As Choy Ting and Shahjahan continue to move
forward with LTA, they have big aspirations
for their careers. “I look forward to more
challenging roles and a wider arena for me to
perform in. That is why I took up a part-time
degree in Civil Engineering at NUS, in hopes
that I may leverage on these added knowledge
and skills in my work,” Choy Ting chimes.
Shahjahan, on the other hand, appreciates the LTE scheme
where diploma holders have the opportunity to advance to
positions that require a degree. “This scheme has allowed me
to progress from a Higher Principle Engineering Officer to a
Project Engineer. Moving forward, I will continue to upgrade
myself in both technical and project management aspects
so I can contribute to the new and innovative projects
underway at LTA,” he declares.
Tang Choy Ting
Principal Assistant Project Engineer
Diploma in Civil Engineering
with Business
Singapore Polytechnic
To have a career where I had the position and privilege to serve the community was the key motivator behind my decision to join LTA. The talks presented by LTA staff at career fairs when I was still in school left a deep impression in me. I was excited by the on-going projects they shared about, and was certain I wanted to be part of the change.
LTA’s work is highly driven by technology and innovation. Our site utilises tablets to conduct on-site reports on a regular basis to check on the projects’ progress and safety. Technology has greatly improved information sharing, which in turn enables us to approach problem solving in a more efficient, effective, and timely manner.
Since I have joined LTA,
opportunities to grow and
mature professionally have
been abound. I have been
rotated to two different sites
in the past four years of my
career. Through this, I gained
a better understanding of
the challenges and problems
of MRT construction. It has
built my confidence and
competence in engaging and
working together with people
to benefit future commuters.
Shahjahan Bin Md Salleh
Project Engineer
Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
I have always wanted an opportunity to
build Singapore’s transit system. As a
public transport user myself, the plans
by LTA were exciting and relatable. For
example, the Land Transport Master
Plan (LTMP), which was unveiled in 2013,
mapped out new initiatives that would
improve Singapore’s transportation
system and drive it towards a peoplecentred
land transport system.
After joining LTA, I felt motivated as we
are a close-knit team that works towards
a common goal to make our rail network
safer, better, and cost-effective. The sense
of achievement and fulfilment is immense,
especially when the projects that I have
completed make a positive difference to
commuters and operators, like myself.
I was charged with the design
interface of LTA’s Depot Equipment
and Maintenance Vehicles. To excel in
this role, I need sound foundational
knowledge. The guidance by my
management provided these
necessary knowledge and skills,
which accelerated my professional
development as an engineer.
Apart from local exposure, I was given
overseas opportunities to perform factory acceptance tests for LTA’s locomotive.
I gained deep insights into various manufacturing processes and interacting with
design engineers enhanced my understanding of design methodologies.
LTA ensures its staff receives regular learning and development. Hence, we have
a full suite of in-house and publicly run courses ranging from engineering to soft
skills, which have been highly beneficial to me.
We constantly strive to be forward thinking
and innovative. One such development is the
Automatic Vehicle Inspection (AVI) system
deployed at Tuas MRT, the first of its kind to
be implemented in Singapore’s rail network.
A fully automatic system, the AVI utilises
lasers, cameras, and sensors, and performs
real-time measurements and defect
detections of train components when it
returns to depot.
Implementation of the AVI has greatly reduced inspection time from six hours
to a mere two minutes, eradicated possible human errors, and increased
accuracy. Its added features include measurement data trending, which provides
predictive maintenance capabilities and improved visibility of the train’s health
status to operators. Overall, the AVI has improved the reliability and availability of
the train fleet.
