Feel free to post any press release here.

http://www.smrt.com.sg/pressrele_arch170.htm

Story telling on trains(old release)

SBS Transit Launch Escalator Safety Awareness Programme For North East Line Mrt Stations

http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/whatsnew_20August2005.asp

cancelled

From RAPIDKL:

Kelana Jaya Line
(formerly PUTRA Line)- Comprises 24 stations,
between Kelana Jaya and Gombak

Ampang & Sri Petaling Line
(formerly STAR Line)-Comprises 25 stations,
between Sri Petaling/Ampang and Sentul Timur

NEW names for PUTRA/STAR lines

ALL LRT Sistems of RAPIDKL allows the use of TOUCH N GO

STATIONS THAT ALLOW TOP UP/PURCHASE of TOUCH N GO
* Kelana Jaya
* KL Sentral
Masjid Jamek - (Kelana Jaya Line, Sri Petaling Line and Ampang Line)
* KLCC
* Wangsa Maju
* Terminal Putra
* Ampang
* Bandar Tasik Selatan

Special Train Service On North East Line Between Outram Park And Harbourfront Stations On 30 October 2005

http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/whatsnew_24October2005.asp

CNA: LTA unveils station names for Circle Line Stages 4 and 5

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/177370/1/.html

LTA: Station Names For Circle Line Stages 4 And 5

http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1419
Finalised list of names for CCL Stages 4 and 5 (Word document)

Buangkok Station To Open In January 2006

http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/whatsnew_11November2005.asp

ups...

pls do this at least 2 months or it will close

Preparations underway at Buangkok MRT station for official opening

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/187318/1/.html

Boon Lay MRT extension to have two stations

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/197268/1/.html

March 13, 2006
Groundwork begins for new MRT lines
LTA checks for station locations and soil conditions for Eastern and Bukit Timah lines

By Christopher Tan

THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) has started preliminary work on two new major MRT lines - the Eastern Region Line (ERL) and the Bukit Timah Line (BTL).

They are expected to add about 60km to Singapore's current rail network of 178km.

The ERL will be a 40km rectangular loop around the Jalan Besar area and the East Coast, while the BTL will be a 20km line linking Upper Bukit Timah and the city.

Both will intersect with existing lines as well as the Circle Line, now under construction, and both will flow into the New Downtown.

LTA rail director Lim Bok Ngam told The Straits Times work could begin within six months of the Government giving the final go-ahead on the budget and the alignment of the routes.

When will the green light be given? Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong yesterday said it depended very much on the demand for housing and other developments in those areas, so that there was a viable load factor for the line.

'We don't want to build something that turns out to be under-utilised.' He was speaking to reporters at a community event a day after work started on the latest MRT project, the $436 million Boon Lay MRT extension.

In the meantime, Mr Lim's planners and engineers are already looking at possible station locations, as well as the soil profile and some of the engineering challenges that may crop up along these two lines, he said.

He said the LTA was likely to tackle the two projects in phases, just as it had done with the Circle Line.

The Straits Times understands that the upper loop of the 40km ERL is likely to be built first. This section will pass through the Jalan Besar area and onwards to parts of Bedok and Tampines.

Mr Lim, a 30-year land transport veteran who has long been in charge of road projects, succeeded former rail chief Rajan Krishnan last year. Mr Rajan left the LTA in the aftermath of the Nicoll Highway cave-in in April 2004, in which four people died.

The University of Singapore-trained engineer reckons that if work begins by 2010, when the Circle Line is due to be completed, the Bukit Timah Line will be completed by 2016. By 2020, the first stretch of the Eastern Region Line would be ready.

What's next? There is the Thomson Line, which will be the MRT equivalent of the Central Expressway - the highway that now links northern Singapore and the Central Business District.

There are also plans for a line to thread through the northern housing estates of Woodlands, Punggol, Seletar and Pasir Ris, possibly with a 10km line which will join the existing Punggol and Pasir Ris stations.

By 2030, the Government envisages a rail network of 540km - more extensive than London's 408km Tube system.

Mr Lim is confident this can be achieved. But for now, he is not looking beyond the Bukit Timah and Eastern Regional Lines, as plans do sometimes change.

