New DTL train depot in Woodlands to be ready in July

Singapore's sixth rail depot will be ready in July. At twice the size of the last depot at Kim Chuan, the new Gali Batu train depot spreads over 21 hectares, and will used to store and maintain trains for the upcoming Downtown Line (DTL). The completion of the depot will also pave the way for the second phase of the DTL to open in the first quarter of next year.

Trains have gone through testing to run from the depot to the first four stops on the upcoming 12-station section of the line, namely Bukit Panjang, Cashew, Hillview and Beauty World.

Testing will also have to be done to integrate Downtown Line 2 with the first phase of the DTL, a six-station stretch between Bugis and Chinatown, which was launched in December 2013. The depot is now in its final stages of completion and will be handed over to operator SBS Transit before the end of the year.

With a cost of $410 million to build, the facility has 14 tracks at the stabling building and can currently hold up to 42 three-car trains. Berth space, however, will be further expanded by November 2019 to park 39 more trains. Last month, the LTA awarded a $137.4 million contract to build these additional train berths, which will add another four hectares to the site.

The Galo Batu depot is also the first of its kind to achieve the Gold Award under the Building and Construction Authority's Green Mark certification. Among its various green features is the train workshop, which is naturally ventilated and lit with natural light to minimise the use of air-conditioning and lights.