LTA calls for tender for noise barriers at 16 more locations

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is embarking on the third phase of railway noise barrier installation works on the North-South and East-West lines (NSEWL), as it called for a tender on Friday (14 December). This phase will involve installing about 5.5km of noise barriers at 16 new locations along elevated railway sections of the MRT lines, the LTA said in a statement.

It expects to award the tender in July next year, and on-site installation works are set to begin in the third quarter of 2020, after design and off-site fabrication works are completed. The barriers, which are expected to reduce noise levels from passing trains by about 5 to 10 decibels, should be installed by around 2023, the LTA said. When the third phase is completed, there will be about 27km of railway noise barriers installed across the island, it added.

Installation works on the East-West Line would be from these MRT stations - Pasir Ris, Simei, Tanah Merah, Kembangan, Paya Lebar, Queenstown, Clementi and Lakeside. On the North-South Line, works would begin from two locations in Jurong East, Bukit Gombak, two locations in Woodlands, Admiralty, Sembawang and Yishun.

The LTA said that the installation of noise barriers would take place after passenger service hours and require coordination with other ongoing maintenance and renewal works. Thus, the LTA would be prioritising works on stretches along elevated railway tracks with noise levels exceeding the National Environment Agency's noise criterion of 67 decibels on average over an hour. The first phase of the railway noise barriers programme has been completed, while on-site works for the second phase began in September. The second phase is expected to be completed by 2020. The LTA added that implementing early closures and late openings on the NSEWL since December last year has helped to speed up the installation of railway noise barriers, as engineers continue with maintenance and improvement works.

Meanwhile, the LTA will also be working with train operators and manufacturers to reduce railway noise by fitting trains with noise-dampening wheels, using ballast and concrete sleepers on tracks for better absorption of noise, and carrying out service works on the train wheels and tracks more frequently.