Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded a SGD 639.5 million contract for the design and construction of an Integrated Train Testing Center (ITTC) to GS Engineering and Construction Corp (GS Engineering). South Korean firm GS Engineering, the winning bidder, has an established track record, having built Fort Canning station, Tampines East station, and Woodlands station. GS Engineering also has prior experience constructing and operating a train testing center in Osong, South Korea.
Singapore’s ITTC will be located at the former Raffles Country Club site, occupying approximately 50 hectares. The design of the ITTC will be modeled after similar testing centers in countries like Germany, South Korea, and Japan.
This center will be the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, fully equipped to carry out integrated systems testing for new and existing MRT lines without impacting passenger services. The ITTC will house an Operations Control Centre, testing equipment, and features around 11km of test tracks to support endurance, performance integration, and high-speed testing for new trains and supporting systems.
When completed, the ITTC will be the cornerstone of Singapore’s strategy to sustain rail reliability and deepen core rail engineering capabilities. The center will commence operations in phases. The first phase will open by the end of 2022 and the last phase by the end of 2024.
(Sources: Land Transport Authority, Singapore; Railway Technology)
