Bukit Panjang LRT Line
|
Bukit Panjang LRT Train, with its updated livery. |
Bukit Panjang Light Rapid Transit is a 7.8 km
light rail line opened in
1999 and part of
Singapore's
light rail system. It is fully
automated. The rolling stock is supplied by
Bombardier, and is similar to the ones used in the
Singapore Changi Airport's
peoplemover service during the
90s'. It is currently operated by SMRT Light Rail, a subsidiary of
SMRT Corporation.
The operation of the Bukit Panjang LRT has experienced several problems. Software glitches during initial running means that there were constant delays in service, and were sometimes severe. There have been two serious accidents since its opening:
* In
2000, two LRT trains crashed head-to-back at
Phoenix Station causing minor injuries. The operator was fined S$10,000.
* In
2002, a dislodged train wheel caused the entire shutdown of the system for a few days, as it crippled the power system and the rail at the incident was damaged and had to be repaired.
There have also been over fifty disruptions in service, the most recent being on
12 May 2004. The poor operation was partly why the operation of the
Sengkang LRT Line and
Punggol LRT Line were awarded to rival company
SBS Transit and rival manufacturer
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Most of the problems have been addressed and ironed out since.
The Bukit Panjang LRT has been operating at a loss for the past five years. This has raised complaints from the public who argue that the system is a
white elephant (as some do about the
North East MRT Line).
It was also reported that residents were unhappy with the withdrawal of feeder bus services operating in the area since the opening of the Bukit Panjang LRT, and were further aggravated by the unreliability of the service. After lobbying to Members of the Parliament, some services were partially restored.
|
Working map of the whole Bukit Panjang Light-Rail Transit (LRT) Line |
*
BP1 Choa Chu Kang (Transfer to North South MRT Line is available)*
BP2 South View*
BP3 Keat Hong*
BP4 Teck Whye*
BP5 Phoenix*
BP6 Bukit Panjang*
BP7 Petir*
BP8 Pending*
BP9 Bangkit*
BP10 Fajar*
BP11 Segar*
BP12 Jelapang*
BP13 Senja*
BP14 Ten Mile Junction (shuttle station)
There are three services operating along the Bukit Panjang Line. Trains designated on Service A will ply the outer loop (clockwise) via
Senja first whereas trains designated on Service B will ply the inner loop (anti-clockwise) via
Petir first. Service C runs between
Bukit Panjang and
Ten Mile Junction. The service frequency for Service C is 30 minutes.
*
SMRT Light Rail Homepage
