Train commuting hours may be shorter to facilitate maintenance: Khaw

Nurul Azliah

April 12, 2016

ricky l6 seconds ago

The below is posted on:-

Web feedback reference: RWEB2012050500018

Dated: Sat, 5/5/2012, 10:18 PM

Another thing that come to my mind is that, a monitoring system that are place in the control centre should rightfully should be able to detect :-

(1) fault – detect fault eg. any parts falling off or dislodge, parts not properly secure at the right place – instead of using manual eyeballs – sensor or electrical or electronics should be in-build to trigger alerts so that proactive measures can be undertaken before disruption occurs.

(2) anomaly – events or conditions that is abnormal

(3) highlight section of those parts or that required attention (after a certain duration that have not been attend to)

(4) real-time LED indicators or color indicator eg. red (critical), amber (warning), green (healthy) to provide online alert to operational staff monitoring the health of the MRT and take proactive actions.

(5) Monitoring of Logs – that provide daily verification to identify abnormal activities

(6) Sensors - put at regular section of the tracks that will trigger faults

If cutting edge technology to operate the rail, cutting edge monitoring system to proactively monitor every parts of the rail system must be in place so that an digital, electronic or mechanical failure can be quickly identified even before disruption occur so that proactive actions can be taken before giving way to real problems.

What is best is to make available remote control technology - whereby maintenance staff do not need to be sent on site, but remotely do a “manual bypass” or do a “quick patch” to temporary make the system continue to run and then shut it down only when the rail stop operating to do proper remedial action – so that the SLA (Service Level Agreement) with the public is maintained and thus upholding public confidence.

A World Class Transport System should have the above characteristics – and we should demand no less from the MRT suppliers and vendors.

ricky ll6 seconds ago

Web feedback reference: RWEB2012050500019

Dated: Sat 5/5/2012 10:58 PM

If the supplier of the MRT parts claim that have a proactive monitoring system to detect faults or anomaly is not available or not possible – as it is too high tech. Then I will question the MRT suppliers and raise serious doubt about their cap in technology. Why?

Eg.

(1) If a fiber runs underground along a building or roads or submarine cable that are laid along an ocean bed breaks in the ocean, an OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer that will used projection of light source to determine the length of cable (or distance) - to identify and accurately pinpoint the breakage or faults on the fibre – will enable engineers to be quickly dispatch to the right location to do fusion and remedy the fault.

(2) At the same time, separate fibre routes provide redundancy and alternate path to transport the same traffic (in a load balancing manner) should be deployed so that if the primary line fails, traffic can flow through the secondary links – thus without causing failure or disruption to the users. Thus “zero downtime” is possible. SLA with “zero-defects” is possible.

(3) PUB checker – detects fault of pipeline running into kilometers that are buried underground – also apply the same logic.

(4) So taking along this line, MRT is a rail system that runs into kilometers like fiber running underground and water pipes running underground, won’t rail and MRT technology employ the same techniques to be failsafe and proactive ?

Reply

Train cutting hours may be shorter to facilitate maintenance: Khaw

Nurul Azliah April 12, 2016

Train commuting hours may have to be shortened in order for operators to carry out maintenance for longer periods, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on Tuesday (12 April).

Khaw revealed this in Parliament as he gave an update on plans to improve Singapore’s rail network through stepping up maintenance, conducting major replacement works and expanding the system capacity.

“I hope commuters will allow us to open some of the MRT lines a bit later in the morning or close them a bit earlier at night. An extra hour or two a day will make a lot of difference to our engineering and maintenance staff, and help them perform better,” said Khaw, who is also the coordinating minister for infrastructure.

“We can run some buses to provide an alternative,” Khaw said. Engineers are currently given three hours to conduct maintenance each day, he added.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) will spend about $1 billion in major replacement works, which Khaw said are “very costly investments” but “necessary.”

In a move towards preventive maintenance, train operators will be deploying more sensors this year to monitor the condition of assets and conduct necessary maintenance before any issue arises, Khaw said.

Sensors such as the Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT), used to monitor the third rail which powers the trains, and the Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD), which monitors train wheels, are currently deployed.

On top of these, operators will deploy the Catenary Eye System (CES), which will use infrared to monitor power systems for the North-East Line (NEL), and the Rolling Stock Monitoring System (RSCMS), which will collect information on train systems along the North-South Line (NSL) followed by East-West Line (EWL) next year.

New substations will also be built to cope with the surge in demand for the rail network.

The upgrade of the system will take “a few years” to complete given its extensiveness, which is an undertaking that is not without its risks, Khaw said.

“We are taking a risk that it may cost more disruptions. We are deploying condition monitoring tools and techniques to help mitigate such risks. But we know the risk cannot be fully eliminated,” he said.

No “finger-pointing” during a crisis

MOT plans to facilitate closer cooperation between the Land Transport Authority and train operators in Singapore to improve their crisis management.

“We address each (crisis) incident as a collective responsibility. No finger-pointing, share openly, solve the problems speedily,” said Khaw.

MOT will also tighten regulations and step up its audit on engineers’ processes, and add more resources, where necessary.

In a bid to attract more Singaporeans to work in the railway sector, MOT will set up the Singapore Rail Academy to expand the pool of engineers.

“The academy will work with rail operators and the institutes of higher learning to deepen rail engineering capabilities through training as well as for accreditation and certification of training programmes and competencies,” he said.