(Diamond Crossover in action)[SBST] C751C 7069/7070 NEL (NE18 Punggol Coast to NE17 Punggol)

Punggol Coast Station is one of the few to have a new diamond crossover installed like wow.
Date: 10 December 2024

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I think diamond crossovers were not common in early Singapore MRT terminal stations. I wonder if the older NSL, EWL and NEL termini did not use diamond crossovers to allow higher approaching speeds. Maybe the higher speeds led to violent rides at some NSL and EWL crossings, so the “track crossing warning” announcement came about (e.g. Pasir Ris, Jurong East). The first station I can think of which uses diamond crossover is Changi Airport. This one can be notoriously loud and violent despite the lower speeds limit. Perhaps, this is because the curvature of this crossover seems to be sharper than that of other diamond crossovers. Seems like diamond crossovers became more common since construction of CCL. My guess is most MRT construction from then on took place underground, and diamond crossovers require less area for construction using the cut-and-cover method. The newest EWL terminal, Tuas Link, uses diamond crossover. However, it does not seem to have a lower speed limit. Trains can approach the station from high speed regardless of whether it crosses to the other platform. Perhaps, the curvature of this crossover is not sharp.