Thales and SMRT Trains Partner to Enhance Digital Rail Capabilities in Singapore
Singapore’s rail industry is on a journey towards digitalisation. Harnessing digital technology will help to create efficiencies, optimise performance, and enhance sustainability for the rail sector. By optimising time and resources, transport operators will be able to deliver a reliable, safe, and more comfortable customer experience.
To enhance digital rail capabilities, SMRT Trains, Singapore’s leading mass rapid transit operator, is partnering with Thales to establish a local signalling facility within Bishan Depot. The partnership will help SMRTto repair critical electronic cards for North-South and East-West Lines’ signalling systems.
How the SMRT and Thales Partnership Will Benefit Singapore
SMRT Trains and Thales share a goal to provide safe, reliable, and comfortable journeys in Singapore. Recently, they have inked two agreements
• The first is to establish a local rail signalling repair facility
• The second is to develop an intelligent rail analytics platform to reinforce the reliability of the nation’s oldest MRT lines operated by SMRT Trains.
Thales’ renowned SelTracTM Communication-Based-Train-Control (CBTC) signalling system is used in the North-South and East-West lines (NSEWL). These lines are operated by SMRT Trains. Currently, critical electronic cards of the signalling equipment are produced and repaired overseas by the original equipment manufacturer, Thales.
Thales’ rail experts will work with SMRT Trains’ Integrated Electronic Workshop to set up the repair facility where they will diagnose and repair the faulty components.
“With the establishment of the repair workshop at Bishan Depot, we aim to cut down repair turnaround time and cost. The use of digital technologies to preempt maintenance issues is also a key strategy for SMRT Trains as we strive to provide smooth journeys for commuters,” said
Lam Sheau Kai, President, SMRT Trains.
Commenting on the recent efforts taken by SMRT, Ngien Hoon Ping, SMERT CEO, said: “Our core values (R.I.S.E) define and motivate us: Respect for people and their professionalism; service with Integrity; Safety of our employees, commuters, and the community at the heart of our work; Service from our hearts; and the pursuit of Excellence to improve.”
Ngien Hoon Ping further added: “Our work is purposeful. We promise to do the right things right no matter how challenging it is to do so. We want to also do good and do well for our employees, our customers, and the communities around us.”
The second project that Thales and SMRT will together upon will be to develop a tailored digital platform by leveraging Condition-Monitoring Devices, Data Analytics and Cloud Computing. The platform will be used to automate the analysis of signalling systems’ performance and health state. The platform will improve systems’ reliability and performance.
Conclusion
The future of the Singaporean rail industry is digital. To accelerate the digitisation of Singapore’s railways — and thus secure the future of its railroad industry — stakeholders must change the way the industry operates. SMRT and Thales have started the digitisation process with this new agreement to establish a local rail signalling repair facility and develop an intelligent rail analytics platform.
