Marking the start of a new decade, lets check out what 2021 has in store for public transport!
Opening of Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 2
Following multiple delays, the Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 2 comprising six stations from Springleaf to Caldecott is scheduled to open in the third quarter of this year.
While Stage 3 (Mount Pleasant to Gardens by the Bay) was originally planned to open in 2021, SMRT’s Operations Review 2020 indicates a revised opening date of 2022.
New 3-Door Double-Deckers and Electric Buses
3-door double-deck buses (MAN A95 (Euro 6) – 3-Door Batch and Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (3-Door)) are expected to be launched this year. The first of the MAN A95 buses have arrived in Singapore in late 2020.
The Linkker Electric Bus and ST Engineering Retrofitted Electric Bus are also expected to hit the roads this year. These are the first public buses in Singapore to be charged via overhead pantograph chargers. Two overhead pantograph chargers were each installed at Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub and Bedok Integrated Transport Hub.
See also: Installation of overhead bus chargers at Bedok and Bukit Panjang | Land Transport Guru
New MRT and LRT Trainsets
The first few Bombardier Innovia APM 300R (C801B) trains are expected to enter revenue service on the Bukit Panjang LRT starting from the second quarter of 2021, subject to potential delays. The first of these trains were initially expected to arrive in Singapore in September 2020.
19 single-car C801B trains were procured, to replace the 19 C801 trains which entered service in November 1999.
The Bombardier Movia CR151 trains will also arrive this year, undergoing a rigorous testing and commissioning process before they are put into passenger service from 2022.
New Integrated Transport Hubs and Bus Terminals
Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub, Gali Batu Bus Terminal and the new Marina Centre Bus Terminal are nearing completion and expected to open this year.
Pasir Ris Interim Bus Interchange will open in the middle of this year. Part of the old interchange will be demolished to facilitate the construction of the Pasir Ris Integrated Transport Hub (ITH) and the Pasir Ris Rail Turnback.
A part of Hougang Central Bus Interchange is expected to be relocated to facilitate the construction of the Cross Island Line, and a Temporary Bus Parking and Driver Facility is expected to be completed this year.
Bus Contracting Model
The Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package is set to be handed over to Tower Transit from the third quarter of this year. The Bulim Bus Package also enters its second term with Tower Transit from the second quarter, taking over 3 bus services from SMRT Buses.
The Sengkang-Hougang Bus Package will be put up for tender this year, with SBS Transit’s negotiated contract expiring in 2021 (pending extensions, if any).
Start of Rapid Transit System Construction
Construction of the Singapore–Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System in Singapore is expected to begin this year, and the line is now expected to open by end-2026.
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The post 2021 Outlook for Public Transport first appeared on Land Transport Guru.