Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit & Light Rapid Transit (Part #2)

[ignoramus]

..

[mattverg]

Looking at this, what do you think the future MRT lines are?? (Exhibit at URA Centre, showing the various regional centre, sub-regional and fringe centres)

http://img68.exs.cx/img68/7719/u3pdscn35162.jpg

IMHO this map isnt exactly obsolete. True enuff, the Seletar Regional Centre doesnt exist, but it corresponds to what is now Sengkang New Town. and the 2001 Concept plan still has the lines as outlined by this earlier map; its just that the re might be slight modifications to the actual lines.

1. The north south line actually makes up part of the outer circle and the circumferential line to woodlands.

2. the circumferential line to seletar now corresponds to the north east line (although in the 2001 concept plan there IS a seletar line planned but there lets use what we already have now, shall we? :))

3. the circumferential line to Tampines and jurong eastprobably corresponds to the east west line.

4. the middle radial line most certainly conform to the circle line as we know it. the inner radial line is made up of the nexus of interchanges in the city area comprising of the north south line, east west line and north east line.

5. The outer radial line is made up of the present north south line, the planned north shore line and the planned eastern region line

haha ok i think i've said enuff... time to siam b4 i get bashed up!

:runaway:

[playboy]

Some older photos

http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980006123-8151-3231-4227/img0051.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001354-8324-3302-3088/img0102.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001355-8324-3302-4339/img0002.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001355-8324-3302-4339/img0017.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001355-8324-3302-4339/img0108.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001356-8324-3302-3247/img0103.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001356-8324-3302-3247/img0095.jpg

[ignoramus]

Those are superb photos playboy! Any more? Where did you get them from?

It seemed weird seeing the MRT map displaying only one short and straight MRT line.

And it seemed weird seeing those first generation trains looking all clean and sleek and white and just 100% good looking.

[hkmember]

they really should put chinese in the trains and stations

lets face it, most of the ppl interviewed on Asia news channel ( i got da reception at home on cable TV ) are in Putonghua.

And really the recent exclusion of Chinese language scores in the Uni admission scheme is just outrageous

[hkmember]

btw, LEDs are preferred to plasma for fixed displays

coz fixed displays would burn into the plasma... maybe they should use the plasmas to play ads or have screensaver intermissions in between lea

[huaiwei]

they really should put chinese in the trains and stations

lets face it, most of the ppl interviewed on Asia news channel ( i got da reception at home on cable TV ) are in Putonghua.

And really the recent exclusion of Chinese language scores in the Uni admission scheme is just outrageous
You might be delighted to know that they are now reintroducing multilingual signs to all rail stations by next year, which will mean having names and important signages in English, Mandarin and Tamil. Malay is not included, because most of its spelling is similar to English anyway.

The CNA you watched on your local channel might be a localised version. CNA in Singapore, which is its birthplace, is actually predominantly English.

As for the exclusion of Chinese requirements for uni admission, well, I wasent supportive of the move either! :D

[hkmember]

its nice to hear that they are introducing signs

to my understanding its not only chinese, its like you have to include your mother tongue as part of admission ... actually i think its actually important to have your native lang gauged, but I suppose as ppl in Singapore say, learning without exams is actually more effective when it comes to learning Mandarin

[huaiwei]

its nice to hear that they are introducing signs

to my understanding its not only chinese, its like you have to include your mother tongue as part of admission ... actually i think its actually important to have your native lang gauged, but I suppose as ppl in Singapore say, learning without exams is actually more effective when it comes to learning Mandarin
Yeah...although I would love it if they can reintroduce multi-lingual voiced messages and annoucements too. :D

[playboy]

Those are superb photos playboy! Any more? Where did you get them from?

It seemed weird seeing the MRT map displaying only one short and straight MRT line.

And it seemed weird seeing those first generation trains looking all clean and sleek and white and just 100% good looking.

It taken from picas.nhb.gov.sg and search for MRT.

This photo was taken in 7/11/1987 when the first MRT system(Toa Payoh to Yio Chu Kang) was launch. The MRT map displaying only one short and straight MRT line is the first phase of MRT system, before 1989 when the City Hall to Pasir Ris was not open for the traffic.

More photos

http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001355-8324-3302-4339/img0112.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001355-8324-3302-4339/img0115.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001355-8324-3302-4339/img0095.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001355-8324-3302-4339/img0093.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001356-8324-3302-3247/img0079.jpg

[huaiwei]

How come they got the station name signage behind the window one ah?

[babystan03]

OMG....playboy, those were excellent pictures......bring back so much memories.......:eek::D

[redstone]

http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001356-8324-3302-3247/img0007.jpg

[babystan03]

Chinatown MRT exit.......

http://img59.exs.cx/img59/5303/dscn367414is.jpg
Picture by babystan

[playboy]

Delivery of first MRT train :)


http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980001203-8151-3231-3675/img0017.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980001203-8151-3231-3675/img0024.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980001203-8151-3231-3675/img0058.jpg

[playboy]

Toa Payoh to Outram Park sections opened

http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980001057-8120-3181-1729/img0102.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980001057-8120-3181-1729/img0108.jpg

[playboy]

Outram Park to Clementi opened

http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001359-8324-3302-4389/img0013.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001359-8324-3302-4389/img0026.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990001359-8324-3302-4389/img0029.jpg

[heirloom]

who's that guy in the middle pic? he looks gay and 35 :D

[redstone]

Any maps with the Bukit Timah and Eastern lines?

[playboy]

who's that guy in the middle pic? he looks gay and 35 :D

He is Dr Yeo Ning Hong and he is ex-minister of transport. :)

[kenmin]

Any maps with the Bukit Timah and Eastern lines?The alignment has not been announced yet. The closest you can get is the concept plan 2001, unless someone from LTA wanna break the OSA and post it here? :runaway:

[huaiwei]

Alright guys. Part #2 is now up. Feel free to continue the posts here (there is also a copy in the Singapore forums), and ignore, I retained your first post, so that you can edit it like how you used to! :D

Part #1 is now archived, and also copied into the sg forums.

