Commuters who use the North-South MRT Line will enjoy shorter travel times starting from October or November this year, as the existing speed limit due to sleeper replacement work is gradually removed, media reports said.
SMRT Trains Managing Director Lee Ling Wee revealed that replacement of the timber sleepers is “progressing well” along the northern part of the line, especially in the area between Bishan and Woodlands.
He explained that these sleepers are essential to the structural integrity of the line as they are the beams that support the rails. But when new sleepers are installed, they require a period of time to settle on the stones or ballast on which the tracks are laid, he said, adding that nearly half of the sleepers on the line have already been replaced.
“This explains why we have to impose speed restrictions at certain stretches of the tracks for trains travelling between Bishan and Woodlands. At these stretches, trains slow to around 40 kilometres per hour, compared to the normal speed of around 78 km/h,” Lee said.
Nevertheless, SMRT will gradually remove the speed cap as work progresses, and the faster travel time “should be felt from October or November”.
“With the completion of resleepering work on the North-South Line by early-2015, we are confident of completely removing all related speed restrictions by the middle of next year,” added Lee.
Image: MRT train approaching Ang Mo Kio station. (Photo by mailer_diablo: Wikimedia Commons)
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Singapore Editor of PropertyGuru Group, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
