Passengers moving on the North-South Line (NSL) may face glitches as weekdays checks are set to commence on the new signalling system from May 29. However, the engineers will continue to rectify teething issues of the system.
Releasing a press statement today, SMRT said, “Commuters may experience instances of train and platform doors not opening or closing promptly, trains held at stations slightly longer than usual or trains stopping momentarily between stations. This is as the new system settles into full-load operations.”
SMRT also made an announcement about the weekdays check of the new signalling system for NSL on Twitter
The weekday check system will begin during the June holidays to minimise commuter inconvenience. Passengers travelling on the NSL have been advised to be prepared for additional travelling time.
The release stated, “Engineers from SMRT, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Thales, the supplier of the signalling system, have been monitoring the performance of the signalling system closely.”
It added, “The weekday system-level performance checks will allow the system engineers to further fine-tune and improve the operational performance of the system. These checks on the NSL – Singapore’s oldest MRT line – will furnish engineers and maintenance staff with data on the performance of the new signalling system, with the number of trains deployed on the NSL and the interval between each train varying from peak and non-peak hours. Such data will be assessed closely as part of rigorous checks before the system is declared fully capable of eventually supporting train operations at intervals of as short as 100 seconds between each train.”
“There will be more engineers on standby to respond to situations that may arise, as well as more station staff to assist commuters,” said SMRT.
Alvin Kek, senior vice-president for Rail Operations (NSEWL), said, “While we look forward to operating trains on the new signalling system, the all-day performance checks are part and parcel of working out teething issues that may arise when a new signalling system is introduced to a train network. We continue to ask for commuters’ patience and cooperation as we work round the clock to settle the system in as quickly as possible.”