[babystan03]

Dec 16, 2004
SMRT Corp lays off 21 employees

By Lynn Lee

TRANSPORT group SMRT Corp has laid off 21 employees from various departments, it said yesterday. SMRT's executive vice-president for corporate services, Mr Yeo Meng Hin, said in response to queries that the retrenchment exercise on Tuesday came after a review of SMRT's business in a bid to be 'more efficient and drive greater value'.

He added: 'Letting go of staff was a last - and painful - decision we took after much careful deliberation.'

The transport giant declined to reveal which departments the workers were from or details of their severance pay, but said that affected workers had been given a retrenchment package 'in line with market practice'.

They also received additional medical, dental and transport benefits and had been matched with employment agencies to help them find new jobs.

SMRT has also arranged for those interested to join the company as taxi drivers.

The news comes more than a month after SMRT announced net earnings of $81.3 million for the six months ending Sept 30.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[huaiwei]

Taxi drivers?? What the fish....the retenched folks must be jumping for joy or something??

[babystan03]

Taxi drivers?? What the fish....the retenched folks must be jumping for joy or something??

Haha...why leh?? Taxi drivers earn a lot mair?? :lol:

[babystan03]

Alright guys. Part #2 is now up. Feel free to continue the posts here (there is also a copy in the Singapore forums), and ignore, I retained your first post, so that you can edit it like how you used to! :D


Haha.....so far.....he hasn't edit, it seems....:lol:

[huaiwei]

Haha...why leh?? Taxi drivers earn a lot mair?? :lol:
Er..its not like anyone can just switch jobs lidat loh. And taxi drivers is hardly a job we can consider as offering much welfare...

[babystan03]

The expo station by Norman Foster:

http://img78.exs.cx/img78/2341/dscn373717dt.jpg

[huaiwei]

Wah you took that photo?! :eek:

[babystan03]

Wah you took that photo?! :eek:

Emm...yeah.....you sound "excited"?? :eek:

[redstone]

Bridges across the tracks at Bishan and AMK are very good places to take pictures of the trains coming in and going out.

[babystan03]

Business Times - 23 Dec 2004

SMRT is picking up pace

It plans to expand its business in the local retail and taxi sectors, as well as overseas operations, reports JOYCE KOH

THE ubiquitous SMRT logo is going to be a more common sight in the future.

The company, seen by some as a staid train transport operator, is eager to shift to a higher gear as more of its businesses comes from its retail, taxi and overseas operations.

This is a step in the right direction as the company is not exactly venturing into uncharted waters given it has a proven head honcho knowledgeable in the retail business.

The group also has the necessary accumulated experience as it seeks to have more earnings from overseas.

SMRT has been largely viewed by the market as a sound dividend play - none too exciting but nonetheless, a reliable and defensive stock to hold.

For the six months ended Sept 30, SMRT's net earnings rose 68 per cent to $48.6 million without the exceptional items, while turnover was up by 1.7 per cent to $338 million.

But the transport operator cautioned at that time in end October that fare revenue for Q3 will remain stable, with lower profit partly due to higher repair and maintenance costs.

Even so, it remained sanguine about its growth because of the pipeline of plans it has going forward. Indeed, its share price has risen more than 20 per cent since the start of November and yesterday closed 1.5 cents lower at 86 cents.

Perhaps it is time to relook the stock in line with the uptick in its share price.

Riding into retail

Certainly, retail has been one project that SMRT is eager to sink its teeth into and no wonder, since the potential for developing these unused pockets of space is immense.

http://img159.exs.cx/img159/1953/smrt6tp.png
Ride 'n shop: Converting the unused space into retail outlets can help boost SMRT's revenue. It expects rental income to rise by $3 million this year

With 250,000 square feet of rentable retail space, it has already set aside $20 million to makeover 18 of its 51 stations.

To this end, SMRT has also engaged property firm Knight Frank as a consultant and marketing agent to help in its efforts.

The company is projecting rental income to rise by $3 million this year, and $10 million next year. For FY2004, rental income was about $20 million.

Indeed, retail can be a breath of fresh air for SMRT's business which can dramatically transform the company's image and branding, if its stations are renovated with style.

After all, train stations are naturally a good catchment area for people, and if SMRT can entice people to linger and shop, that is all the better for its business.

SMRT's chief executive Saw Phaik Hwa is in a good position to spearhead the new direction, having spent almost half her life in the retail business.

She started her career at Metro before joining duty-free chain DFS Venture Singapore and climbed her way up to become regional president in charge of Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia during her more than 20 years there.

But retail is only one area that SMRT wants to make aggressive inroads into. In the taxi business, the company has also sounded its horn in wanting to become a more visible player on the roads.

For now, it has 2000 taxis plying the roads but its subsidiary Tibs Taxi wants to expand this to 3,000 by end FY2005 and capture 30 per cent of market share from around 10 per cent now.

With high-profile recruitment drives for more taxi drivers, the company contributed to 62 per cent of the 825 new taxis in the market between January and October this year.

It recently shared the limelight with market leader ComfortDelGro Corp when the two rivals said they will hand out a one-off bonus to help its cabbies cope with higher diesel prices.

Then there is its overseas operations which admittedly are still in the nascent stage, but could hold promise if SMRT can be involved in the infrastructure development of developing regional countries.

Indeed, SMRT told BT it wants to move away from one-off engineering consultancy projects and move into more operations and maintenance (O&M) projects which offer more recurring income.

It said it is close to finalising consultancy agreements on the US$630 million Jakarta monorail project, and will also bid for Shanghai's urban rail project, where SMRT is already acting as a consultant.

