Joo Koon train collision: Company behind new signalling system could have done better, says Khaw Boon Wan

Thales, the firm behind the new signalling system for the East-West Line (EWL) on which a train collided with another stationary train, ‘could have done better’, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

Mr Khaw acknowledged that the firm, Thales faced ‘challenging situations’, and highlighted that only a segment of EWL, the Tuas West Extension (TWE) used the system by the French firm. 

The rest of the line ran on an older signalling system, reports The Straits Times. 

Said Mr Khaw:

"In hindsight, this introduced a lot of complications because you have two stretches, each running on different signalling systems.”

Mr Khaw added that the two stretches will be kept separate until the entire EWL can migrate to Thales system by mid-2018. 

When asked about public confidence in the new signalling system, Mr Khaw replied:

“Inevitably, the confidence will be shattered by events like this, but it has happened, and we have to get over it and regain the public's confidence, which means back to the same old job - we have to raise reliability.”