Photo credit: Caroline Chia (The Straits Times)

[The full article was published in The Straits Times on 30 January 2026]

Singapore’s oldest MRT depot is getting a high-tech makeover, and it is transforming the way some of the most physically demanding rail maintenance work is done. At Bishan Depot, robots, autonomous vehicles and smart tools now shoulder the heavy lifting—moving multi-tonne train components with precision—so veteran technicians can focus on skilled overhaul work. The result is a safer, less physically taxing environment for workers who once had to manually manoeuvre massive parts in the workshop.

This push towards “Depot 4.0” does more than ease strain on ageing manpower. The upgraded depot can now overhaul twice as many trains each month without expanding its footprint, signalling how technology could future-proof rail operations amid labour constraints. It is a rare behind-the-scenes look at how man and machine are learning to work together to keep Singapore’s trains running smoothly.

Read the full article to go inside the depot and meet the people at the heart of this transformational project.