Sage analysts would hesitate to pronounce on trade-offs which might be more acceptable to the commuting public. For instance, should the running of trains take precedence over the maintenance of networks? As fresh twists in the long-running SMRT saga - the train collision at Joo Koon last week and the flooding of a tunnel last month - shake confidence in both system upgrading and routine maintenance, how should priorities be set?
Consider, for example, the pressure of meeting the needs of commuters, the necessity of renewing ageing parts of the network, and the objective of progressively expanding train services. Some balance will have to be struck in striving for momentum on all three fronts simultaneously.
Given the narrow window of time available for upgrading systems, early closures along sections of the East-West Line are being implemented to hasten resignalling works. The tens of thousands of commuters who will be affected, every time reduced service hours are required, should see this as a necessary trade-off if the renewal process is to be shortened. In opting for the disruption of the Joo Koon-Gul Circle link till mid-2018, the authorities have rightly made public safety the chief consideration.
The inconvenience is considerable for those commuting from Pasir Ris to Tuas, as they will have to break the journey to use a free bridging bus service in order to circumvent the closed stretch. But it is better to separate systems that are incompatible than to take risks of possible harm to people should another glitch occur.
Ideally, rail decisions ought to be made rationally with reference to desired outcomes and with an eye on optimum results. However, in the real world, some give and take is required as many factors are involved and different needs will have to be served. One might wish the upgrading of the North-South and East-West lines had been started a decade earlier. But big projects typically compete with other important needs for immediate attention at a particular time. Thus, there's no denying the political dimension of such decisions. The sub-optimal design of the Bukit Panjang LRT, for example, can be traced to the clamour for train services as an add-on to a built-up town, never mind the technical implications that might surface years later.
Alongside the long tail of past decisions relating to rail operations is the long-haul nature of present works required to upgrade and expand networks. Thus, those tasked during any period to deliver or oversee rail services have to adopt a decidedly pragmatic agenda. There being no straight-line path towards a "world-class land transport system", as envisaged in a White Paper, they must press on untiringly, despite the bends and dips ahead, to fulfil this goal.
