SBS Transit Teams Up with RATP Dev to Deliver World-Class Metro Services in Singapore

Joint News Release Issued by RATP Dev and SBS Transit

SBS Transit and France’s RATP Dev have formally entered into a strategic partnership that will set a new benchmark in delivering world-class metro services in Singapore.

A new jointly-owned company helmed by a dedicated team of experienced staff, who will be selected from both organisations, will be set up to vie for the opportunity to demonstrate the value and benefits it offers by exploring new business prospects in the Singapore rail industry.

The Company will also propose Centres of Excellence to reduce reliance on original equipment manufacturers and life-cycle reliability as part of its efforts to strengthen the reliability of Singapore’s railway system and promote local rail engineering capabilities. Embracing a sustainable and cost-effective approach, it will create localised solutions through the transfer of technology and competencies by leveraging on the international expertise of RATP Dev’s parent company, the RATP Group, in areas such as system agnostic procurement and maintenance.

This partnership brings together 87 years of combined experience, knowledge and skills in railway operations and maintenance.

SBS Transit Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Cheng Siak Kian, and RATP Dev Chief Executive Officer Asia-Pacific, Middle-East & North Africa, Mr Olivier Badard signed a Teaming Agreement to officially announce this partnership on Monday, 14 December 2020. This was witnessed by Mr Franck Riester, France Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, with Mr Lim Jit Poh, SBS Transit’s Chairman and Ms Laurence Batlle, RATP Dev’s Chairwoman of the Executive Board.
 
SBS Transit Chairman, Mr Lim Jit Poh, said: “We are excited by the prospects of this partnership which will certainly help bolster the reliability of our railway system. Besides this, it will go a long way in developing our rail engineering talent. I see this as a win-win situation not just for the industry but also for our commuters.”

RATP Dev’s Chairwoman of the Executive Board, Ms. Laurence Batlle said: “Land Transport in Singapore is a worldly acknowledged market which has set some of the highest quality standards in our industry. We are delighted to join forces with SBS Transit and combine our long-term vision on assets and mobility with SBS Transit’s state-of-the-art customer-centric expertise to raise the bar even higher in terms of reliability, quality and sustainability for rail.”

Under Singapore’s Land Transport Master Plan 2040, the MRT system is the backbone of Singapore’s public transport, which will be further strengthened with new upcoming lines and the extension of some existing lines. The partnership hopes to value-add to this vision of a resilient, reliable and efficient railway system.

This partnership comes about six months after a similar agreement was signed between SBS Transit's parent company, ComfortDelGro, and RATP Dev to jointly bid for Lines 16 and 17 of the Grand Paris Express greenfield metro projects in France's Greater Paris region.