Bombardier’s Singaporean division has received S$344.25m (US$261.31m) contract from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to renew the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (BPLRT) system in the country.

Set to begin over the coming months, the renovation will include replacement of the current signalling system with a Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) system.

Bombardier will also replace 19 Light Rapid Vehicles (LRVs) introduced in 1999 with new vehicles, and the 13 LRVs in use since 2015 will be upgraded with the CBTC signalling system.

LTA Infrastructure and Development deputy chief executive Chua Chong Kheng said: “After careful assessment, we have decided to award the contract to Bombardier as their proposal satisfied our key requirement, which is to minimise inconvenience to residents and commuters during the period of upgrading and improvement.

“Bombardier’s proposal does not require any modification to existing infrastructure and minimal disruption to rail services and hence, met our specifications.

“Bombardier’s proposal does not require any modification to existing infrastructure and minimal disruption to rail services and hence, met our specifications.”

“When the majority of works are completed by 2022, residents and commuters will be able to experience improvements in overall reliability and smoother train rides.”

Additional renewal works such as the improvement of existing power rails, the installation of condition monitoring systems and the decomissioning of legacy signalling track circuits are scheduled to be completed by 2024.

Bombardier has also received a ten-year service support contract, under which SMRT will engage the firm for technical and logistic support, and spares supply.

Operations at Service C currently linking the BPLRT to Junction 10 will be permanently stopped from the fourth quarter of this year to allow additional space for renewal works.