Rail Operators Join Forces on Workforce Training

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operators SBS Transit Rail Pte Ltd and SMRT Trains Ltd have signed a Collaboration Agreement to jointly administer the Singapore Rail Academy (SGRA) from 1 November 2026.

Following recommendations from the Rail Reliability Taskforce, the SGRA will take on an expanded mandate and a sector-wide approach to developing rail professionals, with harmonised training policies and standards, industry-recognised certification and qualifications, and more structured education and career pathways.

Established by LTA in 2017, the SGRA conducts more than 20 training sessions annually for about 500 rail engineers new to the industry. Joint administration aims to draw on the operators’ frontline experience to improve the quality and relevance of SGRA’s curriculum.

SGRA will work with industry and academic partners to broaden its training curricula and competency assessment frameworks, incorporating areas such as artificial intelligence, condition monitoring and simulation-based training. This includes expanding the use of team-based training simulators with AI tools, allowing personnel across different functions to practise responses to complex scenarios such as major service disruptions.

SGRA will also set harmonised training and assessment standards across rail maintenance and operations roles and audit adherence to them. From early 2027, it will progressively establish a rail-sector Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) certification framework, starting with Basic Certificates in Railway Operations and Railway Maintenance. A new professional certification scheme targets recognition for 20% of the rail operations and maintenance workforce, with certified professionals serving as trainers.

An Advisory Panel of international and local rail experts will provide guidance on training and capability development. SGRA has also signed Memoranda of Understanding with ITE, three polytechnics and the Singapore Institute of Technology to develop structured education and training programmes, including at the Higher Nitec and Diploma levels, and to explore new Work-Study programmes with Public Transport Operators.