.            Last week, I spoke about how our MRT reliability had reached a record high, with our trains travelling more than 3 million mean kilometres between failure (MKBF), for the first time.

a.            This is an amazing achievement.

i.            For all of us who work in this industry, we know how difficult this achievement is, how long the journey has been, how complex our work is, how much effort this has taken over the years.

ii.            This achievement is a recognition for all our engineers and technicians who work in the background. You should be proud. Thank you.

b.            Keeping up these standards is our objective and will not be an easy task.

i.            We are still expanding and upgrading our MRT network – adding more ingredients into the rojak!

ii.            At the same time, our network is also ageing, and our older lines will need to undergo major renewals.

iii.            In fact, we will shift our emphasis from opening new lines, to maintaining and upgrading existing ones.

iv.            This is why last year, we begun extending scheduled closures of parts of our rail network for major upgrading projects.

v.            So that these projects can be executed more efficiently, quickly and safely for our workers.

8.            This is also why it is critical for us to invest in our workforce. As we focus more on upgrading and maintenance, we must build up an army of engineers and technicians who understand these systems deeply, make sound decisions, and carry out works safely.

9.            Today, we mark a significant shift in how we will train and develop our technical workforce.

10.            Following the recommendations of the Rail Reliability Taskforce, I am happy to announce that from November this year, we will transform our Singapore Rail Academy. We will do so in three ways:

a.            First, the Academy will bring together existing training by LTA and our two train operators, SMRT and SBS Transit under one consolidated curriculum.

i.            This will ensure that the training is standardised and true to the ground.

ii.            Skills will also be transferable across operators.

b.            Second, we are investing more resources to train more workers.

i.            The Academy will not just focus on the training standards for engineers, but going forward, we will also include technicians and operations staff, who play an equally vital role in keeping our trains running.

c.            Third, we will professionalise training by providing new industry certification pathways.

i.            Industry certifications will better support career progression, especially as systems become more automated and digitalised. Professionalising the sector will help us build a core pool of master engineers, technicians and supervisors, who can pass on their expertise and mentor younger colleagues coming through the ranks.

11.            Taken together, these changes to the Rail Academy will help us build a stronger pipeline of skilled train professionals, with clear standards and pathways to progress.

12.            In addition, we will also connect our industry training and certification more tightly to our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs).

a.            Today, a technician who attends courses with our operators or at the Academy builds up valuable skills on the job. Yet, when they want to pursue a formal diploma or degree later on, those industry certifications are not always recognised.

13.            To bridge this gap and to connect industry training directly with formal education, the Singapore Rail Academy will formalise a partnership this afternoon with five educational institutions – the Institute of Technical Education, Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, and the Singapore Institute of Technology.

14.            This partnership will make it easier for students to enter the transport industry, while enabling on-the-job learning to count towards formal qualifications that our people can earn through the course of their careers.

15.            Let me give you a quick example of how this works in practice.

a.            A student takes up the Work-Study Diploma in Land Transport Engineering here at ITE College West, where he learns in the classroom while working alongside our public transport operators to build real operational experience.

b.            After graduation, he joins the workforce, maybe one of the PTOs (Public Transport Operators), and continues going through training programmes and certifications at the Academy.

c.            If he later decides to pursue a higher qualification, these on-the-job training and certifications he had completed could count directly towards his next academic milestone. He or she does not have to start from scratch.

16.            In all, our students will know that the future in this industry is bright. It is a growing and thriving industry. No matter where you start, there are clear pathways for you to go further.

17.            And for those currently working in train operations and maintenance, your daily experience matters. We want to help you build on it, gain new qualifications, and continue progressing in your careers.

18.            At the heart of our transport system are people. It is always about the people.

a.            You are the ones who keep Singapore moving every day. I want to make sure that we continue giving you the skills, support and opportunities to do your best work, and to build good, rewarding careers.

19.            I thank our bus and train operators, unions, educational institutions and industry partners for working together with us on this effort.

a.            With Public Transport Workers' Appreciation Month coming up next week, let me also take this opportunity to thank all our public transport workers for your dedication, and for the care and professionalism you bring to your work every day.

20.            Finally, to all our students and participants, congratulations on your efforts today. I hope this competition has given you a better sense of what our public transport professionals do, and inspired some of you to join the One Transport team.

21.            Thank you.