Bukit Panjang LRT upgrades to be completed by end-2026; work to replace power rails 98% done

SINGAPORE – Commuters can expect more reliable and smoother trips on the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) after extensive system and hardware upgrades are completed by the end of 2026.

The upgrades include replacing 16.6km of power rails that supply electricity to the trains, which is now close to completion, with about 98% of the work done.

The renewal works, which started in 2018, also include the replacement of the BPLRT signalling system with a new communications-based train control signalling system like the ones used on MRT lines.

The signalling system enables trains to exchange real-time location and speed data with trackside systems. Trackside systems monitor the location of trains within their zone, calculate safe distances between them, and signal trains to speed up or slow down.

Operations control centre systems – which oversee real-time train operations, network safety and efficiency – were also upgraded.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA), in a statement on Oct 15, said the upgrades have helped boost BPLRT reliability indicators.

For instance, trains on the LRT system clocked 443,000 car-km between delays in September 2026, up from 53,000 car-km in 2017.

Speaking to reporters at the Ten Mile Junction depot on Oct 15, Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said the rail reliability metric for BPLRT has gone up eight times since the renewal started in 2018.

Similar upgrades have been completed for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) fleet and depot.

Siow said: “Now, as our MRT system continues to grow, our emphasis has been shifting towards more and better maintenance because we have more assets – some of them will age, and we have to keep up the work that enables us to maintain a high level of reliability.”

In October 2025, the BPLRT network’s fleet was updated. All 19 first-generation light rail vehicles were replaced by third-generation ones, and all 13 second-generation light rail vehicles were upgraded to be compatible with the new signalling system.

The new third-generation light rail vehicles are equipped with monitoring systems that enable early detection of potential faults and support pre-emptive maintenance.

They also feature dynamic route displays, brighter and more energy-efficient LED lighting, and upgraded air-conditioning systems with improved airflow.

LTA said there were challenges in coordinating the delivery of new vehicles while retrofitting existing ones and removing old ones, all at the same time.

SMRT, which is the BPLRT operator, also had to carry out maintenance works in the same space.

The network’s power supply system was also revamped, through the installation of a new power supply intake source at Ten Mile Junction, said LTA.

The existing power source used by the LRT system at Choa Chu Kang MRT substation will remain the back-up power supply.

The 27-year-old LRT network has had a long history of reliability issues, with two disruptions in 2025 lasting between two and three hours affecting all 13 stations. The breakdowns on July 3 and 19, 2025, were linked to power faults.

The cause of both incidents was traced back to a newly installed system that monitors and controls power distribution across the BPLRT.

In the last nine years, 10 full-day closures, scheduled on Sundays, were required for BPLRT renewal works to give engineers longer continuous work windows – beyond the daily 2½ hour engineering windows.

For instance, a full-day closure translates to 26 hours of continued engineering access, which allows large-scale works, system migration activities and integrated testing to be carried out.

There are more upgrades aimed at improving commuter experience on the LRT, including a better communication system that includes an emergency telephone and intercom, and the public address system.

Much of the work is done, with about 88% completed, and it is slated to end by the second half of 2027. The older equipment will go out of service by the second half of 2028.

Also getting a revamp are all 25 lifts across 13 BPLRT stations, and one escalator at Choa Chu Kang station, which will be completed by February 2027.

The new lifts feature tilted floor indicator screens to allow passengers on wheelchairs to view them easily, rear wall mirrors and more accessible lift button panels at the side of the lifts.