Works to fix vibration on Circle Line stretch. LTA calls tender to replace rail fasteners near Botanic Gardens station

Saturday, 7 March 2015

THE STRAITS TIMES
SINGAPORE

Works to fix vibration on Circle Line stretch . LTA calls tender to replace rail fasteners near Botanic Gardens station

Published on Mar 7, 2015 1:10 AM


LTA received feedback on vibration at various parts of the six-year-old Circle Line, but after checks, it found only the Botanic Gardens stretch needs addressing now.

By Christopher Tan Senior Transport Correspondent

THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) will replace rail fasteners along the Botanic Gardens stretch of the new Circle Line to address high vibration levels.

LTA received public feedback on vibration at various parts of the orbital line.

But after investigations, it determined that only the Botanic Gardens stretch needs addressing now.

A spokesman said: "LTA is replacing the rail fasteners, which hold and support the rails on which the trains run, near the Circle Line's Botanic Gardens station.

This is to reduce the higher track vibration levels felt there." She said there were isolated complaints about Serangoon and Holland Village stations too.

But after checking, LTA found that "vibrations experienced at these two stations are within specified limits". She explained that "the stiffer ground conditions and tighter turning radius of the track near the Botanic Gardens station exacerbate the vibrations" at that stretch.

"We have therefore taken proactive measures to replace the fasteners with ones that can further dampen the vibrations," she added.

"We will monitor vibration levels on the other stretches and do the same if necessary."

LTA has called a tender for contractors to design and install the fasteners.

Works will be carried out only after operational hours, and will be completed by the second quarter of next year. The appointed contractor must finish design work by September.

Physical works will begin after that, the spokesman added.

Tender documents show LTA is looking to replace the line's "double fast-clip rail fastening system" with a "low stiffness rail fastening system" that is supposed to attenuate vibration better.

The tender closes in the middle of this month.

This is the second time rectification works have had to be done on the six-year-old line.

In January last year, a $15 million project to replace 120km of power cables was completed after the original ones were found to be the cause of several breakdowns.

christan@sph.com.sg