Seizing opportunity

Finally, when its 29-station Circle Line is up and running by 2010, there is expected to be a daily ridership of 550,000 and this will further add momentum to its revenues in the long run.

On all its plans, SMRT spokesman Goh Chee Kong told BT: 'Can we not afford to change? Can we afford to stand still?'

Of course, these initiatives will take time to take off.

In retail, the company still faces regulatory hurdles for approval to revamp its stations.

In the taxi business, economic volatility and more aggressive competition might stall its plans to increase the number of cabs on the roads.

It could also find it difficult to get licenses to run public transport services in other countries.

But what is noteworthy is that SMRT is seizing its opportunities by the horns and isn't content to simply be on cruise control.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

[huaiwei]

Circle Line daily ridership of 550,000? Well I sure hope they dont grossly over-estiamate the numbers again for their own sake! :D

[kenmin]

Anyone seen the MRT entry in wikipedia? a lot of stuff there. Who wrote it??

Wonder what the author meant by Punggol Line Extension (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_Rapid_Transit_%28Singapore%29#Punggol_Line_extension). Does he mean NorthShore Line or the extension to Pulau Ubin?

[huaiwei]

Er...u might wish to click on the "history" of that page to find out who contributed! :D

[babystan03]

Anyone seen the MRT entry in wikipedia? a lot of stuff there. Who wrote it??

Wonder what the author meant by Punggol Line Extension (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_Rapid_Transit_%28Singapore%29#Punggol_Line_extension). Does he mean NorthShore Line or the extension to Pulau Ubin?

I think I know who.........:lol:

[babystan03]

Business Times - 29 Dec 2004

LTA to build $436 million Boon Lay MRT extension

SINGAPORE - The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be extending the East West Line from Boon Lay Station westwards into the Jurong Industrial Estate.

The extended network will enhance public transport system for residents in Jurong West Town area and those working in the Jurong and Tuas industrial estates.

Known as Boon Lay MRT Extension (BLE) which will be fully-elevated with two MRT stations will add another 3.8-km to the existing East West Line.

The BLE One station will be built at Jurong West Street 63, between Jurong Street 61 and Pioneer Road North, and the other station at Joo Koon Circle, near the junction of Benoi Road and International Road.

The overall project cost will be about S$436 million and construction is targeted to start in the second half of 2005 and is expected to complete in 2009.

To facilitate the construction of BLE, one full lot and eight part lots, totalling about 28,000 square metres of land will be acquired.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

[ignoramus]

..

[redstone]

What does CG stand for? :?

[km-sh]

I think most Singaporeans can't speak Chinese.

[ignoramus]

What does CG stand for? :?

It stands for Changi and these alphanumeric characters are used to denote each station on the Changi Airport MRT Extension.

I have no idea why they still call it part of the East West Line when its obvious its a branch line off Tanah Merah Station.

[ignoramus]

I think most Singaporeans can't speak Chinese.

What made you say that and why?

Chinese Singaporeans generally can speak chinese, its just a matter of the standard of chinese being spoken and their willingness to speak it.

[babystan03]

I think most Singaporeans can't speak Chinese.

I teaching Chinese in Singapore btw..........:yes:

[playboy]

Expanding The Rail Network: LTA To Build Boon Lay MRT Extension



To enhance the public transport system for residents in Jurong West Town area and those working in the Jurong and Tuas industrial estates, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be extending the East West Line from Boon Lay Station westwards into the Jurong Industrial Estate.

This project, known as Boon Lay MRT Extension (BLE) for short, will add another 3.8-km to the existing East West Line. The BLE will be fully-elevated with two MRT stations. One station will be built at Jurong West Street 63, between Jurong Street 61 and Pioneer Road North, and the other station at Joo Koon Circle, near the junction of Benoi Road and International Road. Please see Annex for alignment and station locations.

The overall project cost will be about S$436 million. Construction is targeted to start sometime in the second half of 2005 and is expected to complete in 2009. Tenders for the contract are expected to be called in the first half of 2005.

Improvements to Public Transport System in Jurong West

Currently, the public transport needs of the residents in Jurong West Town area and those working in the Jurong Industrial Estate are served by the Boon Lay MRT Station and Boon Lay bus interchange. With the expected developments planned for the Jurong region, the demand for public transport service will increase.

Mr Ho Meng Kit, Chief Executive, Land Transport Authority said, "The BLE will therefore greatly improve the public transport system in the Jurong area to meet current and future demand for public transport travel. For example, instead of having to make a transfer via a bus service to get to Boon Lay MRT Station, residents in the south western part of Jurong West will be able to access the MRT system more directly with a new MRT station in Jurong West Street 63. Travel time for people working in the Jurong Industrial Estate is also expected to be reduced by up to 15 minutes. This improvement will make it more convenient for people travelling to work in the area."

Land Required

To facilitate the construction of BLE, one full lot and eight part lots, totalling about 28,000 square metres of land will be acquired. The listing of affected lots to be acquired will be gazetted today. Owners, who are affected, will be notified of the land acquisition separately by Singapore Land Authority.

[playboy]

i didn't known what the name of two new MRT station. Can you give the stations name please. :runaway: :eek2:

[huaiwei]

i didn't known what the name of two new MRT station. Can you give the stations name please. :runaway: :eek2:
"Station 1" and "Station 2"? :D

Anyway, the gap between the two stations seems rather large. Maybe they should add provisions for a new station in the middle?

[kenmin]

It stands for Changi and these alphanumeric characters are used to denote each station on the Changi Airport MRT Extension.

I have no idea why they still call it part of the East West Line when its obvious its a branch line off Tanah Merah Station.
You already answered it yourself. It's only a branch.

[kenmin]

i didn't known what the name of two new MRT station. Can you give the stations name please. :runaway: :eek2:It's rather strange that LTA didn't even give proper working names to the stations. Prior to the announcement, I named them Yunnan and Joo Koon. Not sure if Yunnan is still suitable as I have expected the station to be further west to the one chosen.

