Siemens to electrify new metro line in Singapore

Siemens Mobility is to install a highly efficient traction power supply for the “Downtown Line”, Singapore’s new driverless metro line. The contract was awarded to Siemens by Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore, the local authority in charge of planning the mass rapid transit network for Singapore’s Ministry of Transport . Siemens will supply and install the complete medium-voltage and traction power supply system for this 40-km-long metro line. Some of the substations, installed with inverters, are capable of feeding surplus energy back into the power supply network, which improves both energy efficiency and environmental compatibility.

The city-state of Singapore already operates a modern mass transportation system and is the world’s leader in driverless heavy metro systems. To hold this leading position, Singapore is investing in the expansion with a new metro line. With a route length of 40 kilometers and 33 stations, the Downtown Line will make a major contribution to improving daily commuter traffic as it will provide a direct connection between the northwestern and eastern parts of the city to the downtown business district and the Marina Bay. The metro line, which runs completely underground will carry up to 500,000 passengers daily and is expected to shorten travel times considerably. The Downtown line is to be completed in three phases, with the first phase scheduled to be completed in 2013.

“This order is an important milestone for our market positioning in Asia and underlines our leading position in terms of environmental-friendly technologies,” said Dr. Jörg Schneppendahl, head of the Complete Transportation business unit of Siemens Mobility.

Siemens Mobility is supplying the complete medium-voltage system, the traction power supply system and is responsible for project management, manufacture, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of the power supply systems.

Efficient recovery of braking energy
Siemens will also install inverters on the new metro line. These inverters are used for the traction power supply of DC railways, where the exchange of energy between trains is often incomplete. Installed in the substations, the inverters transfer the surplus braking energy from the metro trains into the medium-voltage system. This energy can also be used to supply more distant electric loads such as rail vehicles operating on different line sections or even elevators, escalators and lighting systems.

(Source: Transport Weekly)