Sengkang LRT line
The Sengkang LRT line is a automated guideway transit line in Singapore. The line, which initially opened on 18 January 2003, connects the residential districts and suburbs of Sengkang to Sengkang Town Centre, where it connects with the North East MRT line, Sengkang Bus Interchange, Compass One and Compassvale Bus Interchange. It is the second line of the LRT system in Singapore and like all other LRT lines, it is fully elevated and uses automated trains. It is the first LRT line to be operated by SBS Transit.
History
Planning for the Sengkang LRT line was underway when the Bukit Panjang LRT was opened by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 6 November 1999. Construction began in January 2000 for both the East Loop and West Loop. Meanwhile, the Sengkang LRT line was awarded to Singapore Bus Service on 20 May 1999.On 18 January 2003, the East Loop was opened, the first section of the line to do so. The West Loop, with the exception of Farmway, Cheng Lim and Kupang stations, commenced operations on 29 January 2005. These three stations then opened on 15 November 2007, 1 January 2013 and 27 June 2015 respectively.
Improvements
On 31 October 2012, the Land Transport Authority announced that starting from first quarter of 2016, both the Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems would be upgraded to two-car trains, doubling the passenger capacity. An additional 16 more cars were to be ordered, bringing the total fleet size to 57. The longer trains also required modifications to the signalling and communication system.On 22 December 2015, the line began operating two-car trains, five years after plans to raise the capacity of the increasingly packed light-rail system were announced.
Around the end of 2016, two-car trains started being deployed on both directions of the West Loop during the weekday peak hours, due to the increasing number of commuters living in new HDB flats located near Thanggam, Kupang and Farmway LRT stations. Before this, two-car trains were only deployed towards the direction of Cheng Lim during morning peak hours, and towards the direction of Renjong during evening peak hours.
On 15 December 2017, the Land Transport Authority said there will be limited services on parts of the Sengkang-Punggol LRT on most Sundays from 14 January 2018 to 25 February that year, to facilitate renewal and improvement works. Only one platform will open for service at 5.30am on Sundays. The other platform will open from 7am.On 22nd of that month, SBS Transit said the arrangement is expected to continue until end April that year.
From 27 May to 7 October that year, limited services on Sundays will continue on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT. One platform will open at 5.30am and the other platform will open at 5.30pm.
Stations
Services
There are four services in total, with two on each loop. However, on the Electronic Display, they will not show the service letters.| Service | Terminal | via | Loop | Direction |
| A | Sengkang | West Loop | Renjong to Cheng Lim Clockwise direction | |
| B | Sengkang | West Loop | Cheng Lim to Renjong Anti-clockwise direction | |
| C | Sengkang | East Loop | Compassvale to Ranggung Clockwise direction | |
| D | Sengkang | East Loop | Ranggung to Compassvale Anti-clockwise direction |
Rolling stock
Trains operating on the line are Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Crystal Movers C810s and C810As. Trains operate from the Sengkang Depot which provides maintenance and train overhaul facilities for both the Punggol and Sengkang LRT lines. These trains operate in a single-car formation at all times and in a two-car formation during peak hours.Train control
The line is equipped with Kyosan APM fixed block signalling system for Automatic train control under Automatic train operation GoA 4. The subsystems consist of Automatic train protection to govern train speed, Automatic Train Supervision to track and schedule trains, and a computer-based interlocking system that prevents incorrect signal and track points settings.Incidents
- On 20 April 2015, the East Loop suffered a brief service disruption due to a power fault.
- On 8 May that year, more than two weeks after the April disruption, another service disruption occurred on the West Loop, stranding a number of trains for three hours at 1700 hrs.
- On 16 February 2018, the first day of Chinese New Year, a train broke down near Sengkang station from the West Loop due to a dislodged power collector shoe at 1109 hrs. A rescue train managed to haul the faulty train away and services were resumed approximately two hours later.
Gallery