Channel NewsAsia 22 Oct 09;
SINGAPORE: The new Downtown Line train will be environmentally friendly.
The Land Transport Authority said the use of new technology in the train's power generation and drive systems will help reduce its overall energy consumption.
It added that it would help translate to an energy saving of some 8,000 kilowatt hours per year.
The train will also have some new features. Some of the ergonomic seats are colour-coded red for commuters with special needs.
The seats at the side have been converted to perch seats, allowing a wider space for movement around the doorway.
And like the current batch of trains on the main lines, there will be a route map display. Its mock-up can be viewed at the Land Transport Authority's Hampshire Road office.
Stage one of the Downtown Line is scheduled for completion in 2013.
The Downtown Line is the longest fully underground rail project to date, at 40 kilometres with 33 stations.
It will run through high-traffic and built-up corridors, allowing direct travel from the northwestern and eastern areas of Singapore to the Central Business District.
The trains are designed in Germany and manufactured in China. - CNA/vm
Downtown, where the trains are eco- and people-friendlier
Today Online 23 Oct 09;
SINGAPORE - They don't just come with features to encourage users to be considerate, the new Downtown Line (DTL) trains will also be more earth-friendly.
Each train will be 1.4 tonnes lighter, and new technology in power generation and drive systems will allow them to consume less energy, saving some 8,000kWh per train each year, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday.
Designed in Germany and manufactured in Changchun, China, the trains will feature an ergonomic seat profile, with seats reserved for commuters with special needs in a striking red. Perch seats in place of two-seaters in the gangway area, except for two wheelchair spaces in the centre car of the train, will create a wider standing space.
Dynamic route maps will show current journey status and route information, and also indicate the side of doors that will open.
The 40km DTL is projected to see a daily ridership of around 500,000 when in full operation.
More room in Downtown Line trains
Extra standing room will accommodate 120 more commuters
Straits Times 23 Oct 09;
WHEN the new Downtown Line trains start running in 2013, they will have room for an extra 120 standing commuters, going by a mock-up unveiled yesterday.
The three-carriage trains will do away with 16 seats, replacing them with vertical plastic panels that commuters can lean against.
Each train will be able to take a total of 1,050 passengers, 120 more than trains running on the Circle Line now.
A spokesman for the Land Transport Authority said that the changes will encourage commuters to move towards the end of the train and provide greater ease of movement during boarding and alighting from the train.
The first section of the $40 billion Downtown Line is a 4.3km stretch with six stations, due to open in 2013.
When the entire line is completed in 2016, it will link the north-western and eastern areas of the island to the Central Business District and Marina Bay.
The 73 trains, which will begin to arrive here in 2012, are fully automatic and driverless, and cost a total of about $571million.
Canadian train-maker Bombardier is manufacturing the fleet at its plant in Changchun, China.
This is the first time Bombardier's trains will be used in Singapore.
Besides extra standing room, the trains will feature ergonomic seats with higher ridges at the sides of each seat.
Newly designed overhead handles will provide better grip and balance for commuters.
They are similar to the ones used on Hong Kong's MTR trains.
Other features - some of which can be found in existing trains - include red seats to indicate places reserved for elderly, pregnant or disabled commuters, real-time route information maps and indicators showing which side of the train to exit from.
The use of new brake and power generation technology will make the trains more eco-friendly than current models here.
The train is 1.4 tonnes lighter, helping the system to save 8,000 kilowatt hours per year for each train.
It is expected that more than 500,000 commuters will use the Downtown Line once it is operational.
People can view a mock-up of the train at the Land Transport Authority headquarters in Hampshire Road and give their feedback by Nov 30.
MARIA ALMENOAR
