Thank you for taking part in our online quiz last week.
Here are the answers:
We would like to congratulate the following winners:
Lee Lin Hsu
Nur Razak
Nurafian Zulkifli
Ong You Yuan
Tong Yew Fai
We will get in touch shortly. Thank you.
Last month, we answered 7 commonly asked questions about SMRT Trains’ new signalling system.
As system-level performance checks on the new signalling system for the North-South Line (NSL) continue, we seek to regularly answer the questions you have on re-signalling.
The signalling systems on the CCL and the DTL were implemented before the lines commenced passenger service. Each line has one type of train, which was easier. On the other hand, the NSL currently has four different fleets of trains. Each fleet has its characteristics, and every train is unique.
Moreover, the newer lines run completely underground so they are not subject to inclement weather conditions. In contrast, our NSL operates on both open viaducts and tracks underground.
All these factors add to the complexities of our re-signalling project.
2. Has there been any progress after a month of system-level performance checks?
Yes, we have rectified several teething issues including the following:
• Improved alignment of train doors and platform screen doors at stations;
• Better regulation of train service intervals and train dwell time at stations;
• Significantly reducing incidents of train overshoot at platforms; and
• Smoother train braking and acceleration along the viaduct during adverse weather conditions.
3. The Tuas West Extension (TWE) was launched on 18 June 2017. Why was there a disruption on 28 June 2017, just ten days later?
Unlike the main stretch of the East-West Line (EWL) which is still running on the legacy Westinghouse system installed since 1987, the newly-completed TWE operates on the new signalling system.
This explains why trains moving to and from the TWE will have to pause at Pioneer MRT Station for a few minutes each time to switch signalling systems. On the evening of 28 June, the radio communication network of the new signalling system failed and affected the NSL and TWE.
In a briefing last month (May 2017), LTA shared that a complex system like the new system would take about four to six months to stabilise from the time it is rolled out on a regular basis (29 May 2017). We are not alone in this. Our fellow operators in London and Hong Kong faced similar issues when they renewed their old signalling systems. They also took a while to rectify the issues.
SMRT’s train and bus services are part of an international customer service survey, now on from 24 April 2017 till 21 May 2017.
The online polls for the 2017 Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) are led by the CoMET and Nova, and the International Bus Benchmarking Group (IBBG) for train and bus services respectively. These surveys, which allow commuters to rate transport operators on their levels of service, provide data that show areas in which train and bus services serve commuters well and flag out areas for improvement.
These two surveys will help us better understand your satisfaction levels towards our train and bus services.
Click here to participate in IBBG CSS.
Click here to participate in to participate in CoMET Nova CSS.
Both surveys are managed by Railway and Transport Strategy Imperial College of London (RTSC).
Once the surveys are completed, RTSC will compile the data, provide them to participating metros, and present them at the CoMET and Nova meetings in the second half of 2017.
The CoMET Benchmarking Group has 17 members made up of some of the largest metros while the Nova Benchmarking Group currently has 16 members consisting of mostly medium sized or newer metros. CoMET and Nova provides a confidential forum for metros to share experiences, compare performances, and identify best practices and learn from each other.
The IBBG is a comprehensive programme benchmarking urban bus operations. The consortium is currently made up of 15 medium and large sized bus organisations in the world.
The surveys go live from Monday 24 April through Sunday 21 May 2017. Your information and responses will remain confidential and will not be used for any other purpose.
We thank you for sharing feedback via these surveys.
SMRT is renewing the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL), Singapore’s oldest, longest and most heavily utilised MRT lines. The multi-year, multi-project efforts underline SMRT’s commitment to serve our commuters better.
Last October, SMRT published Paving the Way for Better Journeys: Edition 2 to inform residents living along the North-South Line of our rail transformation efforts and benefits. These include smoother rides arising from sleeper replacement, shorter waiting times from new signalling systems, third rail replacement which boost network resilience and reliability, and higher train frequency as more trains are added into the network progressively.
Nearly 90% of survey respondents could see the efforts SMRT put in to improve their travel experience.
Thank you for your feedback and support. We take your comments seriously, and will continue our rail renewal efforts to provide you with better journeys.
The following winners have won an exclusive stored-value card, and will receive an email from us shortly.
Please click on the image to view an enlarged version.
Attended by more than 20 international railway experts, the inaugural Singapore Rail Transport Conference (SRTC) held in November 2016 provided a platform for sharing and potential collaboration in the area of technology development and innovation among operators of some of the world’s busiest metro lines. SMRT gained valuable insights as we strive to enhance rail performance and reliability.
The conference also provided us with an opportunity where we could benchmark ourselves against regional transport providers like Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway (MTR). Here are some key learning points shared by two of our guest speakers.
“Not everything needs to be in-house”
Professor Alfred Huan, Chairman, SMRT Technical Advisory Panel stated that SMRT has taken on “the very ambitious task and programme to upgrade its own engineering capabilities”. He added that this includes the company’s efforts to digitise data and adopt digital technology to coordinate our operations and maintenance.
Professor Huan, who is also the Executive Director of the Institute of High Performance Computing at A*STAR pointed out that as SMRT continually builds up its network of expertise, “not everything needs to be in-house”.
“Instead SMRT can tap on expertise within Singapore’s good eco-system of universities, A*STAR, and other research organisations”, said Huan, who was also a guest speaker at the conference.
“The important thing for SMRT is to be able to understand how to integrate all the different expertise around to promote its own objectives.”
Hong Kong MTR Vs SMRT – Adopting industry best practices
Speaking to reporters on technology advancement on the side lines of the event, Professor Lee Kang Kuen, Professor for Transportation at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said both Hong Kong MTR and SMRT have adopted continuous condition monitoring. This is currently seen as one of the best practices in the industry.
“I can see in Singapore, SMRT is adopting the same drive as MTR in really going along with the industry best practises. With all these on-going efforts, there will be a quantum leap in reliability improvements,” he added.
Hong Kong MTR’s experience achieving a high MKBF
The HKMTR reached 520,000 mean-kilometres between failure (MKBF) in the first quarter of 2016 while SMRT aspires to achieve 400,000 MKBF by 2018.
Professor Lee shared his confidence that SMRT would be able to achieve its rail reliability targets by improving from our experiences and lessons learnt in our 30 year history.
“MTR started operations back in 1979, so it is actually about 10 years prior to SMRT. MTR has improved through lessons learnt over the years. For each lesson learnt we adopted improvement measures. This is how excellence can be built up. I’m sure that with the same approach being adopted by SMRT that excellence can be achieved here,” he said.
“Exchange of experiences not “import”
When asked by a reporter what aspects of the HKMTR could be imported to Singapore, Professor Lee pointed out that each network has its own features, and it is important to share experiences and not “import”.
The professor, who has over 40 years’ experience in railway Operations and Maintenance (O&M), projects and consultancy, also stressed the importance of having these sharing sessions regularly.
“I am actually very delighted that this (the conference) has been done quite well where member railways get to share their experience so other members will not repeat what has gone wrong,” he said.