{"id":51444,"date":"2026-05-11T05:47:35","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T21:47:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=51444"},"modified":"2026-05-11T05:47:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T21:47:35","slug":"maintaining-mrt-system-more-complex-as-network-ages-st-roundtable-panellists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=51444","title":{"rendered":"Maintaining MRT system more complex as network ages: ST roundtable panellists"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SINGAPORE \u2013 <!-- -->As Singapore\u2019s rail network ages and requires more maintenance, the challenge is not just the financial cost of replacing old systems and upgrading trains, but also the inconvenience caused to commuters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Delays and disruptions arising from maintenance works can affect daily travel, and these impacts must be minimised, panellists said at an In Perspective roundtable hosted by The Straits Times on April 21, where they discussed how smart technologies will shape the future of travel in Singapore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cThere is also a non-monetary cost because delays, or being unable to travel because of maintenance programmes, (are) borne by commuters, and we need to minimise that as well,\u201d said Associate Professor Raymond Ong from the National University of Singapore\u2019s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Recent examples include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/transport\/askst-what-you-need-to-know-about-circle-line-service-adjustments-from-jan-17-to-april-19-2026?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">planned disruptions on the Circle Line<\/span><\/a> and East-West Line to facilitate repair and upgrading works.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Singapore, the MRT and mobility reimagined | In Perspective\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6iNkaSyfpi8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Beyond ensuring reliability, rail operators should also strive to give commuters certainty, said Dr Samuel Chng, a research assistant professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Dr Chng said commuters value clear communication about planned disruptions as much as reliability itself, in response to a question from moderator and ST\u2019s Asia News Network editor Shefali Rekhi, on how upgrading works can be carried out with minimal disruption.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">With certainty, commuters can adjust their routines and plan around disruptions, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cIt (need) not be one month ahead of time. It could be just in the morning when I wake up&#8230; I look at the map and I say, okay, there is a disruption here, there is a traffic jam there, I am going to reroute,\u201d Dr Chng added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Panellists said maintaining ageing rail assets is becoming increasingly challenging <!-- -->because older systems behave differently from newer ones.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Mr Yee Boon Cheow, deputy chief executive of infrastructure and development at the Land Transport Authority (LTA), said: \u201cHow a new asset behaves versus an ageing asset will be different. You (cannot) manage an ageing asset as if it is still new.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Maintenance teams must adapt the way they manage ageing systems, and one key challenge is determining the right time to renew assets, he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">While \u201csome assets fail progressively\u201d, others fail in an \u201c(off-the-)cliff-like manner\u201d. Hence, \u201ccollecting data to ascertain the condition of assets is very important\u201d, Mr Yee said, because it helps LTA decide when to replace them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Operators, too, need to collect and analyse large amounts of data so that maintenance processes can be adjusted accordingly, he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Prof Ong expressed the same view \u2013 effective railway asset management comes down to doing \u201cthe right thing at the right place at the right time\u201d, and data is critical to knowing this, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">But upgrading legacy rail infrastructure is difficult because railway systems are deeply interconnected, panellists said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Mr Yee described the railway network as \u201ca system of systems\u201d, where replacing one component often requires upgrades elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cIf you change a system, (it may) involve upgrading trains. If you add trains, (it may) involve upgrading the power supply system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">It is not just changing one piece of equipment, as LTA and rail operators have to consider the impact on the whole railway system, Mr Yee added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Mr Ang Hang Guan, SMRT\u2019s group chief engineering officer, said renewals often involve difficult trade-offs for operators because some works may require partial line closures.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He cited recent Circle Line closures, where sections of tunnel were shut to allow engineers to carry out works to strengthen those parts more efficiently.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">There are times when doing the work only during engineering hours every night drags the project out much longer, Mr Ang said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Panellists agreed that engineering hours \u2013 the limited overnight windows between train operations \u2013 are often insufficient for large-scale renewal works.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">At the same time, commuters still expect the rail system to run regularly, consistently and reliably, said Mr Ang.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">When a decision on a renewal is made, SMRT and LTA also need to determine the right time to do it, how long it will take, and which option causes the least inconvenience to commuters, he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">To help manage ageing assets more effectively, SMRT is piloting a new artificial intelligence-powered platform called Jarvis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The system collects historical and sensor data from across SMRT\u2019s system to predict faults days before they occur. Through a chatbot-style interface, maintenance teams can quickly access predictions on when equipment may fail, so they can carry out the necessary repairs during scheduled maintenance windows instead of responding only after breakdowns occur.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The pilot is expected to run until the end of 2026, though wider deployment could take several years as SMRT works to integrate decades-old systems, improve data quality and install additional sensors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Still, panellists noted that AI systems such as Jarvis will not be able to predict every problem, especially sudden electrical faults or <!-- -->unexpected incidents<!-- -->.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"portrait inline-media-wrapper\" style=\"--aspect-article-portrait:800 \/ 365\" data-testid=\"inline-media-test-id\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/tags\/in-perspective\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_self\" data-testid=\"inline-image-link\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-start relative w-fit\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/afe0c47d50f6fbf7c3ad52faddbe7196ca0afd060be197012856ed5aebdf7e9b?w=480\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 720px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/afe0c47d50f6fbf7c3ad52faddbe7196ca0afd060be197012856ed5aebdf7e9b?w=720\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 721px and max-width: 3999px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/afe0c47d50f6fbf7c3ad52faddbe7196ca0afd060be197012856ed5aebdf7e9b?w=800\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 4000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/afe0c47d50f6fbf7c3ad52faddbe7196ca0afd060be197012856ed5aebdf7e9b\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/afe0c47d50f6fbf7c3ad52faddbe7196ca0afd060be197012856ed5aebdf7e9b\" alt=\"\" class=\"aspect-portrait flex items-start shrink-0 portrait article-portrait object-contain mobile:w-auto tablet:w-auto\" data-testid=\"image-test-id\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/figure>\n<div class=\"article-list-container\" data-testid=\"bulleted-article-list-test-id\">\n<ul class=\"pl-22 list-disc article-list-wrapper\">\n<li class=\"article-list-item list-item\" data-testid=\"bulleted-article-list-item-test-id\">\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In Perspective is a research-led content programme by SPH Media that combines insight-driven storytelling with expert perspectives on key issues shaping society.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/transport\/maintaining-mrt-system-more-complex-as-network-ages-st-roundtable-panellists\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SINGAPORE \u2013 As Singapore\u2019s rail network ages and requires more maintenance, the challenge is not just the financial cost of replacing old systems and upgrading&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=51444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/51445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=51444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=51444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=51444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}