Bombardier celebrates start of service for Metro fleet in Singapore

Bombardier Transportation along with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore and operator SBS Transit (SBST) lauded the opening of the Downtown Line (DTL) Stage 2 for passenger services on Dec. 27, 2015. Bombardier delivered all of the 111 Bombardier Movia Metro cars (37 three-car trains) for the DTL2 one week ahead of schedule.

The 26-mile underground DTL is the fifth Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore. It is being delivered in three stages. Stage 1, a nearly 3-mile-long section with six stations, opened in 2013 with 24 MOVIA Metro cars (eight 3-car trains) supplied by Bombardier. The new DTL2 is 10 miles long with 12 stations, including interchange stations at Little India, Newton, Botanic Gardens and Bukit Panjang. The new trains for DTL Stage 3 will be delivered to LTA by Bombardier next year.

Complementary to the MRT network, the Bukit Panjang Light Rapid Transit (BPLRT) feeder system connects residents from Singapore's Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang districts to the DTL2 at a significant interchange at the Bukit Panjang station.

Last month, Bombardier also completed a project to upgrade the BPLRT. The 4.8-mile Innovia APM 100 automated people mover system first opened in 1999 with 19 vehicles and the Bombardier Cityflo 550 fixed block train control system. In 2012, LTA ordered an additional 13 Innovia vehicles, as well as upgrades to the signalling and communications systems, as part of a project to increase capacity on the system.

The MOVIA Metro trains on the DTL feature industry-leading Bombardier ECO4 technologies that help to address the challenges of sustainable mobility and total train performance. This includes the Bombardier MITRAC propulsion technology with its regenerative braking capabilities to reduce energy consumption and optimize system performance. An intelligent air-conditioning system also contributes to energy savings whilst ensuring passenger comfort by regulating the temperature according to passenger loading requirements. Each DTL train is approximately five tonnes lighter than the existing fleet and the vehicles are up to 90% recyclable at the end of their 30-year lifespan.