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SINGAPORE: The Integrated Train Test Center (ITTC) will be fully operational by the end of 2024, allowing test work to take place around the clock without disrupting passenger services.
Construction on the center, which will occupy the former site of the Raffles Country Club, began on Wednesday (March 17).
It will be ready to receive two new trains for Circle Line 6 in early 2023.
And when fully operational, it will serve the needs of existing and future MRT lines and allow more than one project to be tested at the same time, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said at the opening ceremony.
Announced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 2019, ITTC will support the testing and commissioning of trains and rail systems, as well as mid-life upgrades of Singapore’s trains.
READ: LTA awards a S $ 640 million contract for the construction of the train test center
Currently, train tests are conducted at depots and on the main line during engineering hours, which add up to “very few hours in the early evening” and when the trains are not in service, Ong said.
It takes a few years to test new trains as they need to be tested in conjunction with interface signaling and communication systems.
“These rigorous tests are critical to ensuring that the trains have been built to specification and will perform as intended,” said Mr. Ong.
“Train testing is therefore an important and integral part of our maintenance regime, which in turn maintains a high level and high standards of safety and reliability of the train and MRT systems.”
With the 50ha facility, engineers can replicate “real conditions” on the main line and conduct tests “around the clock,” he added, freeing up “limited engineering hours” on the main line and warehouses for other maintenance and work. renewal.
It will also reduce the need for early closings and late openings, minimizing inconvenience for travelers, LTA said in a press release.
BUILDING LOCAL ENGINEERING CAPACITIES
Mr. Ong noted that the center will allow testing to be done even before the MRT lines and depots are developed.
“Today these tests can only be done overseas, before the trains are delivered to Singapore.
“By testing here, we are better able to troubleshoot, identify and resolve any initial issues early to ensure greater reliability,” said Ong, adding that this would also allow Singapore to develop its local railway engineering capabilities.
The ITTC can test up to three different signaling systems at the same time.
A one-stop shop at the center will conduct mid-life upgrades and train testing prior to deployment. It will speed up fault diagnosis and rectification and improve lane reliability, LTA added.
There will be three types of tracks for “specific critical safety tests,” LTA said.
It includes a looped endurance track with an uphill section for testing train performance, an integration and loop performance track with a branched S-shaped track, and a high-speed straight track for testing speeds up to 100 km / h.
Energy efficiency will be a priority, LTA said, with the center designed to achieve Green Mark Platinum certification from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), which recognizes buildings committed to environmental sustainability.
For example, the center will use LED lights, solar panels, and a centralized cooling system. It will also have bicycle parking and protected links that will connect to other buildings.
The center will be completed in two phases. The first phase, which includes the construction of the high-speed test track, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The second phase will include the completion of the two remaining test tracks, the administration building, the operations control center building and the workshops.
