New NEL Trains Arrive From Spain After 1 Month
In 2018, the Land Transport Authority purchased 6 new trains for the North East Line (NEL) in anticipation of the new extension that’ll open in 2023.
These new NEL trains have arrived in Singapore, the LTA said on Sunday (4 Apr).
More purple than ever and with new features, the new trains will be put in service in 2024, taking the fleet of NEL trains to 49.
New NEL trains arrive in Singapore from Spain
LTA gave a look behind the scenes of the shipping process, and the pictures are certainly chio enough for Instagram — even with no filters.
The 6 new six-car trains were manufactured and assembled in Barcelona by Alstom.
The manufacturer is also providing 11 new Circle Line trains as part of the same contract, according to LTA. Combined, the trains will cost around $250 million.
The process begins with the trains departing from Spain via ship.
If you’re familiar at all with ship travel, the process isn’t a short one — it takes a month for a ship from Spain to arrive in Singapore.
But all was well with the long trip, as the trains arrived safely at the Port of Singapore.
LTA even managed to get this picturesque shot of the train with a brilliant orange backdrop. They claim no filters were needed.
The NEL is also known as the Purple Line for easy referencing — so the trains too are decked out in a distinctive and recognisable shade.
Here they are with metaphorical seatbelts fastened and ready to leave for Sengkang Depot
The trains will undergo testing and commissioning works, a process which’ll last around 3 years.
New features include predictive monitoring systems
According to LTA, the new trains will have condition monitoring systems, which’ll help with monitoring if any faults arise.
This will also help with maintenance as engineers can gather train equipment data with the monitoring systems.
When ready for service, they’ll help the additional capacity that’ll come with the NELe (North East Line Extension) when it opens in 2023.
Catch the new trains in 2024
The testing process will not be a short one, and it’ll take some years before commuters and train enthusiasts will see them in action.
But once they’re done, you can expect to see them plying the NEL and you can get to and from town in them.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
