LTA and ALSTOM hand over Singapore's NorthEast Line to SBS Transit

The handover opens a 13-week test period that will enable SBS Transit to take full control of the fully automatic NorthEast metro line.  In the first week of the test period, SBS Transit will be running two trains, building up to 21 trains in the tenth week of testing. 

Exact simulation of revenue service, with all vehicles in operation, will be carried out in the last three weeks. Revenue service is scheduled to begin at the end of March 2003.

The handover of operations follows heavy testing on the NorthEast Line of 16 trains at first, and then 20 trains. The tests demonstrated that the automatic system and rolling stock have performed more than satisfactorily over ten-hour periods every day.

For example, ALSTOMs brief was for 20 trains to leave the depot in 90 minutes, and finally this was achieved in 65 minutes

ALSTOM designed, built and integrated the METROPOLIS rolling stock and URBALIS signaling for the NorthEast line.

With more than 35 product lines and a presence in over 60 countries, ALSTOM's Transport Sector offers cutting-edge products and services to four distinct types of customers: urban transit authorities and operators; intercity passenger rail operators and rolling stock owners; rail freight operators; and intercity railway infrastructure owners. ALSTOM's Transport Sector, with 4.4 billion euros in sales in 2001, is among the world's leading suppliers to the railway industry. 

Press information: Helen Connolly
Tel. +33 (0)1 41 66 91 43
helen.connolly@transport.alstom.com