[SINGAPORE] Trains and rail systems can now be tested in Singapore, with the completion and opening of a new S$800 million test centre in Tuas.
Opened on March 28, the Singapore Rail Test Centre (SRTC) will allow the transport authorities and rail operators to carry out testing without depending on overseas facilities or taking up limited engineering hours on the rail network, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
With the completion of the second and final phase of construction works, two more test tracks are now ready.
These are a 2.8km performance and integration test track with an S-shaped section, to assess if a train is well integrated with other rail systems. The other track is a 3km endurance test track, with a segment that has an uphill gradient of 3 per cent.
The endurance track will be used to check if a train remains reliable or durable after travelling for a specific mileage. Trains typically need to run about 1,000km before entering service.
Once a viaduct link between the East-West Line’s Tuas West Extension and SRTC is completed in 2029, trains can enter the centre via the extension. Before that, the trains will be transported into the centre by land via trailers.
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The SRTC also houses a three-storey building with an operations control centre, administration offices, workshops, as well as inspection and maintenance areas to support the mid-life upgrading of trains.
As part of the first phase of works completed in November 2023, a 2.8km high-speed test track allows trains to be tested at speeds of up to 100kmh.
A train can be tested at maximum speeds on this track, which is designed with minimal curves and gradients, to assess its traction and braking abilities.
To enable testing of different MRT trains and systems, the high-speed test track is also equipped with different power supply systems. It has both the third rail, which runs along the tracks, and overhead conductor rail power systems.
The North East Line and upcoming Cross Island Line use an overhead conductor rail power system, while the other lines here use the third rail.
At present, new trains that will be tested at the SRTC are those that will ply the upcoming Stage 6 of the Circle Line (CCL), which will open in the first half of 2026.
The new trains have been assessed and commissioned at the centre since November 2023, LTA said.
CCL Stage 6 will close the loop for the line, connecting the HarbourFront and Marina Bay stations.
Construction on the centre began in 2021. It was originally set for completion in 2024 but was delayed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the SRTC’s opening ceremony on March 28, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said rigorous and thorough testing has become even more critical with the growth of Singapore’s rail network.
Before the centre’s development, there was a heavy reliance on overseas facilities to test new trains and systems before they are deployed in Singapore.
“While these facilities have served us well, they have been unable to fully replicate our local operating conditions. For instance, just our weather alone is very different from that of our major vendors in Europe and China,” she added.
The testing, said LTA, also took up limited engineering hours on Singapore’s operational rail network.
Besides allowing for round-the-clock testing at a dedicated facility, SRTC will play a strategic role in developing Singapore’s rail expertise, Dr Khor said.
It can deepen the capabilities of Singapore’s rail workforce through practical training options, in addition to providing a platform for research and development that original equipment manufacturers and industry partners can tap to test new technologies.
SRTC can also serve as a regional centre for rail testing, she added, enabling greater collaboration between local rail engineers and their regional counterparts. THE STRAITS TIMES
