Circle Line recabling completed

SINGAPORE - Transport operator SMRT expects fewer breakdowns on the Circle Line (CCL) after replacing all 120km of its power cables, which were blamed for several train disruptions two years ago.

The $15 million project, which saw the cables replaced with higher-grade and more water-resistant ones, was completed last month - six months ahead of schedule.

"It will raise the overall safety and reliability of the system," SMRT chief executive Desmond Kuek told The Straits Times on Wednesday.

"Following the CCL power failure in October 2012, SMRT made a strong commitment to the cable change-out programme. I am pleased that our hard work has paid off."

The bulk of the project's cost was borne by French systems contractor Alstom, which was responsible for laying the original cables.

Laid below the tracks, stretches of cables were said to be submerged in water for extended periods. That is because MRT tunnels are not watertight, and water that seeps into tunnels is periodically pumped out.

This caused the original cables to deteriorate faster, triggering power trips which led to a number of disruptions.

In one incident in October 2012, a power trip at Promenade station caused train services on the entire Circle Line to be disrupted for nearly an hour, affecting around 10,500 commuters.

A similar fault at Dakota station also caused the entire line to shut down in September 2011.

The new cables, however, can be exposed to water for longer periods. Replacement work on the five-year-old Circle Line started in December 2012, and was expected to be completed this June.

Despite keeping track closures to a minimum to minimise the inconvenience to commuters, the project was still completed early.

SMRT put this down to the "hard work of all our Circle Line staff - many of whom worked many extra hours and over the weekends".

National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der Horng said he was "very impressed with the efficiency of the (recabling) works".

"Hopefully, the improvement of the North-South, East-West lines can be done in a similar way," he added.

SMRT and the Land Transport Authority have embarked on a billion-dollar plan to renew the two oldest lines here by replacing the train signalling system and the power supply third-rail system, among other improvements.

The programme is expected to take up to the end of the decade to finish. But SMRT hopes to complete the programme in just "two to three years".

christan@sph.com.sg

Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.