Kim Chuan Underground Depot

When completed, Kim Chuan Depot will be the first underground depot in the world. With stabling capabilities for 70 trains, it will serve the Circle Line (CCL) and Downtown Line 3 (DTL3) that operate using an automated driverless train system. Trains for these two lines will be stabled and maintained in the new depot.

Kim Chuan Depot is over 1 kilometer long in the east-west direction, approximately 150 meters wide at mid-point, and over 20 meters below ground at track level. It houses train system operations and related maintenance, which includes all necessary cleaning, maintenance, overhaul facilities, operation control center, depot control center, training facilities and storage areas for the vehicle fleet and associated railway system.

Trains from the Circle Line enter and leave the depot at the west end, while trains from Downtown Line 3 enter and leave the depot at the east end. The depot is accessed by a branch line of trackworks, some one kilometer in length, which can be controlled directly from the Depot Control Center to as far as the depot boundaries.

Project Highlights:

• Value engineering was done on the base concept design, which resulted in a change from 2-level to single-level stabling, and involved re-layout of all workshops, rooms and facilities as well as re-alignment of all trackworks.
• The net savings include a major reduction in built-up areas, as well as a reduction in volume in terms of the construction and E&M running costs. Despite a total savings of close to $100 million, the envisioned capabilities of the Kim Chuan Underground Depot were not compromised.
• The adoption of the air well concept allowed ingress of fresh air for stabling areas, using air wells created along the northern and southern perimeters. The air wells, together with the single-level stabling concept, greatly simplified the fire engineering approach for an underground depot.

Services Provided:

• Lead Consultant - Spearhead, plan and manage the Architectural and Engineering (A/E) Consultancy Services to produce a complete depot design, with a detailed layout for all workshops, rooms and other facilities, including all aspects of system operation and maintenance
• Civil & Structural (C&S) Engineering Consultancy Services.