Farook Maideen
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Farook Maideen
Senior Project Engineer
Land Transport Authority
How are you transforming the future as an engineer?
I lead and oversee the mechanical services contracts for the East Coast Integrated Depot. This is the world’s first four-in-one integrated depot with three rail depots stacked on each other and a standalone bus depot. The stacked rail depot comprises of the Downtown Line (underground), Thomson-East Coast Line (ground level) and East-West Line (elevated). The train depots will house 220 trains and the bus depot, complete with workshop, office, car park, canteen and parking bays, will house some 760 buses upon completion. This helps tremendously in saving land space in land-scarce Singapore. Before this, I was involved in the tendering phase of the Electrical & Mechanical services for Mandai Depot for 2 years.
Who will benefit from your project?
Rail and bus operators as well as commuters will benefit from this project. Rail operators can now work under one roof and maintenance equipment can be consolidated for higher productivity. Commuters will also enjoy a convenient, accessible and reliable transport system. Environmentally, we will also benefit from a reduction in carbon footprint in the East Coast Integrated Depot.
What is the best part about engineering?
The best part about engineering is the opportunity to be involved in new and exciting projects and learning to solve engineering challenges with innovative, cost-effective solutions. For instance, I have first-hand experience in applying new cutting-edge technologies such as the Solar-absorption chillers, Photovoltaic Panels and Building Information Model (BIM).
Why do you choose to be a Public Service engineer?
Engineering in the public sector allows me to experience different project phases from design, tender, installation, testing and commissioning to the final handover to the operator. This develops me holistically in terms of technical competency and project management. Such unique training opportunities may not be readily available in the private sector. I also take pride in being able to participate in national projects of a mega scale, knowing that what I do contributes to a better Singapore.