Singapore Rail Academy Strengthens Workforce Training And Career Progression

Singapore, October 2026 – The Singapore Rail Academy (SGRA) will undergo a major revamp from November 2026, bringing together training programmes from the Land Transport Authority (LTA), SMRT and SBS Transit under a common curriculum. The initiative aims to strengthen workforce capabilities and make professional training more consistent across Singapore's rail operators.

As part of the initiative, the academy has established partnerships with five educational institutions: the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic and the Singapore Institute of Technology. The collaboration will allow industry training and certifications to contribute towards formal academic qualifications, including Higher Nitec and diploma programmes. New work-study opportunities will also be explored, enabling employees to gain practical experience while pursuing further education.

The expanded academy will extend its training programmes beyond engineers to include technicians and operations personnel. A sector-wide professional certification scheme will recognise experienced rail professionals in maintenance and operations, with a target of covering 20% of the rail operations and maintenance workforce. From early 2027, the academy will progressively introduce a Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework, beginning with Basic Certificates in Railway Operations and Railway Maintenance.

The restructuring follows recommendations from Singapore's Rail Reliability Taskforce, which highlighted the need to strengthen technical capabilities across the industry. Established in 2017, the academy currently conducts more than 20 training sessions annually for approximately 500 engineers entering the rail sector. Under the revised framework, training standards and competencies will become more transferable between operators, while an advisory panel of local and international rail experts will provide guidance on workforce development.

The initiative comes as Singapore faces increasing maintenance and renewal requirements across its ageing MRT network, alongside the adoption of more advanced transport technologies. With greater emphasis shifting towards maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure, the expanded academy is expected to support a stronger pipeline of qualified engineers, technicians and operations professionals, helping the rail industry meet its long-term operational and reliability requirements.

Source: Channel NewsAsia (CNA)