| Punggol LRT Line | |
| Type | Light Rail Transit |
| Station Count | 15 (inclusive of 1 unopened) |
| Line length | 10.3 km |
| Termini | Punggol |
| Depot | Sengkang Depot |
| Operational Data | |
| Operator | SBS Transit Rail Pte. Ltd. |
| Rolling stock | Mitsubishi Crystal Mover (C810) Mitsubishi Crystal Mover (C810A) Mitsubishi Crystal Mover (C810D) (Future) |
| Electrification | 750 V DC third rail |
| Track gauge | Side-mounted guideway with rubber tyres |
| Opened | 29 Jan 2005 (East Loop) 29 Jun 2014 (West Loop) |
The Punggol Light Rail Transit (PGLRT) is a light rail line serving residential estates within the Punggol New Town, operated by SBS Transit. The 10.3-kilometre network is the third LRT system in Singapore after the Sengkang LRT. Opened on 29 January 2005, the line operates on the Crystal Mover rolling stock produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which are rubber-tyred automated people movers operating in single-car and double-car arrangements.
The line is formed of two loops serving the eastern and western parts of the estate. Punggol station, located in the town centre, serves as an interchange between both loops and the North East Line. LRT train services operate in both directions for both loops, serving a total of 15 stops, inclusive of 1 stop yet to be opened (Teck Lee).
The Punggol LRT was developed to extend the reach of the MRT network closer to residents with stations situated within the Punggol neighbourhood. Running on elevated viaducts along its whole route, the LRT complements existing trunk and feeder bus services within the estate.
History
The East Loop started limited operations on 29 January 2005 and full operations by 20 June 2011. Limited operations on the West Loop started from 29 June 2014.
- 29 Jan 2005: East Loop opens (except Oasis and Damai stations). Unidirectional services operate in the clockwise direction before 3 pm, and in the counter-clockwise direction after 3 pm.
- 15 Jun 2007: Oasis station opens
- 20 Jun 2011: Damai station opens. East Loop operates bidirectionally throughout the day.
- 29 Jun 2014: West loop opens (except Sam Kee, Teck Lee, Punggol Point and Samudera stations). Unidirectional services operate in the counter-clockwise direction before 3 pm, and in the clockwise direction after 3 pm.
- 29 Feb 2016: Sam Kee station opens
- 05 Dec 2016: Two-car train operations on East Loop begins
- 29 Dec 2016: Punggol Point station opens
- 31 Mar 2017: Samudera Station opens
- 29 Sep 2018: Bi-directional operations commence on West Loop
Teck Lee station will be opened in the future, in tandem with upcoming developments in the vicinity.
Train Services
The Punggol LRT Line operates with four routes across two loops. Routes A and B operate in the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions of the West Loop respectively. Routes C and D operate in the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions of the East Loop respectively.
For the ease of communication, we would refer to them as inner or outer loops. Trains travel on the left, similar to right-hand-drive traffic flow in Singapore.
| Route | Loop | Train Service via | Notes |
| A | West Loop (Outer) | PTC Punggol → PW7 Soo Teck → PW1 Sam Kee → PTC Punggol (Soo Teck to Sam Kee) | Full Day |
| B | West Loop (Inner) | PTC Punggol → PW1 Sam Kee → PW7 Soo Teck → PTC Punggol (Sam Kee to Soo Teck) | Full Day |
| C | East Loop (Outer) | PTC Punggol → PE7 Damai → PE1 Cove → PTC Punggol (Damai to Cove) | Full Day |
| D | East Loop (Inner) | PTC Punggol → PE1 Cove → PE7 Damai → PTC Punggol (Cove to Damai) | Full Day |
Bi-directional train operations on the Punggol LRT’s West Loop commenced on 29 September 2018. Previously, owing to low demand, the Inner Loop (Route B) would operate until 3:00pm, after which the West Loop would be served by the Outer Loop (Route A) until the end of service. This daily arrangement benefited residents around Soo Teck and Sumang, where housing developments were constructed ahead of those around Nibong and Samudera.
In the event of a train disruption, shuttle buses will be activated. Please refer to Punggol LRT Rail Bridging Service for more information.
Stations
| East Loop | West Loop |
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All stations along the Punggol LRT were retrofitted with fixed, half-height platform barriers in an effort to improve commuter safety. Works were completed in 2018.
Rolling Stock
The Punggol LRT operates on the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Crystal Mover rolling stock shared with the Sengkang LRT.
An initial 41 trainsetsentered service in2003under Contract 810, with an additional 16 trainsets were delivered in 2016 under Contract 810A, bearing onlyminor exterior differences from its predecessor. They are maintained and stabled at Sengkang Depot, with a service track between the Punggol and Sengkang LRT systems for the Punggol LRT trains to head to and from the depot.
The procurement of a further 17 two-car trains (Contract 810D) to boost the capacity of the Sengkang-Punggol LRT was announced by the Land Transport Authority in February 2021. The order for 8 additional two-car trains was announced in May 2023.
These trains, also known asautomated people movers, arerubber-tyred for minimized operating noise within built-up areas and guided by two side rails and a power rail on either side. Theyoperate inboth single-car and double-car arrangements.
Two-Car Trains
Two-car train operations began on 5 December 2016 on the Punggol East LRT, operating during off-peak periods. They were launched during peak hours from 29 December 2016 and eventually operated on a full-day basis.
North Shore Extension
A planned North Shore Extension of the Punggol LRT (PGLRT) failed to materialise, having been removed from the most recent URA Masterplan (last featured in the 2008 Masterplan). Conceived to serve new developments north of Punggol, it would appear that the NEL extension to Punggol Coast had taken over its role in serving the Punggol Enterprise District.
Provisions for this LRT extension can be seen in the unused middle platform provision at Punggol LRT station and associated viaducts, as well as unused viaduct stubs built near Teck Lee LRT Station.
External Links & References:
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