Singapore North East Line will be upgrading its communications system as 12 new trains are added and become operational by 2016.
 
NEC Asia Pacific, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation of Japan, has been appointed by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as the system integrator to enhance the communications system for the existing North East Line (NEL) including the NEL Depot, NEL Overrun Extension at HarbourFront. The entire system is due to be completed by 2016.

This enhancement is part of Singapore’s national transport plans announced in September 2010, where Singapore's rail network will be expanded and upgraded over the next decade to cater to the increasing demand in commuter travel.

Since its launch in June 2003, the NEL has seen ridership growing year-on-year, with average daily ridership of more than 497,000 passengers. The purchase of 12 new trains will boost NEL’s capacity to meet the increased projected ridership growth along the 20km north-east corridor from HarbourFront to Punggol, by about 50%.
 
Costing more than S$30 million, this entire communication system is a central and critical communication interface that links the fully-automated trains to the main operations control centers and train stations along the NEL. The station-and-trainborne communication system performs several interface functions, including Trainborne Public Address, Trainborne Passenger Information System, Passenger Emergency Communication, Trainborne CCTV, Communication from Driver, Trainborne Alarm and Status Management and backup systems.

NEC Asia Pacific as the main systems integrator collaborated with NEC Networks & Systems Integration Corporation (NESIC to enhance the communications systems to fit into the existing infrastructure along the NEL, as well as into the new trains that will be in use from 2016. NESIC built the initial communications systems for the NEL when it first began operations.

With the increasing ridership on the NEL, as well as the operator’s need for enhanced public security and communications on the national transportation network, hence there is a need to upgrade the existing communications infrastructure to cater for advancements in technology and future expansions.