SBS Transit, in partnership with French public transport operator RATP Dev, has won the tender for the operation and maintenance of the Jurong Region Line (JRL) – the seventh line of the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). With the award of the nine-year operating licence, with a two-year extension option, by the Land Transport Authority, SBS Transit will expand its rail network in Singapore from 83 km to 107 km.
The JRL MRT will comprise 24 stations and connect key business hubs in western Singapore, such as Jurong Industrial Estate, Jurong Innovation District, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Tengah New Town. It will be operational in three phases starting in 2027.
“The partnership between SBS Transit and RATP Dev, known as Singapore One Rail (SOR), combines years of expertise in high-capacity urban rail and complex project management. SBS Transit brings over 20 years of operational excellence and in-depth knowledge of Singapore’s automated metro network, while RATP Dev, a subsidiary of RATP Group, leverages 120 years of global experience, and brings its proven expertise in automated metros to cities such as Paris, Sydney, Doha and Riyadh,” the two companies said.
The French operator has successfully launched several new lines over the past decade, including the extension of Paris Metro Line 14 for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. RATP Dev will be the first foreign operator to jointly operate a local line of the Singapore Metro.
“We are pleased to receive, together with our French partner RATP Dev, this vote of confidence from the LTA, which recognises the quality and competitiveness of our offering. The journey has not been easy and we are delighted that our efforts and perseverance have paid off,” Jeffrey Sim, Group CEO of SBS Transit , said.
“We want to continue our commitment to investing in innovative and smart technologies to further improve the reliability, safety and sustainability of our services.” Our ambition is to exceed our passengers’ expectations by offering them a world-class metro service that is accessible to all,” he added.
“We are delighted to have established this trusted, long-term partnership with SBS Transit, which is already proving successful in Paris with the upcoming opening of Line 15 and is now making a significant impact in Singapore with a prestigious and pivotal contract for the future. We are fully committed to delivering this ambitious project to serve the residents and international visitors of this leading economic hub,” said Mehdi Sinaceur, Deputy CEO of RATP Dev.
In its tender proposal, SOR committed to capitalizing on cutting-edge technologies, including an asset tracking system, video and data analytics, and generative artificial intelligence, to deliver safe, reliable and sustainable services. SOR is also committed to implementing a series of proven productivity measures to improve operational efficiency.
A dedicated SOR lab for customer experience innovation will also be set up to encourage passengers to co-create innovative technologies and solutions for a better public transport experience. This lab will allow passengers to participate in testing and improving the new solutions proposed. It will also serve as a platform to build local capacity and host design workshops and hackathons. The aim is to generate new and creative ideas to address public transport challenges.
The winning of this call for tenders comes a year after ComfortDelGro, the parent company of SBS Transit, and RATP Dev, jointly won the contract to operate the southern sector of line 15 of the Grand Paris Express in the Paris region.
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