Have you ever wondered how those subway trains weighing dozens of tons are transported from factories to cities thousands of miles away? Recently, COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers completed precisely such a massive cross-border transport project spanning five years. For the core project of upgrading Singapore’s mass transit network, the company dispatched 43 voyages from Yingkou to Singapore, delivering 86 subway trainsets with zero cargo damage and zero complaints throughout the entire process.
The Bombardier trainset Singapore MRT renewal project is a core supporting project for the upgrade of Singapore’s mass transit network. All 86 Bombardier trainsets transported are deployed on Singapore’s three core MRT lines—the Downtown Line (Blue), the East-West Line (Green), and the North-South Line (Red)—directly impacting the daily commuting of millions of citizens.
The project was officially signed in 2021, with the first vessel setting sail in February 2022. In April 2026, as MV QI LIN SONG discharged the final carriage in Singapore, this five-year commitment across the oceans reached a successful conclusion.
This task of transporting “trains” posed hardcore challenges to top-tier global transport capabilities:Prolonged shipping cycle: The transport span exceeded four years, requiring long-term coordination of global sailing schedules and flexible responses to shipping market fluctuations.Stringent quality requirements: Precision trainsets are vulnerable to vibration, moisture, and corrosion. Lashing, lifting, and protection had to be precise down to the millimeter at every step.Strict schedule standards: MRT construction progress is highly interdependent. Every vessel had to arrive at the port on schedule; a delay of even a single day could impact the opening of the entire line.
Relying on COSCO SHIPPING’s global resources and professional capabilities, the Pan-Pacific Operations Department of COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers systematically resolved these challenges one by one. They deployed the world’s leading fleet of heavy-lift vessels and multipurpose vessels, tailoring dedicated transport solutions for each batch of trainsets. A top-tier technical team intervened in advance to optimize lashing and securing plans, specifically designing measures against moisture, corrosion, and contamination. An experienced execution team provided end-to-end escort, coordinating the entire chain of schedule dispatch, port coordination, and on-site lifting operations.
