Bukit Panjang LRT upgraded with new train cars

Commuters who use the Bukit Panjang LRT system can expect a more frequent and comfortable service, with two new train cars put into service yesterday and another 11 to be introduced over the next year, reported The Straits Times.

Besides adding to the existing fleet of 19, the latest US-made carriages will also feature more handrails and strap-hangers, and an air-conditioning system that provides better air flow through the cabin. Priority seats are painted red for easy identification and solar windshields have been installed at the front and rear windows to keep commuters cool.

When all of them are put into service by the end of next year, peak-hour capacity on the light-rail system will be boosted by about 50 percent.

Train frequency between Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang LRT stations will improve, from the current 2.5 minutes to 2.2 minutes, the LTA added. Frequency for the loop between Petir and Senja stations will also shorten from five minutes now to 4.4 minutes. Passenger numbers on the Bukit Panjang LRT have risen to about 51,000 a day and the extra carriages should ease congestion.