Bukit Panjang LRT Renewal On Track for Completion by End of 2026
The first major renewal of the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit system is on track to finish by the end of 2026, concluding eight years of continuous upgrade works that required 10 full-day Sunday closures.
The Land Transport Authority stated that the extensive overhaul involved replacing 16.6km of power rails, alongside comprehensive upgrades to the fleet of light rail vehicles, the signalling network, the power supply apparatus, and the operations control centre. While legacy power rails and ageing components reached their design life limits by the late 2010s, the ongoing replacement project has involved no further service closures as engineers execute the final remaining segments.
The reliability indicators for the 27-year-old light rail network have climbed significantly over the course of the renewal timeline. According to The Straits Times, trains on the Bukit Panjang line clocked 443,000 car-kilometres between delays in September 2026, marking a substantial rise from 53,000 car-kilometres in 2017. Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow told reporters at the Ten Mile Junction depot that the rail reliability metric has increased eightfold since upgrade works commenced in 2018.
During the transition phases, the network experienced fluctuations in its Mean Kilometres Between Failure metric. After climbing from 43,000 car-kilometres in 2018 to 248,000 car-kilometres in 2023, performance dipped through 2024 and 2025 due to teething issues tied to the introduction of third-generation vehicles and migration to the full Communications-Based Train Control signalling system. Following the completion of those system integrations, performance rebounded sharply to 443,000 car-kilometres by September 2026.
Bukit Panjang Line Infrastructure and Accessibility Work Ends by 2027
Remaining work on the Bukit Panjang line centers on finishing the final two per cent of the power rail replacements by the close of 2026. Beyond the rail infrastructure, station accessibility enhancements are scheduled to wrap up by February 2027, according to The Straits Times. Those station works cover all 25 lifts across the 13 stations and one escalator at Choa Chu Kang station, incorporating tilted floor indicator screens for wheelchair users, rear wall mirrors, and side-mounted control panels.
Speaking at the Ten Mile Junction depot, Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow emphasized that authorities must plan ahead for asset renewals across the wider transit network. He pointed out that investments in condition-based monitoring sensors allow engineering teams to track component degradation and execute predictive maintenance. Similar renewal efforts have already been completed for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT fleet and depot, with depot capacity expansion works for that line scheduled for completion in 2027.