Mobility Transformation in Singapore- with a Focus on Railway Policy
Er. Chua Chong Kheng
Deputy Chief Executive, Infrastructure & Development
Land Transport Authority of Singapore

1First Concept Plan
• Developed to guide Singapore’s long-term development• Proposed MRT as backbone of the public transport system

1970

Proposed MRTlines spanning
north to south &east to west

Image courtesy of Urban Redevelopment Authority

2

The Great MRT Debate• Due to large estimated cost for MRT construction, it faced opposition
that an all-bus system would be sufficient and more cost-effective.

1970

1980Images from The Straits Times,
courtesy of NewspaperSG

3

The Great MRT Debate• The reclamation of Marina South tilted the debate in favour of building
the MRT.
The only way you can get to Marina South is through a road by the side of Telok
Ayer Basin. If you have MRT going to Marina South, then that open space can be
developed.
Mr Ong Teng Cheong, Minister for Communications

1970

1980

Images courtesy of Urban Redevelopment Authority

Reclamation of Marina South

Development of Marina South

4

MRT Construction• The government gave the go-ahead for MRT construction in 1982.
• First section of North-South Line was completed on 7 November 1987.

1970

1980

Images courtesy of SMRT Corporation Ltd

5

First Two MRT Lines• The North-South and East-West Lines were completed on 6 July 1990,
within the approved budget of S$5 billion.

1970

1980
1990
NSEWL MRT Network

Image courtesy of SMRT Corporation Ltd

NSEWL MRT Train

6

Establishment of Land Transport Authority• The Land Transport Authority was established on 1 September 1995
to adopt a holistic approach to emerging land transport challenges.

1970

1980
1990

Increase inTransport Demand

Increase inCar Population

Rising Expectations forQuality Transport
7

Establishment of Land Transport Authority• Four public entitles merged to form the Land Transport Authority.

Mass Rapid TransitCorporation

Public Works Department(Roads & TransportationDivision)

Registry of Vehicles

LandTransportAuthority

1970

1980
1990

Ministry ofCommunications(Land TransportationDivision)

8

White Paper 1996
• LTA published a White Paper in 1996, detailing the vision to achieve aWorld Class Land Transport System.

FinancingFramework

1970

1980
1990

Initiatives to Improve
Public TransportSystem
9White Paper (Financing Framework)• The White Paper set out three key principles for financing framework.

Fares have to be realistic and regularly revised
to account for justifiable cost increases.

1970

1980
1990

The services must at least recover operating
cost.
Provision for depreciation and asset replacement
must be adequate.
10White Paper (Financing Framework)
Fares have to be realistic and regularly revised toaccount for justifiable cost increases.

1970

1980
1990

Independent body to regulate
public transport fares
Images courtesy of Public Transport Council

Comprises members from a widecross-section of society
11White Paper (Financing Framework)
Fares have to be realistic and regularly revised toaccount for justifiable cost increases.

1970

1980
1990

Image courtesy of Public Transport Council

Fare Adjustment Formula (2023 – 2027)
12

White Paper (Financing Framework)
The services must at least recover operating cost.

1970

1980

Viability of New Rail Lines

1990

Economic Viability

Financial Viability

Cost

Cost

Benefit

Revenue13

White Paper (Financing Framework)
Provision for depreciation and asset replacement must
be adequate.

1970

1980

Historical Costof First Set ofOperating
Asset

Increase in Cost
due to Inflation

Fare Revenue

Co-financing fromGovernment

Cost ofSecond Set ofOperatingAssets

1990

14

White Paper (Improving Public Transport)• The White Paper introduced two key strategies to improve the public
transport system.

Key Strategies1970

1980
1990

Integrated Land Use &Transport Planning

Expanding RailNetwork (Backboneof Transport System)
15

Integrated Land Use & Transport Planning• Concept Plan 1991 adopted a “Constellation Concept” to decentralisecommercial and other activities, while supported by the rail network.
LegendMass Transit Corridor- Radial

1970

1980
1990

Mass Transit Corridor- Circumferential

Regional Centre
Sub-regional Centre

Image courtesy of Urban Redevelopment Authority

16

Expanding Rail Network• The White Paper planned for a rail network of at least 160km in thelong term, to serve as the backbone of our public transport network.

