Speech by Senior Minister of State for Transport and Sustainability and the Environment, Dr Amy Khor at SMRT’s Launch of Project Overwatch

1.     Good afternoon, everyone. I am pleased to join you here for the launch of SMRT’s Overwatch at Kim Chuan Depot. 

2.     A few days ago, we commemorated Singapore’s 58th birthday. As our MRT network has grown, it has become ever more intertwined with Singapore’s development into a more sustainable and liveable city. The MRT network has been the backbone of our public transport system since 1987. It ensures our fellow Singaporeans can get to where they live, work and play conveniently, comfortably and affordably. 

3.     To fulfil its function, we must trust in the reliability of our MRT system. In this regard, we have come a long way over the past decade. As of last year, 92.7% of commuters surveyed were satisfied with our public transport in 2022. Achieving this took great effort and investment from both LTA and our rail operators. 

4.     We are not resting on our laurels. The rail network has more than doubled in length over the past two decades, and we continue to expand the network at an unprecedented pace. Where we are standing today, Kim Chuan Depot, reflects the scale of this expansion. It is the first and already one of the largest underground train depots in the world, as recorded in the Guinness Book of Record. By 2025, the capacity of the depot will double to be able to house up to 133 MRT trains that are deployed for the Circle Line and Downtown Line. 

5.     Maintaining good, reliable service in a growing network, and doing so in a financially sustainable manner, goes beyond infrastructural upgrading and maintenance. We must also invest in process innovations, harnessing solutions such as IoT tools and digital twins to improve operational effectiveness and reliability. LTA has been working closely with our public transport operators in this regard. 

6.     SMRT’s Overwatch system is an example of such efforts. It allows operators to monitor a rail line in real time. If any anomalies are detected, Overwatch will send alerts to rail operations and control staff, who can then take pre-emptive action to rectify the faults. 

7.     By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to monitor and analyse continuous video data of train activities, Overwatch can forecast potential points of congestion and suggest rerouting options to help operators alleviate the situation. 

8.     For example, if a train stops unexpectedly, or stops longer than it is supposed to, Overwatch will prompt the operation control centre. Overwatch can also track the position of an affected train in the event of a fault, allowing operators to focus their response efforts. Overwatch has helped to enhance our overall reliability to more than 1 million MKBF, which contributed to a 30% drop in delays of up to 5 minutes. This is important as it is about reliability and service standards. 

9.     Overwatch is currently being used on the Circle Line, and I understand that SMRT intends to extend the system to the North-South and East-West Lines by 2024 – a big step by SMRT to progressively roll out Overwatch to our rail network. 

10.    Today’s launch of the Overwatch underscores the shared commitment between LTA and our PTOs to strive for continuous improvement. 

11.    On this note, I would like to thank all the operators, engineers, and transport staff who have worked on this project. I would especially like to congratulate the project team on receiving the UITP Operational Excellence Award 2023 in June this year – a fitting recognition of this effort on the international stage. 

12.    We look forward to seeing more instances of such innovative projects between LTA and our operators to improve operations, maintain reliability and improve service. 

13.    Thank you.