J101 - An update in Q1 2025

 

8 March 2025 - A view of Tengah Depot in end-Q1 2025.

It has been a while since we've done a deep dive into the progress of the various contracts along the Jurong Region Line (JRL). Hence we thought it'd be about time to restart the deep dives seeing how we're quickly coming to the end of Q1 of the year. We'll start with one of the most integral pieces of infrastructure along the line - Tengah Depot. Without the depot, the line would not be able to operate given that this is where the trains will be housed & maintained and the nerve centre of operations will be located. Without further ado, let's dive in after the jump.

To recap, here's an idea of the layout of Tengah Depot which will service trains on the JRL, buses via a bus depot and also house workers in dormitories.

A rough layout of the Tengah Depot.
Base image from Surbana Jurong.

Administration Building
This building will house the Operations Control Centre (OCC) which oversees operations along the main line. Also located within this building is the Depot Control Centre (DCC) which handles movements within the depot tracks and is operated separately from the OCC. Through the quarter, the building has reached its full intended height, with scaffolding coming down. Precast wall construction was in progress at the lower level of the building.

8 March 2025 - A view of the administration building which will house the OCC and DCC in
end-Q1.

25 January 2025 - A view of the administration building under construction in early-Q1.

Rolling stock workshop
There will be several workshops within the depot compound, each catering to various components of keeping the line operational. One of the key facilities is the rolling stock workshop, which will be required for the commissioning of the JRL trains that carry commuters.

Work on the rolling stock workshop shed has seen promising progress over the first quarter, with work on the roof slab reaching completion. Further work will be required here to allow the buses to park on this additional deck, which will be connected to the multi-story bus park by bridges across the depot tracks connecting to the stabling shed. Nonetheless, these works would be able to proceed simultaneously while other works take place within the workshop shed such as the laying of tracks and construction of the work platforms that could not proceed without completion of the roof previously.

8 March 2025 - A view of the rolling stock workshop shed progress in end-Q1 2025.

25 January 2025 - A view of the rolling stock workshop shed in early-Q1. Work was still ongoing
for the roof slab.

Stabling shed
This facility is where the trains are kept overnight while the line is not in operation and maintenance works on the rails is ongoing. An additional stabling facility had been planned for the line next to Peng Kang Hill station in Nanyang Technological University. However, the construction of this additional stabling facility has been deferred for the moment.

In any case, the stabling sheds are one of the facilities which has seen the most progress at the early stages of the depot's construction. The sheds have made considerable progress, with the rail tracks already laid for the approximately 50 stabling tracks that will be able to house up to 100 JRL trains. The top of the stabling sheds will eventually double up as space for autonomous vehicle parking, with a proposed mobility corridor connecting Tengah estate with the Jurong Innovation District running atop the length of the stabling sheds.

8 March 2025 - The stabling sheds are located right at the back of the depot. In this shot, they are
partially obscured from view.

8 March 2025 - A closer view of the stabling sheds. One of the bridges connecting the bus parking
lots above the rolling stock workshops and the bus park is being constructed in front of the stabling
sheds, obscuring the view slightly.

25 January 2025 - A view of the stabling shed structure, right at the back of the depot, in
early-Q1.

25 January 2025 - A close up view of the stabling shed, partially obstructed by a bridge connecting
the top level of the rolling stock workshop to the multi-story bus parking garage on the right. Also
visible are the rail tracks laid, leading to the various stabling lines.

25 January 2025 - Work progressing on the stabling shed's roof level where autonomous vehicle
parking will be provided.

25 January 2025 - Precast wall construction taking place on the roof level of the stabling shed.

 

25 January 2025

Locomotive workshop & Permanent way workshop
In addition to the rolling stock workshop where maintenance is done for the passenger trains, other workshops are also needed to support the line's operations. Engineering locomotives for the line will use diesel to power their traction, hence different equipment is required to maintain these than the electric passenger trains. The permanent way workshop supports the maintenance of the line's rails and other subsystems. Thus, a separate facility is require for storage of these logistics.

Over the course of the quarter, additional columns for the facilities have been completed, with work also commencing on the roof of the facilities subsequently.

8 March 2025 - A view of the columns for the locomotive and permanent way workshops, near
the depot reception ramp in end-Q1.

25 January 2025 - A view of the columns for the 2 workshops in early-Q1.

Bus park
This facility has been one of the last to gain traction as its completion does not impact the operations of the line. Nonetheless, there has been noticeable progress over Q1 of the year, with columns for the multi-story parking facility coming up.

8 March 2025 - A view of the columns for the multi-story parking facility visible in the mid-ground.
Also in progress was the second of two bridges connecting the second level of the multi-story
garage to the upper level of the rolling stock workshop, where additional parking lots will be
available for use.

25 January 2025 - A view of the multi-story parking garage on the right in the midground. The
columns were noticeably less advanced in this shot, compared to the end of the quarter.

While good progress has been made at the depot, it remains some way off before delivery of trains can be expected. The timely completion of the depot to allow for delivery of the trains will be an important component. Despite the availability of the Singapore Rail Test Centre, its capacity is also constrained with the ongoing delivery of Circle Line 6's fleet expansion and the anticipated delivery of the Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System trains for testing. We'll do our best to keep tabs on the progress of works at Tengah Depot and keep you updated as the year progreses.

This post will also be available on Instagram & Facebook on 21 March 2025.