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Source:
www.sentosa.com.sg |
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Sentosa Express: Fast
Tracking to Singapore¡¯s Island Resort |
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• On-schedule
completion of Sentosa¡¯s largest infrastructural project to date |
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• Visitors can
look forward to taking this new high-tech monorail into the island
by January 2007 |
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Getting to Sentosa will soon be a breeze
when the new $140-million Sentosa Express goes into full operation from
January 2007. |
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Visitors will be able to conveniently
transfer from the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network at HarbourFront
MRT Station to Sentosa¡¯s modern high-tech train system, which will
bring them directly into the island¡¯s first station in just three
minutes. |
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In a simple handover ceremony today,
officiated by Minister of State for Trade and Industry Mr S
Iswaran, Sentosa Island will receive the completed monorail system
from manufacturer Hitachi Asia Ltd. |
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An estimated 200 guests will join Mr
Iswaran for a preview ride from VivoCity into the island onboard
four brightly-coloured trains illustrated with images depicting
the island¡¯s essence and spirit. |
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A key milestone in Sentosa's
rejuvenation programme to transform the resort island into a
world-class leisure destination, the Sentosa Express is integral
to enhancing the island¡¯s transport system. |
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The island's transport network has
evolved since the early days when the only way to get to Sentosa
was by the ferry and cable car. When the 710-metre long
causeway-bridge opened to vehicular access in 1992, it offered a
vital and direct link to Singapore. |
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With the new Sentosa Express becoming
a key mode of visitor access, travelling to Sentosa will be more
convenient and efficient. |
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"As we redevelop and revamp the island
in tandem with our customer-focused improvements, this new
monorail will significantly improve Sentosa¡¯s access from all
corners of Singapore." said Darrell Metzger (达尔 • 梅茨格), Sentosa's
Chief Executive Officer. ¡°Its completion marks our largest
infrastructural project since 2002 when we started delivering our
master plan vision to make the island more integrated and easily
accessible." |
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Since 1972 when Sentosa was being
developed as a resort destination, Sentosa has seen an eight-fold
increase in arrivals to a record of 5.2 million visitors for the
last fiscal year. |
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And to gear up for over eight million
annual visitors by 2010 when major developments including the
upcoming Sentosa Integrated Resort (IR) are completed, the
enhanced public transport access will better support the needs of
the island. |
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Starting from Sentosa Station located
on the third level of VivoCity, the driver-operated Sentosa
Express runs on an elevated 2-way track along a 2.1km-route to the
island¡¯s key activity points. |
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Equipped with Hitachi¡¯s advanced
monorail technology, the system is computerised to ensure the
smooth running of the trains. A central control centre oversees
the system¡¯s operations. The system can carry 3,000 passengers per
hour in each direction. The stations are: |
- Sentosa Station (at VivoCity)
- Waterfront Station (within the
upcoming Sentosa Integrated Resort site)
- Imbiah Station (next to The
Merlion with convenient access to the attractions at Imbiah
Lookout ¨C Images of Singapore, Sentosa Luge, Sky Tower, Sentosa
4D Magix & Butterfly Park)
- Beach Station (above the Beach
Carpark)
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Other than the Waterfront Station
which will be operational only when the Sentosa IR is ready, the
Sentosa Express will call at two stations on the island. From
these stations, visitors can easily connect to the island¡¯s buses
and beach trams to get to the various parts of the island. |
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The design and development of the
Sentosa Express is undertaken by Hitachi which is also behind
several other successful rail systems such as the one in Tokyo
Disneyland Resort and the Tokyo Monorail, currently operating from
Haneda Airport. |
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"Hitachi Asia is delighted to play a
key role in providing our advanced monorail expertise for Sentosa.
The Sentosa Express uses the most sophisticated electronic
components found in Hitachi¡¯s fleet of bullet trains in Japan.
Besides providing a seamless connection in and around the island,
the Sentosa Express is an energy-efficient and convenient mode of
transportation running on environmentally-friendly structures."
said Mr Toshio Toda (户田 俊男), Managing Director of Hitachi Asia
Ltd. |
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Added Darrell Metzger, "As a result of
a great working partnership between Sentosa and Hitachi Asia, we
are able to complete the Sentosa Express on schedule and budget.
We are delighted to be working with a company known for their
delivery of high standards and dvanced technology in the area of
leisure transport." |
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Following the delivery of the trains,
the Sentosa team will conduct a month of ticketing trials before
opening the system to the public. |
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In keeping with Sentosa¡¯s policy to
keep island admission affordable, entry by the Sentosa Express
will be priced at $3.00 (adult/child), no change from the current
admission by the Sentosa bus. This includes travel on the Sentosa
Express within the island on the same day. |
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Island entry charges by other modes of
transport such as the cable car, taxis and private cars remain
unchanged. |
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NEW! Contactless Sentosa Pass to
replace current ticketing system |
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With the commencement of the Sentosa
Express in January 2007, the current ticketing system will be
replaced by a new Sentosa Pass for admission and transportation to
the resort island. It will be used subsequently for admission to
other attractions, the island's food and beverage amenities as
well as retail outlets. |
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The Sentosa Pass is a contactless
smart access card which acts as a stored card to electronically
programme the guest's admission purchases and promotions offered. |
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To utilise the items in the card, the
guest simply taps the card at card readers to gain entry to the
attraction or enjoy the promotions at the food, beverage and
retail outlets. |
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Guests can also purchase cost-saving
attractions packages that include the Sentosa Express rides. With
this smart access card, the guest will just need to carry a single
card to visit the attractions and enjoy convenient travel between
the stations. |
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Each Sentosa Pass card contains a
2Kbits memory contactless memory chip with data flexibility that
provides greater convenience for the guests and enables Sentosa to
understand their needs and preferences better to help manage the
island¡¯s resources more efficiently. |
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More.... (Factsheet) |
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Source:
www.sentosa.com.sg Press
Release 4 Dec 2006 |
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Related Article: |
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Sentosa Express to replace old monorail system |
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FrontPage Edition: Mon 4 December 2006
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