1970

1980
1990

MRT / LRT Network for Year X

17

Expanding Rail Network
Woodlands
Extension wasbuilt to serve
the regionalcentre.

1970

1980
1990

North EastLine was built
to serve theregionalcentre.
18

Expanding Rail Network
Circle Line wasbuilt to serve
the subregional
centres.

1970

1980
1990

Light RailTransit (LRT)
was built toserve
corridors withlighter traffic.
19

Fully Automated Driverless System• North East Line is the world’s first fully automated undergrounddriverless heavy rail rapid transit line.

1970

Benefits

1980

Address challenge in recruiting
Passenger Train Operators

1990
Inspection of North East Line trains

Provide flexibility tointroduce or withdraw trains
Minimise error inhuman intervention
North East Line Train

20

Entry of Second Multi-modal Operator• Competitive tendering was adopted for North East Line and Sengkang
and Punggol LRTs, leading to entry of second multi-modal operator.

1970

1980
1990
North-SouthLine

East-West
Line

North EastLine

Downtown
Line

CircleLine

Thomson-East
Coast Line

Sengkang
LRTPunggol
LRT

Bukit Panjang
LRTInfo accurate as of 2023

21

Land Transport Master Plan 2008
• Due to new challenges, LTA released Land Transport Master Plan 2008,
focusing on a “People-Centred Land Transport System”.

1970

1980
1990

Increasing Travel
DemandDeclining Public
Transport Mode Share

2000

22

Land Transport Master Plan 2008
• Due to new challenges, LTA released Land Transport Master Plan 2008,
focusing on a “People-Centred Land Transport System”.

1970

1980
1990

Key Targets
for 2020

2000

70%
23

Land Transport Master Plan 2008
Key Strategiesab

Double Rail Networkby 2020c
New Rail Financing
Framework

Enhance RailCapacity by Increasing
Train Frequency

1970

1980
1990
2000

dCentral Bus NetworkPlanner24

aDouble Rail Network by 2020
1970

1980
1990
2000

25

b Increasing Train Frequency
12•Revise Operating Performance Standards
to prescribe minimum train headways•Invest in Additional Trains

1970

1980
1990
2000

3

•Modification to Signalling System
26

c

New Rail Financing Framework• The Downtown Line is the first MRT line to come under the New Rail
Financing Framework.
New Model

Old Model
Operator owns, maintains &makes decisions on building-up,replacement & upgrading

Operating Asset1

Licence Charge
2

No Licence Charge

Licence Period

LTA owns and makes decisions onbuilding-up, replacement &upgrading while Operator remains
responsible for maintenanceOperator pays an annual Licence
Charge into the Railway Sinking
Fund, which will fund replacement &repair of operating assets

1970

1980
1990
2000

330 to 40 years

15 years(possible 5-years extension)27

d Central Bus Network Planner• LTA took on the role of central bus network planner to enhance thehub-and-spoke model, reinforcing MRT as backbone of our network.

1970

1980

Hub-and-spoke network- 40 Services

1990
2000

Network of Direct Connections - 400 Services28

d Central Bus Network Planner
1970

1980
1990
2000

29

Land Transport Master Plan 2013
• As new considerations emerged, LTA released Land Transport MasterPlan 2013, focusing on “Enhancing Your Travel Experience”.

1970

1980
1990

Growing Population& Economy

Ageing RailInfrastructure

2000
2010

30

Land Transport Master Plan 2013
Key Targets for 2030

1970

1980
1990

aKey StrategiesbExpanding Rail
Network

Enhancing RailReliability

2000
2010

31

a

Expanding Rail Network
1970

1980
1990
2000
2010

32

b

Enhancing Rail Reliability• We embarked on a major upgrading programme for North-South andEast-West Lines from 2012 to 2023.

