Singapore Land Transport Authority announced that the East Coast Integrated Depot, to be built together with the Thomson–East Coast Line (TEL), is the world’s first depot to integrate three train depots and one bus depot within a single site. “As depots occupy a lot of space and are costly, the Land Transport Authority looks at alternative ways to build depots cost-effectively, without compromising land use,” LTA said.
With the East-West Line (EWL), Downtown Line (DTL) and TEL running in the vicinity of the depot site, LTA made use of the opportunity to optimise land use by stacking three train depots above one another. With such integration, 44 hectares of land, or an area of approximately 60 football fields will be saved in land-scarce Singapore.
The train depot complex comprises three levels. The DTL Depot is located underground, followed by the TEL Depot at-grade, and the EWL Depot elevated on the level above. The three train depots have been designed to operate independently of one another. Careful planning has been done for them to share the same layout so that MRT lines with different number of train cars can be stacked on top of one another.
The total stabling capacity of the integrated depot is around 220 trains. The East Coast Integrated Depot is on track for completion in 2024.
Within the project, a bus depot will be constructed, independently, and will be four-storey structure located next to the train depots. The layout and location of the bus depot was planned to minimise land use. The workshops are located on the first level while parking bays for around 760 buses are planned on the second and third levels.
The optimisation of land use on this site presents positive benefits. Firstly, releasing valuable land for other uses and secondly, the stacked design of three train depots results in an efficient structural scheme that allows sharing of facilities. By designing a multi-storey depot, the same set of foundations and columns is shared among the three train depots, leading to structurally efficient and economical design. The co-location of the depots also enables cost savings through the centralisation and sharing of common facilities and systems.
Share on:
