SMRT hastening NSEWL power network upgrade

Singapore

SMRT is speeding up its efforts to improve the robustness of the network of power cables, switches and substations that provide traction power to trains on the North-South East-West Lines (NSEWL), in the light of the July 7 power fault that disrupted Singapore's MRT services.

Last week's power fault affected around 250,000 commuters, and is the first time that both the North-South and East-West Lines were down.

The unprecedented disruption on the NSEWL highlights the urgency for SMRT engineering staff to renew the lines' power-related infrastructure, and SMRT announced it would work with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to segment, where possible, the network of cables that supply power to the North-South and East-West Lines. This design improvement would make a power fault on one …