Singapore installing sensors for train maintenance

Singapore will install sensors to monitor the condition of rail equipment, which could alert engineers earlier if maintenance is needed. The government’s Institute for Infocomm Research and Institute of High Performance Computing are working with train operator SMRT, which saw a high profile breakdown this year due to a power fault.

Researchers and rail engineers will build a system to monitor the equipment and cables that supply electricity to trains on the North-South and East-West lines. The system will alert SMRT engineers if damaged cables are detected.

The Institute of High Performance Computing is also setting up a lab with SMRT, analysing traffic data to anticipate changes to its bus schedules. It will also analyse data on the maintenance of its buses and taxis to reduce breakdowns.