SINGAPORE - The first of 12 new trains bearing the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) black, red and green livery were delivered to Jurong Port on Friday morning (Oct 27).

The remaining six-car trains will progressively arrive here from now till the end of 2018. They will operate on the North-South-East-West Line (NSEWL).

"The trains will undergo further testing before they are put into passenger service to improve waiting time on the NSEWL," the LTA said.

It added that the trains are expected to be put into service in the second half of 2018.

The 12 trains are the final batch of 57 new trains that are being put into service progressively on Singapore's oldest and most heavily-used MRT lines, which are 30 years old.

Supplied by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the trains are the first to have tip-up seats that will provide more flexibility onboard.

They also come with three rows of hanging straps, triplicated grab poles for standing passengers and dynamic route map display.

Together with additional trains for the North-East Line and Circle Line, the network will see 99 more trains added by 2019, expanding the fleet by almost 50 per cent.

The 99 trains cost around $1.1 billion in total and the sum is borne by both the Government and the rail operators.