Debated in Parliament on 4 Apr 2022.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the status of the renewal and enhancement work scheduled for the North East Line which was announced in December 2018; and (b) whether there will be expected delays to the renewal due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
LTA and SBST started on a major renewal project for the North East Line (NEL) in 2019, to refurbish its 25 first-generation trains, as well as to upgrade key components in the track, power, signalling and platform screen door (PSD) systems. Works were expected to complete in the third quarter of 2024.
So far, LTA and SBST have completed the planned upgrading works for the track, power, signalling and PSD systems. As for the refurbishment of trains, the first refurbished train has been put into passenger service in February 2022. However, the overall train refurbishment programme has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to manpower restrictions. LTA will continue to work closely with SBST and the contractor to minimise programme delays in a safe manner.
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