Driverless Mass Rapid System (North East Line)

74 BOOK TITLE HERE SECTION TITLE HERE 75 Octopus in the system “You only have to take a look at the Integrated Supervisory Control System of the North East Line, dubbed ‘the octopus’,” says Hong Kim Hong, principal project manager of communications at Land Transport Authority. “It is at the Operations DRIVERLESS MASS RAPID SYSTEM Control Centre and connected to all equipment and in real-time.” The ISCS is wired to, among others, the signalling, communications, fire-detection and environmental control, and integrates them onto a common platform to monitor and manage them. A GEM “In the past, these functioned independently,” says Tay Yeow Hiong, that assistant vice-president of power and electrical services at SBS Transit, operators of the line. “But this proved to be challenging at times as a smooth running of the railway line PRIZES SAFETY requires input from all of these things. With the migration to an integrated system that can be accessed by a central command, all operations become seamless.” The North East Line was setting new above: ngineers are our unsung heroes who benchmarks, and engineers from LTA and Interior design of the make intricate calculations to solve SBS Transit, as well as their vendors, the NEL train cabins complex problems that impact our Building And Construction Authority and daily lives. They build bridges, roads, Urban Redevelopment Authority teamed up left: E L–R: Lee Beng Hooi, skyscrapers, airplanes, ships and almost for this complex project. Tan Lye Seng, everything else – with safety as their top “We discussed extensively on every detail Tan Yong Peow, Kok Yen Hui, priority. Nothing gets past them if, in their till we reached a consensus,” recalls Kim Hong Kim Hong analysis and estimation, it pose a risk to lives. Hong, who was senior project engineer of and Fang Han Xin The North East MRT line opened in communications system at the time. “As June 2003, more than two years after it was this was going to be the first automated completed and six years after construction mass rapid transit system in the world, we began. It was the world’s first heavy-rail had to be bold in trying new things and rapid transit line to be fully automated eschewing the tendency to stick to existing and engineers had to ensure that it processes or technologies. So we had plenty would be trouble free when it started of lively discussions.” transporting commuters. In a tight labour environment where A bold signal automation was the future, the North East Despite the many challenges, the senior line was earmarked to show the way as management was firm on adopting new ideas the first driverless train in Singapore. The and technologies for this project. “That’s the entire system comprised state-of-the-art key to its success,” says Kim Hong. technology, from the main control room But anticipating possible issues that to the trains, tracks, tunnels and all the a driverless train would face was more stations on the line. challenging for engineers, says Kok Yen 76 BOOK TITLE HERE SECTION TITLE HERE 77 “The NEL’s signalling structure Hui, LTA’s deputy director of signalling, Staying the course communications and platform screen doors. Yen Hui says she did not feel strained or is the backbone of the driverless “Getting the train to move automatically frustrated during the two years of testing system and at the time was unique was not the difficult part. The challenge was of the North East Line prior to its launch. in creating troubleshooting processes for The intrepid engineer confronted difficult among all the MRT lines.” different situations.” problems head on, determined to find Without drivers to control the trains, solutions because, she says, this is in the the signalling system had to feed essential profession’s DNA. information to all parties including control, More importantly, despite the delay in the communications, power and rolling stock. rolling out the service, she has peace of “The NEL’s signalling structure is the mind that the system is safe and robust for backbone of the driverless system and at the the many commuters riding on the North time was unique among all the MRT lines,” East line daily. Yen Hui, who was the project manager for “We work 12 to 14 hours a day, we get our signalling, points out. “It packs a slew of hands dirty, and the environment is generally innovative engineering features such as uncomfortable – no air-conditioning, no safe headway, accurate arrival time and plush office chairs,” says Yen Hui, who has an automated wake-up call where trains been an engineer for more than two decades. conduct a health check on the systems they “But without engineers, nothing gets moving. are equipped with.” We help to change people’s lives.” The intricate project took a relatively Yeow Hiong, who was a fresh graduate long time to complete because the design of when she worked on the North East Line some components required changes when project, says more credit should be given to they were about to be implemented. engineers for the work they do. “Most tend “Changes had to be made and because to think of us in terms of fixing broken things the project involved so many ‘firsts’, we and not in developing things for people to top down: didn’t have any reference point or case use and enjoy. For the North East Line, a lot Driverless trains can follow more closely to studies to tap on,” explains Yeow Hiong, of effort was put into troubleshooting the the planned schedule the project’s works coordinator and senior operation of the new driverless system, with compared to human operated ones depot supervisor for rolling stock at the many rounds of checks to ensure that the time. “We had to keep up with technology, new technologies used were functioning as xxxx especially on something like the North East they were supposed to.” Line, which masses of people would be using. “Being an engineer has trained us to New technology adds 10 to 20 years to the analyse, pay attention to details and solve system’s lifespan.” problems to implement the cutting-edge Other engineering innovations on technologies for the North East Line and the North East line include the IAGO, a move the project to its operational stage,” wave-guide radio communication system says Yeow Hiong. “It’s the impact engineers that allows trains to receive uninterrupted have on everyday lives that I find most information from the OCC. The system fulfilling. I helped develop something that allows engineers to track the trains at all everyone gets to enjoy. That knowledge times and control their speeds – unlike in alone gives me immense satisfaction.” the past where this was fixed based on each left page: segment on the route. Please advise.

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