1970

1980
New
Signalling
SystemReplacementof Sleepers

NewThirdRail1990
2000

New
Power
SupplySystem

New
TrackCircuit
SystemNewTrains

2010

33

b

Enhancing Rail Reliability• The MRT network maintained over 1,000,000 MKBF since 2019.
• The Rail Reliability Incentive (RRI) aims to incentivise Operators toimprove reliability of train services.

1,000,000 Mean Kilometres
Before Failure (MKBF)MKBF is an internationally
MKBF measures how far a recognised indicator for
train travels before a delay rail reliability and adoptedof over 5 minutes.
by the Community ofMetros (COMET).

1970

1980
1990
2000
2010

34

Land Transport Master Plan 2040
• To prepare Singapore’s rail network for the future, LTA released Land
Transport Master Plan 2040, with planning horizon up to 2040.

1970

1980
1990

Commuters’
Aspirations

Sustainability

Digitalization &Automation

2000
2010
2020
35

Land Transport Master Plan 2040
• We envision a Singapore made up of 20-minute towns within a45-minute city which is aligned with commuters’ aspirations.
• Rail network expansion plans are underway to achieve marked
reduction in travel times.

1970

1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
36

Current Lines
1970

1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
37

Ongoing Lines
North East Line Extension

Cross Island Line –Punggol Extension

1970

Cross Island Line

1980

Jurong Region Line

1990
2000
Downtown Line 3Extension

2010
Circle Line Stage 6

Thomson – East Coast Line
Stage 4 & 5202038Ongoing Lines
Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System Link

1970

1980
1990
Artist’s Impression of RTS Link Viaduct

2000
2010
2020

Location of RTS Link Woodlands North Station

Artist’s Impression of Woodlands North Station

39

Future Lines
1970

1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
40

Sustainability• Climate change poses key threats to land transport system.

1970

1980
1990
2000
Image courtesy of Bloomberg Markets

Rising Sea Levels

Image courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

Extreme Weather

2010
2020
41

Green Strategies• Developed green strategies to promote sustainability efforts

1970

1980
Green Commutes

Green Opportunities

Green Operations

1990
2000
2010

Green VehiclesGreen Infrastructure

Green Communities

2020
42

1Green Commutes• Encouraging the switch to walking, cycling and taking public transport

1970

1980
1990
Expansion of rail network
to 360km by 2030s

Expansion of cycling network
to 1,300km by 2030s

2000

Vehicle Growth Rate
1990
3.00%

May-2009
1.50%

Expansion of sheltered walkway
network by 150km by 2040

Aug-2012
1.00%

2010
Feb-2013
0.50%

Feb-2015
0.25%

Feb-2018
0.00%*

Deprioritizing Car Ownership

2020
43

2Green Opportunities
1970

1980
1990
2000
Image courtesy of Delta Capita

Green Financing
Funding for green projects

2010

Open Innovation
Trial new green technologies

2020
44

3Green Operations
1970

1980
1990
2000

Renewable Energy
Increase deployment ofsolar energy

Optimise Resource Usage
Improve energy usage inrail operations

2010
2020
45

Digitalization & Automation• Digitalization and automation are no longer a good-to-have.
• They are a must-have.

1970

1980
1990
2000

1/4

Every 12 hours

2010of Singapore’s population willbe >65 years old by 2030

Knowledge is doubled (comparedto every 13 months in 1982)

2020
46

Digitalization & Automation
Our Railway
Digitalization& Automation
Journey
Our Railway
Automation
Journey

1970

1980
1990
2000
Study into
Maintenance &Engineering Centre(MEC)Formation ofRail
DigitalizationDivision

2010
2020
47

Digitalization & Automation
A multi-team and multi-disciplinary effort…

1970

1980
1990
2000

Digi Train

Digi Depot

Standardizing Conditionmonitoring data to be collected
for all train fleets

Leveraging on
automation to optimize
workflows

2010
2020
48

THANK YOU
www.lta.gov.sg
WeKeepYourWorldMoving
LTAsg
LTAsg
LTAsg
LTAsingapore
LTAsingapore
LTAsingapore

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