Bukit Panjang LRT to close on Jan 25 as upgrading works enter final stretch: Jeffrey Siow
The line will undergo a full-day closure for system renewal works.
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SINGAPORE: The Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (BPLRT) system will close for an entire day next month, with the line's upgrading and renewal programme approaching completion after seven years, Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow said on Monday (Dec 29).
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced last week that the BPLRT system will close on Jan 25 for system renewal works as operations are migrated to its refurbished operations control centre.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Mr Siow said that scheduled closures are "sometimes necessary" when upgrading an ageing system that is already in daily use.
Noting that it is very different from building a new line from scratch, he added: "Teams must work within tight spaces, fixed layouts, and limited time, making the work especially challenging.
"One of the LTA engineers shared with me that a single full-day closure allows as much work as ten nights. These continuous work windows also make it safer for workers to carry out these complex tasks."
Mr Siow also noted that the BPLRT system is in a "much better place" today due to the sustained effort of transport workers and engineers.
LTA said in November that about 88 per cent of renewal works on the BPLRT system had been completed and the renewal works are slated for completion by the last quarter of 2026.
BPLRT renewal works began in 2018 in an effort to improve the reliability of the line, which was Singapore’s first LRT Line.
The renewal works were originally targeted for completion in 2024, but the COVID-19 pandemic later pushed the completion date to 2026.
A key part of the renewal involves replacing and improving the power rail system, which has been in place since the LRT began operations in 1999, as well as renewing its train signalling system and refreshing its vehicle fleet.
The BPLRT was closed on two Sundays earlier this year to facilitate testing of its new signalling system.
“When we made the decision to upgrade the line in 2018, many of the system’s core components were reaching the end of life. Reliability had become a real concern, and we knew a major renewal was needed,” said Mr Siow.
“We have come a long way since 2018 ... I know just how much effort the team has put in behind the scenes in the past seven years to get to where we are today. The end is in sight - grateful for commuters’ patience and understanding as we enter this final stretch of works."
LTA last week advised commuters who would be affected by BPLRT’s one-day closure to take existing bus services instead.
It also said that a shuttle service - LRT Shuttle B - will run in the direction of BPLRT Service B every five to 15 minutes.
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