[ignoramus]

..

[huaiwei]

Er...East West line extension has an official name leh....

[ignoramus]

Done.

[ailiton]

What's Admiralty in Chinese?

[huaiwei]

What's Admiralty in Chinese?
海军部. ;)

[ailiton]

Are the Chinese names of the stations official or are they just translations?

[huaiwei]

Hm.....they are "official translations"? :D The name of the station is actually taken from the area and road names around it, so I would presume it is quite official?

[babystan03]

Taking the Sengkang LRT with Ignoramus and Huaiwei during the last meetup:

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/1022/dscn359918be.jpg

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/1936/dscn359519dw.jpg

Arriving:
http://img46.exs.cx/img46/1121/dscn359011gq.jpg

Arrived:
http://img46.exs.cx/img46/2747/dscn359116df.jpg

At the "crossroad":
http://img46.exs.cx/img46/6455/dscn360019qo.jpg

[ailiton]

Taking the Sengkang LRT with Ignoramus and Huaiwei during the last meetup:

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/1022/dscn359918be.jpg

Ok... So which one is Ignoramus and which one is Huaiwei?

[babystan03]

This story was printed from TODAYonline

Of rail and retail

SMRT more than just about moving people, says CEO Saw Phaik Hwa

Weekend • January 8, 2005

Tor Ching Li
chingli@newstoday.com.sg

EYEBROWS were raised two years ago when the new president and CEO of train operator SMRT Corporation was named — an industry outsider was going to head the 6,000-strong company, and a woman to boot.

Straight-talking Saw Phaik Hwa was not fazed; she charged into the job, bringing to it what has proved to be her very useful experience with airport retail chain DFS Venture Singapore.

Last year, SMRT Corp, which is listed on the Singapore Exchange, reported a near trebling of its interim earnings, with profits of $81.3 million, for the six months ending Sept 30.

And she did it without raising fares.

Said Ms Saw: "Although fares are reviewed annually, we have not applied for an increase in fares over the last three years because of the weak economy. Our fares have actually come down as we have been absorbing the rise in GST.

"We have been going all out to make SMRT the customer's choice. We want to drive ridership to improve our profitability. At the end of the day, it's a bottom line thing."

Citing SMRT's ongoing Ride-For-Free Countdown as an "aggressive" and "out of the box" promotion tactic — where till April this year commuters of SMRT buses and trains stand to win prizes such as a Nissan March or a year's free travel — Ms Saw quipped: "Would you think of a train system having a lucky draw?

"In the old days, SMRT's mission was to be a reliable and safe train system. But if that's your mission in life, it's very uninspiring!

"So we want to be more than just reliable and safe because we do want customers to choose to use our system. Our mission is to be the customers' choice. Of course, a lot of people say 'no choice, must take train'. But if you take that as a fait accompli, then it's a non-starter — we're not going to get anywhere.

"We take it that we owe it to our customer — whether they have a choice or not, we shall be their choice."

SINGAPORE ICON

This guiding principal is now an integral part of SMRT's Vision, Mission and Core Values set out earlier this year, as part of SMRT Corp's brand building initiatives.

In May this year, the group launched a $2.5-million initiative to rename Tibs Taxis and Trans-Island Bus Services under the SMRT brand name and motto of "Moving People, Enhancing Lives".

Said Ms Saw: "We're not just about moving people, but enhancing lives as well."

The efficient MRT system, said Ms Saw, should be as much of a Singapore icon as Changi Airport.

"We want Singaporeans to know that SMRT can always be trusted to do the right thing, regardless of the situation," she added.

This means implementing a pay freeze during Sars, outsourcing and streamlining staff size for the new economy, offering its 2,400 SMRT taxi drivers a "comprehensive" $1-million relief package to cope with the rising price of diesel, reaching out to the community through charity work and spending $150 million upgrading its first batch of trains which are now 17 years old.

"We've got to be all things to all people at one go," said Ms Saw. "For shareholders, our added value comes from other non-fare related revenue."

The first "can do, must do" revamp that Ms Saw kick-started was the overhaul of the "horrible looking" retail outlets that used to occupy MRT stations.

"I come from not only a retail background but airport retail where every square metre costs thousands of dollars, and every square inch is so powerful and important!" she exclaimed.

FOREIGN TRAVEL

Ms Saw, 49, is also keen to develop SMRT's foreign business potential. There is "tacit agreement" that SMRT will be a partner in the operation and maintenance of Jakarta's ambitious $1-billion monorail system, which is due to be up and running by end 2007.

Said Ms Saw: "In the past, SMRT has not taken a very aggressive stance overseas, even though many countries know us and have come looking for us to partner them in projects. We are now positioned to do so."

According to Ms Saw, SMRT is also "keeping a close eye" on how things develop in China's and India's rail systems, which they are already "very involved in". More specifically, it will be bidding for Shanghai's urban rail project, where SMRT is already acting as a consultant.

Ms Saw also plans to grow her share of the local taxi market of 20,000 from just 10 per cent.

"In a free market, it is not realistic for the second largest player to remain at that level with just 2,000 licences. It's foreseeable to grow to 20 to 30 per cent eventually.

"We have to continue to seek opportunities to improve. There's always a better way to do something, technology-wise or organisational. We must grow the business successfully and I would like to continue to give my staff good bonuses and competitive salaries."

ALL ABOARD

SMRT is currently taking a "proactive" approach to encourage people to go out and take the trains, such as working closely with shopping centres and retailers along the MRT and LRT lines to publicise the happenings in various malls.

"I'm not forcing you to go out, the choice is yours, but I'm giving you a reason to travel and enjoy your leisure, you see," said Ms Saw, who stays along Coronation Road West where there is ironically "no bus or train" service to take to work.

And the plan must be working — according to statistics from the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the number of trips taken on the MRT and LRT every day has risen by 67.4 per cent, from 760,000 in 1995 to 1.27 million for the 12 months up to March this year.

