[top: The last train car for the Circle Line is on its way from France, where it was built. Circle Line trains will run every 90 seconds, against the two minutes taken on the North-South and East-West Lines.]
France is one of the world leaders in public transport, having done everything from building better trains to taking bold steps to reduce congestion and pollution. Maria Almenoar visits the workshop making trains for Singapore's Circle Line and checks out other systems which may make their way here.
COMMUTERS on the Circle Line should find it a shorter wait for trains with the newest signalling system from Alstom, the French transport company which is also building the trains for the new SMRT line.
During peak hours, trains will be able to run every 90 seconds, against the current two minutes on the North-South and East-West lines. The shorter intervals will make the system's waiting times comparable to those in cities such as Hong Kong.
The Singapore authorities had asked for the latest signalling system from Alstom, which also supplied trains for the North-East Line and is hoping to win a contract to build the tracks for the upcoming Downtown Line. Commuters have long complained about delays between trains, but the SMRT has maintained that the system's old signalling does not allow for headways - the time between trains - of under two minutes.
Commuters on the 33.3km-long Circle Line, which will span 29 stations, can also look forward to the next generation of driverless trains, which are better than those running on the North-East Line.
The new trains come to a halt more smoothly and the carriage doors open 2 1/2 seconds after the train comes to a stop, compared with the four seconds taken on the North-East Line.
"This will help speed things along and get people on and off trains faster," said Alstom's managing director for Asia-Australasia, Mr Michel Obadia.
The last train car is now en route from its birthplace in Valenciennes in France, a three-hour drive from Paris, to its new home at Kim Chuan Depot here.
Seven trains of three cars each will be called into service when the first five stations open on the Circle Line in June next year. Residents in the north-eastern areas of Marymount, Bishan, Lorong Chuan, Serangoon and Bartley will be the first to use them.
Said Miss Cindy Lim, 25, an account executive who lives in Lorong Chuan: "If the trains come faster, hopefully, there won't be a crowd waiting for the train during the morning peak hour." Altogether, 40 trains, each with a capacity of 1,200 passengers, will ply the line.
It is understood that the Land Transport Authority is also looking to upgrade the signalling system on the other lines.
Alstom carried out a similar upgrade on Beijing's Metro Line 2 just before the Olympic Games in August.
The 23-month refurbishment brought train frequency down by 30 seconds from the usual three-minute interval during peak hours.
The total cost of the upgrading was €25 million (S$51 million).
"We are now working on bringing down the headways even further, maybe 60 seconds for future signalling systems," said Mr Obadia.
mariaa@sph.com.sg
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Dec 9, 2008.