For instance, the Jurong Region Line, a light rail system originally planned for the same time frame, does not currently seem viable.

In fact, Mr Lim says there are currently 'no plans to expand the LRT network further'.

'If there is a new township that's going to be very heavily built up, we'll do so,' he said. Otherwise, the LRT's role can be fulfilled by feeder buses.

But with more tracks laid, rail ridership will rise. Public transport ridership is now skewed heavily towards buses, which account for 2.5 million daily rides. The trains provide 1.2 million rides a day now. When the Circle Line is up, ridership will go up to 1.5 million a day.

The ERL and BTL may eventually tilt the balance in favour of rail.

All in favour of the BTL is Madam Halimah Yacob - an MP for Jurong GRC whose ward includes the areas around Beauty World Centre in Bukit Timah - as it will ease congestion along Bukit Timah Road.

She added: 'Having an MRT in the area has been the request of shopkeepers and residents there for some time now. So I hope the LTA will speed up in building the line.'

christan@sph.com.sg

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY THERESA TAN

Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

SMRT and Bukit Panjang government high school transform Bukit Panjang LRT into 6.6-kilometre long art gallery

Visit SMRT website for more info (PDF format)

SMRT Challenge 2006

Date of Event: 23 July 2006
Time: 8am to 6pm
Venue: Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza

Monday July 24, 8:17 PM

NEL train services from Dhoby Ghaut to HarbourFront halted

HarbourFront, Outram Park, Chinatown and Clarke Quay MRT stations have been closed due to an electrical problem which caused a train to stall just after Outram Park station.

At around 12.45pm, a southbound North-East Line train stalled in the tunnel due to loss of traction power.

Repeated attempts to bring the power back failed and about half-an-hour after the incident, about 100 passengers were evacuated from the train.

Initial investigations showed a wire which supplied traction power to the trains had come loose.

SBS Transit says its engineers are working to bring the system up again, but this is likely to take several hours.

Normal train operations are still running between Dhoby Ghaut and Punggol stations, while alternative free bus services from the affected stations have been activated.

Those affected can seek a refund of their fare at any NEL Passenger Service Counter.

The public may call the SBS Transit Customer Relations Centre at 1800-287-2727 or 6383-7214 for further information.

You can share your videos or pictures of the partial breakdown of NEL services by emailing yournews@channelnewsasia.com. - CNA/ir

Monday July 24, 10:17 PM

SMRT plans fare hikes for its bus, MRT, LRT services

SMRT Corporation is planning to raise fares for its bus, MRT and LRT services.

It will apply for a fare adjustment by the August 1 deadline set by the Public Transport Council.

The SMRT Corporation says its total operating costs have ballooned by 20% this year because of the increase in diesel prices.

The fare hike will follow the PTC's formula of a maximum increase of 1.7%, which translates to a rise of one or two cents, if approved.

SMRT President and CEO Saw Phaik Hwa says that its proposed fare hike will not be sufficient to mitigate rising diesel costs.

It however supports the government's call for smaller and regular fare increases. - CNA/ir

Tuesday July 25, 10:17 AM

Power failure knocks out part of NEL train services

A power failure around lunch time on Monday knocked out part of the North East Line train services, causing four stations to be closed to the public.

And, 100 passengers had to be evacuated from a stalled train just after Outram Park Station.

Outside, hundreds of stranded passengers headed for free shuttle services as the breakdown stretched into the evening rush hour.

Goodwill ambassadors - 50 in all - spread out along the affected stretches to guide passengers.

The problem started at 12.45pm when a southbound NEL train stalled in the tunnel some 200 metres after leaving the Outram Park Station.

Investigations showed a wire which supplies traction power to the trains had come loose.

NEL officers rushed to the train five minutes after it stalled.

Fan Chee Peng, NEL's Assistant Station Manager, said: "My job was to try to board the train to calm down the passengers, make sure they are okay."

The passengers were then evacuated.

HarbourFront, Outram Park, Chinatown and Clarke Quay stations were then closed to the public.

But normal train operations continued from Dhoby Ghaut to Punggol Stations.

Outside the affected stations, things quickly got busier as the breakdown stretched into the evening rush hour.

