Reduced off-peak trips for Bukit Panjang LRT amid ongoing renewal
SINGAPORE — From 1 December, Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) will operate in only one loop (counter-clockwise loop on Service B via Petir Station) during off-peak hours, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Friday (25 October).
The agency said this was in order to better match supply with demand, without affecting service to commuters
The move comes in tandem with changes to existing bus services in the area, with peak-hour bus service BPS1 upgraded to a new full-day bus Service 976. This will enhance connectivity between Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang, and will commence from 10 November, said the LTA.
Service 976 provides an additional travel option for commuters using the BPLRT network, and will enhance connectivity from Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang to the schools along Bukit Panjang Ring Road, to ITE College West, as well as to other local amenities such as the upcoming polyclinic and hawker centre in Senja.
There will be no change to BPLRT services during morning and evening peak periods on weekdays. Announcements on the service change will be made at all LRT stations, and additional SMRT station staff will be deployed to provide assistance to commuters during the adjustment period. Updates will be available on SMRT’s social media channels and the SMRTConnect app.
In addition to the LRT and Service 976, commuters can also take Services 67, 190, 974, 975 and 983 for their travels to and from Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange/MRT Station.
In August, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan had suggested that off-peak services on the BPLRT could be replaced by buses. Khaw told reporters that he had asked rail operator SMRT to consider the move, as the "risk of failure" is high for the BPLRT.
LTA also provided an update on the ongoing $344 million overhaul of the BPLRT, noting that it is on track for completion by 2024. SMRT has intensified maintenance of the BPLRT, resulting in BPLRT’s higher reliability, said an LTA spokesperson
“Since April 2019, LTA, SMRT and system supplier Bombardier Transport have begun installing the new signalling system. Software testing for the new Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system has also started in Bombardier Transportation’s overseas test laboratories,” said the spokesperson.
Khaw said in September 2017 that the BPLRT was built as an “after-thought” due to “political pressure”. He was also quoted in media reports as saying that travelling on the BPLRT is akin to riding a “roller-coaster” and that the LRT was designed in a “masochistic manner”.
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