Hitachi Rail GTS Singapore: Transforming Rail Journey

Meet Hitachi Rail GTS Singapore - the newest member of the Hitachi Group Family!

Meet Hitachi Rail GTS Singapore, a key player in the railway sector and a distinguished member of the Hitachi Group family! With a strong commitment to driving the sustainable mobility transition, Hitachi Rail GTS Singapore offers signalling systems, integrated communications and supervision, and ticketing gates to support urban rail operations.

A look into Hitachi Rail’s dynamic and innovative workspace

The team in Singapore has embraced the challenge of improving capacity and passenger experience on the local Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system since 1997.

More cool office features you can find at Hitachi Rail’s office

One of their major projects is the re-signalling of the North-South and East-West Lines - Singapore’s oldest and busiest backbone routes, serving over 60% of the nation’s commuters. Started in 2012 and completed in 6.5 years, the advanced SelTracTM Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system now actively monitors and manages operations on the two lines, across 62 stations and nearly 200 trains.

In railway terms, signalling refers to the system that controls the movement of trains, ensuring they run safely and efficiently. Traditionally, signalling is based on relay systems that manually communicate when trains could safely move or stop. With Hitachi Rail’s new CBTC system, this allows for more precise control, allowing trains to run at closer intervals, improving compacity and enabling seamless transfers between lines.

Reliability has also seen significant improvements. Since 2015, delays on the North-South and East-West Lines have been reduced from one every 150,000 kilometres to less than one every 1,000,000 kilometres – a significant milestone for both the team and the railway industry.

Achieving this level of success required a complete overhaul of the signalling system, a process that proved both highly complex and intrusive. To minimise disruptions, most of the work had to be carefully carried out during non-operational hours.

Despite the challenges, the team successfully delivered one of the largest re-signalling projects in the region. Today, local commuters benefit from a 20% increase in capacity that has contributed to smoother and more reliable journeys across Singapore.

The completion of this re-signalling project is just the beginning for Hitachi Rail GTS Singapore. The team continues to drive improvements through ongoing enhancements, actively providing Long Term Service Support and applying innovative digital technologies. Today, innovations like the condition-based asset management system and data-driven Green CBTC Next Gen are leading the way for greater operational efficiency, maintenance, and sustainable mobility solutions.