SBS Transit staff were kept busy giving directions.

35 shuttle buses swung into action, arriving every 2-3 minutes at its peak.

Monday's transit breakdown is one of the longest in Singapore's history.

The last such breakdown was in 1993 when there was an SMRT train accident and service was only resumed the following day. - CNA/ir

Tuesday July 25, 10:17 AM

NEL train services to be fully operational from Tuesday morning

SBS Transit says its North East Line (NEL) train services will be fully operational from Tuesday morning following a breakdown which led to the biggest and longest disruption for the NEL since it started operations three years ago.

A train had stalled 200 metres from Outram Park Station after a power failure at 12.45 pm on Monday, sparking a partial shutdown of the line, which remained closed for the rest of the day.

The stations affected were at HarbourFront, Outram Park, Chinatown and Clarke Quay.

When asked why it took so long for services to resume, its Director of Rail Operations Alex Goei told Channel NewsAsia that the power line had snapped.

And so, damaged sections had to be removed and replaced.

Comprehensive tests would then have to be run to ensure the system was safe, he said.

A statement from the rail operator said at least 9,600 commuters took the free train and bus shuttle services which were brought in to minimise disruption.

About 35 free shuttle buses were deployed to ferry passengers along the affected stretches.

Free shuttle train services kicked in at about 7.30pm.

This meant commuters could shuttle on the unaffected north-bound track up and down between the affected stations at 20-minute intervals. - CNA/ir

Tuesday July 25, 2:17 PM

NEL trains resume full service after Monday's shut down

SINGAPORE : Full train services on the North East Line resumed at 6am on Tuesday.

SBS Transit is still investigating the actual cause of Monday's breakdown, which shut part of the train system for nearly half a day.

The company estimates that about 60,000 commuters were affected.

Early morning commuters arrived at the Outram Park MRT Station as the first train on the southbound track rolled into service.

Seventy engineers and service crews worked overnight to get the entire system running smoothly again.

The disruption was one of the longest in the history of Singapore's underground train system.

At fault was the copper power cable that runs at the top of the tunnel; it supplies the electricity that drives the train.

The power cable is tensioned, or stretched like a rubber band.

When it broke, it fragmented into pieces, which were scattered along the tunnel.

Service crews had to first clear the debris before moving the trains and making repairs.

Said Alex Goei, director of rail operations, SBS Transit, "Because the power line is tensioned like a rubber band, when it breaks it can potentially affect other cables in the tunnel; so we had to do those checks to cables, to the track. One of the results of the power trip was that the operation of the platform screen doors was affected and if the platform screen doors cannot operate, passengers cannot board or alight from the trains."

Although service on the southbound track was affected for about 11 hours, on the opposite side of the platform, things were working fine.

In fact, this was used in the shuttle service that served the four affected stations.

SBS Transit says there is no guarantee such a failure will not happen again.

If it does, commuters may face the same disruptions as there is no back-up power supply.

Said Mr Goei, "We will investigate into the causes of why the wires broke and from the causes we'll look at how we can prevent it. We would certainly want to minimise train service disruption arising from what happened yesterday."

The other train operator, SMRT, says that although it uses a different third rail power system, it too does not have an alternate power supply.

But the operators say having a backup power supply may not help if the problem lies with the power cable.

Imagine having a generator in your own home. With a severed power cable, even if with two or three back up systems, there is no way the generators can power your home. - CNA /ct

All Systems Up And Running On NEL

For more info, please visit http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/press/2006jul_25-2.aspx

Tuesday July 25, 10:17 PM

SMRT's decision to raise fares draws mixed reactions from public

SINGAPORE: The SMRT's decision to raise bus and train fares have drawn mixed reactions from the public.

Some say a small increase is justified but others questioned the decision, especially if the company is not making any losses.

SMRT had announced plans to adjust fares for its MRT, LRT and bus services, citing increased diesel costs.

But the public has mixed views on it - some were resigned to a fare increase but others were indignant.

SMRT plans to submit its proposal to the Public Transport Council by the 1st August deadline.

If approved, the fare increase could kick in as soon as October. - CNA /dt

New Straits Times (Malaysia) online articles about KTM Railway Fan Club (KTMRFC)

"Choo-choo club"
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/article/LeisureChoice/20060725100714/Article/

http://www.ktmrailwayfan.com/pics/details.php?image_id=11565

http://www.ktmrailwayfan.com/pics/details.php?image_id=11564

http://www.ktmrailwayfan.com/pics/details.php?image_id=11563

---mainly about the KTM Railway Fan Club; doubles as a "free advertisement/propaganda" for the KTM Railway Fan Club

"Newly-weds on the right track"
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/article/FeatureStory/20060725102457/Article/
---mainly about KTM-KTMRFC's recent FAM trip; also about first-ever on-the-KTM-train marriage ceremony

Note: text only content inside the NST online articles.

(Similar messages posted in KTMRFC Forum http://www.ktmrailwayfan.com)

=============

With these news articles, I do feel proud to be a member of KTMRFC (although I am a non-paying unofficial member).

Wednesday July 26, 8:17 PM

Limited evacuation at MRT station after fogging triggers smoke alarms

SINGAPORE: There was another scare on the MRT NorthEast Line on Tuesday night.

Callers to the MediaCorp News hotline spoke of passengers being evacuated at Dhoby Ghaut MRT after 11pm, but there was nothing wrong with the train service.

A spokesperson for the NorthEast Line said regular fogging done by the Land Transport Authority at the nearby Circle Line construction site had triggered off the smoke alarms.

Not taking any chances, NEL operator SBS Transit evacuated its passengers.

It resumed operations shortly afterwards.

Confirming this, the Land Transport Authority said this was the first time alarms had been triggered since the fogging started two years ago.

To prevent this happening again, it has scheduled for fogging operations to be done after MRT operating hours. - CNA /dt

from the press releases posted by id=SMRT Buses, I think NEL recently was struck by double whammy........

first a total shut down of NEL system due to breakage of electrical overhead wires.......

and next an evacuation from NEL due to fogging...........

Tuesday August 1, 10:17 PM

SBS Transit and SMRT apply for bus, train fare hikes

It is confirmed. Both SBS Transit and SMRT have applied to the Public Transport Council to increase their bus and train fares.

The application came just hours before the deadline to do so expired at the end of Tuesday.

The proposals for the fare hikes, if accepted by the PTC, will be announced next month and will kick in by October.

This year, there has been a slight change in the dates.

The deadline to apply for adjustments was pushed back from May to August because the PTC said it needed time to implement changes to the Act, such as introducing new service standards.

Fuel costs have been rising for the two big bus companies, by as much as over 40 percent just in the last year.

SBS Transit says that diesel is its second biggest cost item after manpower.

So it has decided to ask for a fare increase after much deliberation.

With the formula imposing a 1.7 percent cap, SBS Transit says that most adults travelling on its buses and trains would see a one-cent to two-cent increase in fares.

If the maximum is approved, that will yield SBS Transit almost $10 million a year.

SMRT is also planning an increase averaging two cents, affecting mainly adult and senior citizen stored-value EZ-Link cards.

In many ways, the fare increase was widely expected.

When the new formula for calculating fare increases kicked in last year, the government said small and regular increases were preferred to big jumps every few years.

So, fare adjustments will probably be annual affairs now.

And both SBS Transit and SMRT have already hinted they would do so.

Both companies also say that they are mindful of the problems the fare increase would impose on the not so well off.

Hence student fares and concession passes will be unaffected.

Both companies will also have funding schemes for the lower income groups to offset any burden posed by fare increases.

But will commuters accept these arguments?

"They have the reason for raising their fares. Because of the oil.....they have to have a coverage. So I think it is ok," said a commuter.

"First, it was the oil price increase, and then the bus fares, and then the taxi fares. It all came so suddenly. It's not the amount, it's like all at once. It kind of adds up for us," said another.

"What will be, will be. But when fare increases, there will be upgrading of services and it's useful for upgrading," said a third commuter.

"Students, older people and the poor people would probably need more help," said a fourth.

The new head of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, Cedric Foo, told Channel NewsAsia that the companies should also consider discounted rates for poor school children, off-peak rates for retirees and issuing a limited number of free passes for the unemployed who need to commute for job interviews. - CNA/ir