Ms Saw herself takes the train "whenever possible" to get around town after driving to work in either her BMW 745i or Nissan 350Z sports car.

But even as Ms Saw encourages people to shop along her train lines, she is not indulging in shopping for train lines herself.

"The answer is no, I have not been made an offer I can't resist (to buy over the SBS Transit's North East Line)", said Ms Saw with a laugh. Since operations started late last year, the NEL has chalked up losses of $20 million — even with negligible maintenance and repair costs.

Said Ms Saw: "I'm very willing to run the NEL even if it doesn't make a lot of money, if it's for the 'greater good'. But a loss of $20 million a year will not be tenable for our shareholders."

Inevitably, talk of a rail deal has resurfaced following the recent media merger. But Ms Saw said: "Integration is tougher in our industry. I can't stop running the trains, increase the fares or cut the service. Costs savings and efficiency opportunities are limited. Revenue will not change unless the population in the area increases."

COME TOGETHER

"I always feel that for Singapore, it makes sense to integrate the whole transport system — buses, taxis and trains should be integrated for the greater good of Singapore. That's one area I feel Singapore can do better as a country. Otherwise, there will be duplication and waste."

"Unlike other countries where a monopoly may be viewed negatively, in Singapore there's the LTA and the PTC (Public Transport Council) to ensure efficiency and efficacy."

On the flipside, this inter-agency web currently contributes to a "lack of connectivity" between the MRT stations and nearby buildings.

Lamented Ms Saw: "Compared to Japan or Hong Kong, where train operators are given the land to develop, in Singapore there are more opportunities to improve in terms of connectivity and integrated shopping."

Overzealous enforcement of strict fire safety code has also resulted in Singapore having "the least exciting train stations compared to any other new areas in the world", according to Ms Saw.

For example, SMRT was only allowed to paste four A4 pieces of fire-resistant posters at each station to publicise their Ride-For-Free Countdown promotion.

"I'm fully sympathetic with the need to enforce safety, but it's just the incongruity of people walking in and out of stations wearing far more flammable material than our posters. Hopefully in time, we will become more open in how we do things."

Mention the spate of MRT suicide cases last year, and Ms Saw shrugs in incomprehension: "To me, there is more to live than to die for."

In other words, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.

Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

[huaiwei]

Ok... So which one is Ignoramus and which one is Huaiwei?
Er.....that chap seems to look quite similar to me? :D

[ailiton]

Yeah I believe the taller guy is you but which one is ignoramus? The indian girl touching your back or the little guy standing near the doors?

[ignoramus]

Yeah I believe the taller guy is you but which one is ignoramus? The indian girl touching your back or the little guy standing near the doors?

haha. I am actually no where inside the pictures at all.

[huaiwei]

Yeah I believe the taller guy is you but which one is ignoramus? The indian girl touching your back or the little guy standing near the doors?
Er...actually I dont think he is me. My hair isnt that long, and I dont remember wearing that shirt that day! ;) Dont think ignore is in the picture either...

Anyway, you saw my photo before?

[ailiton]

Nevermind. I first thought both of you were in that picture.

And yes, I have seen your picture.

[ignoramus]

..

[babystan03]

10 January 2005

Punggol LRT East, SengKang LRT West loops to start service on Jan 29
By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : The wait is over for many Punggol residents - in more ways than one - with the partial opening on January 29 of Singapore's third Light Rapid Transit, the Punggol LRT.

More stations along the SengKang LRT system will also start ferrying passengers.

It is a journey 36-year-old Seah Beng Huat knows well - a comfortable ride on the North-East Line, followed by the long wait for a feeder bus service to take him home.

But all that is set to change.

He moved to Punggol last April and now looks forward to a smooth LRT ride to his door step.

Mr Seah said: "During the peak hour, it is terrible. The bus service here, they do not come frequently and the crowd is terrible, we used to wait about 15 to 20 minutes for every bus."

Over 8,000 rides are expected to ply the Punggol LRT East loop daily, serving about 15,000 residents.

SBS Transit took over the $354 million line from the Land Transport Authority in December last year.

After numerous trial runs, it has decided to phase in the opening of the Punggol LRT with the East loop being the first to go.

But only six stations - Punggol, Cove, Meridian, Coral Edge, Riviera and Kadaloor - will be opened, while the remaining two - Oasis and Damai, along with the West loop stations at less populated areas - will operate at a later date.

Separately, the SengKang West loop will also be up and running. It is expected to make up to 5,000 rides daily, offering a more convenient mode of transport to 11,000 residents in the western part of the neighbourhood.

It will complement the existing SengKang East loop service, with five additional stations - Thanggam, Fernvale, Layar, Tongkang and Rejong - along the west route.

However, Cheng Lim, Farmway and Kupang stations will only be opened later.

Still, SBS Transit have done enough homework to ride out the kinks.

Mr Ong Boon Leong, Chief Operating Officer of SBS Transit, said: "By and large, the experience we have over the last two years operating the SengKang East Loop and now we are operating a similar system, has given us a lot of confidence in that area, so while it will never be 100 percent from day one, we expect a very high level of reliability."

The opening of the Punggol East and SengKang West loops will result in some minor changes to the bus network system in these areas.

From March 12, Service number 84 and 371 will be withdrawn, and commuters can expect to save up to 10 minutes if they use the LRT.

Mr Vincent Loh, Director of Service Development at SBS Transit, said: "The other services have less parallel with the LRT, and basically Service 371 and 84, they provide intra-town movement which is what the LRT is supposed to do."

The operating hours for both Punggol East and SengKang West loops will be from 5.20am to 12.35am.

Fares will be pegged to distance, similar to the existing fare structure.

Adult ez-link card fares for the Punggol East loop will be set at 64 cents amd single trip fares using the standard ticket will cost 80 cents.

For the Sengkang West loop, adult ez-link card fares will be 64 cents and single trip fares using the standard tickets will be 80 cents.

Fares for travel beyond the West Loop to the East Loop, will range between 64 cents and 84 cents for adult ez-link card, and between 80 cents and $1 for the standard ticket. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

[huaiwei]

Nevermind. I first thought both of you were in that picture.

And yes, I have seen your picture.
I dont blame you for thinking that thou...even I myself was mislead at first! :D

Goodness...my photo must be all over this forums by now. Then again, my face is appearing with every new post anyway! ;)

[huaiwei]

Punggol LRT and Sengkang LRT West Loop to Commence Revenue Service on 29 January 2005

Residents in Punggol and West Sengkang will have reason to cheer when the Punggol LRT and Sengkang LRT (West Loop) commence revenue service on 29 January 2005.

PUNGGOL LRT:

Phased Opening
The Punggol LRT will be opened in phases with the first six stations along the East Loop to start first. They are Punggol, Cove, Meridian, Coral Edge, Riviera and Kadaloor.

The remaining two stations – Oasis and Damai – as well as the seven stations along the West Loop will be opened at a later date when the area surrounding these stations are more developed.

The Punggol LRT was handed over to SBS Transit by the Land Transport Authority on 1 December 2004.

Fares
The fares for Punggol LRT will be pegged to distance and similar to the existing fare structure of Sengkang LRT. However, given the number of stations covered in the East Loop, adult ez-link card fares for the East Loop will be set at 64 cents and single trip fares using the Standard Ticket will cost 80 cents.

Operation Details
The operating hours for the Punggol LRT East Loop will be from 5.20am to 12.35am. From 5.20am to 3pm, it will operate in the clockwise direction from Kadaloor Station in the direction of Punggol Town Centre. From 3pm to 12.35am, it will operate in the anti-clockwise direction from Punggol Town Centre in the direction of Cove Station. This will allow commuters to be brought from the developed areas to Punggol Station in the shortest time in the peak flow direction.

SBS Transit will monitor and review the arrangement and make any changes if the need arises.

Service frequency will be 4 minutes for the peak hours and 6 minutes for the off peak hours.

SENGKANG LRT (WEST LOOP):

Five Stations To Open First
The West Loop has eight stations comprising Cheng Lim, Farmway, Kupang, Thanggam, Fernvale, Layar, Tongkang and Renjong. Of the eight, Cheng Lim, Farmway and Kupang stations will be opened at a later date due to the lack of housing developments in the vicinity.

Fares
Within the Sengkang LRT West Loop, adult ez-link card fares will be 64 cents and single trip fares using the Standard Ticket will be 80 cents. For travel beyond the West Loop to the East Loop, the fares will range between 64 cents and 84 cents for adult ez-link card and between 80 cents and one dollar for the Standard Ticket.

Operation Details
For the Sengkang LRT West Loop, the operating hours will be from 5.20am to 12.35am. From 5.20am to 3pm, it will operate in the anti-clockwise direction from Thanggam Station in the direction of Sengkang Town Centre. From 3pm to 12.35am, it will operate in the clockwise direction from Sengkang Town Centre in the direction of Renjong Station. In this way, commuters from the developed area will be brought to Sengkang Town Centre in the shortest time in the peak flow direction.

SBS Transit will also monitor and review the arrangement and make any changes if the need arises.

Service frequency will be 4.5 minutes for the peak hours and 7 minutes for the off peak hours.

BUS SERVICE CHANGES

With the commencement of revenue service for Punggol LRT East Loop and Sengkang LRT West Loop, there will be additional capacity for intra-town movements given the existing bus network. As a result, the bus service network in both towns will be slightly changed, taking care to minimise any inconvenience caused to residents and ensuring that the capacity is adequate to meet demand.

To allow residents more time to familarise themselves with the Punggol LRT East Loop and Sengkang LRT West Loop, the bus rationalisation will only be implemented at the start of the school holidays on Saturday 12 March 2005, some six weeks after the start of both loops.

Punggol LRT East Loop
A network of six bus services including 3, 62, 82, 83, 84 and 136 as well as NEL at Punggol Station currently serves Punggol Town. Of these bus services, only Service 84 will be withdrawn as it is routed along the alignment of the Punggol LRT East Loop (see attached Map 1). Service 84’s withdrawal would not affect existing passengers along Punggol Central as Services 3 and 83 are still available for connection to the Punggol Interchange/Station. Passengers boarding along Punggol Field will be able to take the LRT or the alternative Service 62 to Punggol Interchange/Station.

Sengkang LRT West Loop
Currently, there are three bus services namely 163, 371 and 372 serving the developed areas in Sengkang West Loop. Of the three bus services, only Service 371 will be withdrawn as it duplicates the Sengkang LRT West Loop extensively (see attached Map 2). In response to feedback from the residents, Service 163 will be slightly amended to use Fernvale Lane enroute so that passengers who travel between Fernvale area and Punggol Road and Sengkang East Way will have a shorter walk to the bus stop. Service 372 will not be affected.

FAMILIARISATION VISITS

Leading up to revenue service of Punggol LRT East Loop and Sengkang LRT West Loop, familiarisation visits including train rides were conducted for Advisors to Grassroots Organisations and grassroots leaders from Punggol North, Punggol Central and Jalan Kayu constituencies on 8 January 2005. Similar visits will also be organised in the following weeks for senior citizens and school children from the two areas prior to commencement of revenue service.

On the opening of Punggol LRT East Loop and Sengkang LRT West Loop, Mr Ong Boon Leong, Chief Operating Officer, SBS Transit said, “We are pleased to be able to start our LRT service on the Punggol LRT East Loop and the Sengkang LRT West Loop. We certainly hope that the residents in both areas will benefit from the start of the service. While it is difficult to have a perfect system from Day One, we are confident that we will be able to achieve a high level of reliability given the extensive testing and our experience with the Sengkang LRT East Loop.”

[ignoramus]

..

[ignoramus]

Jan 11, 2005
Punggol LRT set to roll
Start date is Jan 29, but only eastern loop and 5 out of 7 stations will open

By Christopher Tan
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

THE Punggol LRT will start rolling on Jan 29, but trains will ply on only the eastern loop and stop at just five out of seven stations deemed to have enough commuter traffic.

On the same day, operator SBS Transit will start serving residents living along the western loop of the Sengkang LRT - two years after the line opened - as 'ridership on our buses' plying this loop has trebled in the last two years.

SBS Transit chief operating officer Ong Boon Leong said he expects the number of commuters on this loop to be 'between 3,000 and 5,000 a day'. Trains will still skip the first three stops, located in underpopulated spots of this loop.

Fares for both loops are capped at 64 cents for ez-link card holders because of the limited number of stations open. A standard ticket costs 80 cents.

The way the Punggol LRT is starting - one loop, some stops skipped - reprises the Sengkang line's start. Punggol's western loop currently runs through an undeveloped stretch flanked by the Punggol marina at Punggol End.

Mr Ong reckons that Punggol commuters living near the five stations will have their travelling time shaved by two to five minutes. In March, bus services 84 and 371 will be removed, as these duplicate the new train services that provide intra-town commute.

SBS Transit, a subsidiary of transport giant ComfortDelGro, entered the rail business in 2003 with the operation of the North-East MRT Line and Sengkang LRT east loop.

It has been losing money on the trains as demand for housing in Sengkang and Punggol, as well as other new towns, has not been as high as urban planners had anticipated.

In the first year, ComfortDelGro incurred a $42 million loss on its rail business. But research house Citigroup Smith Barney forecasts that the group's rail losses would fall to $18 million for the year ended 2004, $14 million for this year and $9 million next year.

Mr Ong said daily ridership on the North-East Line is now 'close to 190,000', from under 170,000 when the trains started running. Its break-even number is 250,000.

He indicated that the operating cost of its entire rail business is in excess of $70 million a year, with the LRT accounting for $12 million.

At yesterday's preview for the press, SBS Transit warned commuters not to expect the Punggol LRT to be 'perfect'. However, as its operation of the Sengkang line has been '99.92 per cent' fault-free, Mr Ong is confident the new services will be highly reliable.

[gakei]

http://www.gakei.com/sg1/sgm04.jpg

http://www.gakei.com/sg1/sgm11.jpg

http://www.gakei.com/sg1/sgm12.jpg

http://www.gakei.com/sg1/sgm13.jpg

http://www.gakei.com/sg1/sgml4.jpg

[ More Photos ... (http://www.gakei.com/sg1/sgm.htm) ]

:)

[ignoramus]

Impressive shots! The picture quality is by far one of the best that I have seen so far! You visited Singapore recently I see, and toured most of our different train systems. Thanks for your contribution. :). Tell us more about your visit.

[ailiton]

Anyone has a recording of MRT's door chime?

[ignoramus]

I may or may not have it. Will have to browse through my C: but I will certainly message you when I do find it. Okay?

[ailiton]

Thanks very much. But can you tell me quick how it sounds like?

[gakei]

Impressive shots! The picture quality is by far one of the best that I have seen so far! You visited Singapore recently I see, and toured most of our different train systems. Thanks for your contribution. :). Tell us more about your visit.

Yes ... actually I followed my friend to go there but she needed to meet her own friend. Therefore when I was alone I went to different MRT and LRT stations and bus terminals for photos. If my sole purpose was to take photo I would choose summer to go, since it was raining for all 4 days that I stayed *_* :)

[kenmin]

Hope someone will make something like this for our system too.

http://www.sznews.com.cn/dtckt/S200412141632487.jpg

[huaiwei]

Indeed those are beautiful shots, Gakei! No one stared at you when you took them? ;)

[gakei]

Indeed those are beautiful shots, Gakei! No one stared at you when you took them? ;)

When "packaging" and "marketing" myself as a tourist from my appearance (e.g. showing a tourist map/guide in my hand), people will not find strange as tourists can be interested in anything local people cannot imagine. Or sometimes I pretented to be viewing photos shown on the DC's LCD display but actually clicking the shutter button ... (which I normally did when taking photos in Beijing Subway trains) :P

Sure if doing that in HK people will stare at me then :)

[huaiwei]

Haha....thats comical. :D Do you happen to be Caucasian btw? I would think its much easier to pass off as one then!

[huaiwei]

Maps showing the soon to be opened LRT stations and lines (and the withdrawal of bus services):

http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/press/20050110-2B.jpg

http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/press/20050110-2BA.jpg

[ignoramus]

..

[ignoramus]

Alstom Metropolis Cars
© ignoramus
http://img41.exs.cx/img41/8838/dsc000836hf.jpg

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Crystal Mover Cars
© ignoramus
http://img105.exs.cx/img105/5265/dsc001012sk.jpg
http://img102.exs.cx/img102/4751/dsc001025zu.jpg
http://img142.exs.cx/img142/3282/dsc000970gr.jpg

NE16 Sengkang
© ignoramus
http://img10.exs.cx/img10/6973/dsc000866lz.jpg

STC Sengkang
© ignoramus
http://img22.exs.cx/img22/7709/dsc000872rz.jpg
http://img22.exs.cx/img22/787/dsc000915qj.jpg
http://img146.exs.cx/img146/9608/dsc000924ef.jpg

[huaiwei]

Aye...these are the photos you took with us right?

[ignoramus]

Aye...these are the photos you took with us right?
Yeah. Finally had the time to put them online.

[ailiton]

Still couldn't find the door chime file for me?

[babystan03]

18 January 2005

Jalan Kayu shops expected to benefit from opening of LRT station

SINGAPORE : It is 11 days till Singapore's third Light Rapid Transit, the Punggol LRT, is rolled out.

Not only is the LRT expected to bring greater convenience to residents of the area, stall holders in Jalan Kayu are also hoping to cash in on the commuter traffic.

Not many people live around the Thanggam LRT station in Sengkang, but the station will still open at the end of this month.

And that is expected to benefit stall holders at Jalan Kayu, who expect sales to increase by 30 percent.

Said 'roti prata' shop owner Yusoff Marican, "I think this one is even faster, so because of the LRT, we will have customers coming from the Sengkang area."

Lan Shi Ping, owner of a 'bah kwa' shop, said, "We can expect customers from Sengkang and Hougang to come here for the roti prata. They can buy our bah kwa at the same time."

The Land Transport Authority is also building an overhead bridge to link the station with a path that leads to Jalan Kayu.

It takes only five to ten minutes to reach Jalan Kayu by foot from the station.

Right now, most of the customers that frequent the famous roti prata shops at Jalan Kayu get there by car.

With the new station opening, stall holders expect to reach out to non-driving customers as well. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

[huaiwei]

Haha...since when do we have an LRT station just for a bunch of coffeeshops??? :D

[Fir3blaze]

So we can go eat prata more often i think :cheers:

[babystan03]

Oh I love this view......:D

http://img142.exs.cx/img142/3282/dsc000970gr.jpg
Picture by Ignoramus

[ignoramus]

..

[kenmin]

The total cost for EWL and NSL is only for the first stage right? Does it include that of Woodlands MRT Extension?

[ignoramus]

The rough figure stated includes the cost of building the
- North South Line & East West Line Basic Network Completed In 1990 (S$5 Billion)
- Woodlands Extension (S$1.4 Billion) *Conflicting figures ranging from S$1.2 Billion to S$1.4 Billion were given. The latter was chosen.
- Dover Station (S$55 Million)
- Changi Airport Extension (S$750 Million)

[huaiwei]

Oh btw, I finally noticed the multilingual signs on the NEL since about two weeks ago I think. ;)

[ignoramus]

You mean the new ones that are to be implemented system wide or the old ones which were found in the NEL stations since its opening.

[huaiwei]

You mean the new ones that are to be implemented system wide or the old ones which were found in the NEL stations since its opening.
New ones. They also added them to the info boards in the stations, so now I get to see the tamil script for ALL stations, including the LRTS! :D Gonna type out the list soon and add to wikipedia...you can copy them here too if you want. ;)

[ignoramus]

Okay inform me when you are done. Havent been on NEL in like 2 months.

[huaiwei]

haha.....anyway added abit for the changi line stations and punggol lrt stations. It is taking a long time coz its really time consuming to compose the Tamil script! :D

[huaiwei]

Posted: 27 January 2005 1440 hrs

Sengkang, Punggol LRTs to start operations on Saturday

SINGAPORE : The Sengkang LRT West Loop and Punggol LRT East Loop will start operating on Saturday.

The Sengkang LRT West Loop will start at 10 am that day after an opening ceremony, while the Punggol LRT East Loop will start its service from 1 pm.

After Saturday, both will revert to normal operating hours of between 5.20 am and 12.35 am. - CNA

[babystan03]

Business Times - 28 Jan 2005

SMRT Q3 profit up 25%

Higher revenue and lower costs and tax gave a 25 per cent boost to SMRT Corp's third quarter profits. The transport group on Friday said net profit in the three months ended Dec 31, 2004 rose to $23.9 million from $19.1 million a year ago. Earnings per share increased to 1.6 cents from 1.3 cents.

Revenue grew 1 per cent to $170.2 million as a result a larger hired-out taxi fleet, which offset lower fare revenue. Operating expenses declined 1 per cent due to lower depreciation charges and other operating expenses, which offset higher diesel costs.

Income tax expenses were 26.9 per cent lower as an asset-related grant was no longer subject to tax and the corporate tax rate was lower.

For the nine months ended Dec 31, 2004, SMRT's net profit rose 51 per cent to $72.5 million while revenue increased 1.3 per cent to $508.2 million.

SMRT shares closed unchanged on Friday at 95 cents. The stock has gained 8 per cent so far this year.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

[newyorkrunaway1]

Asian mass transit is the best worlwide by far!!!! they have the most advanced and largest networks of mass transit than any other continent on earth. I would love to ride it just once. hehehe

[ailiton]

ignoramus: you got my pm?

[playboy]

When i stepped on the Punggol LRT Platform on first day of operation. I saw the reserve track at the middle of the platform. I did not know what is use for the future. :) :)

[kenmin]

When i stepped on the Punggol LRT Platform on first day of operation. I saw the reserve track at the middle of the platform. I did not know what is use for the future. :) :)
For the future Punggol (North) Line? I thought it will branch from PW2. :?:

[huaiwei]

Anyway....anyone figure why the need a track running between STC and PTC?

[huaiwei]

SMRT retail plan delayed but still in the works

By Christopher Tan
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

THE glitzy new retail concept that transport operator SMRT Corp was banking on to boost rents by $3 million this financial year is behind schedule but remains on the cards.

The Temasek-owned company said in its third-quarter results announcement yesterday that 'delays in approval' mean the incremental rental revenue will not be realised this year.

However, SMRT is 'confident of achieving annualised projected rental of $10 million' - once approval for new retail space at eight stations is given and the shops are built.

Nevertheless, it posted a 25.2 per cent rise in net profit to $23.9 million for the third quarter ended Dec 31 last year. This was on the back of a 1 per cent rise in revenue to $170.2 million, lower operating expenses and lighter tax expenses.

Revenue was boosted by an expanded taxi fleet, which offset a dip in fare revenue. SMRT now has 2,500 cabs, with a further 500 to join the fleet by the end of March.

Earnings per share rose from 1.3 cents to 1.6 cents for the three months, while net tangible assets per share stood at 32.5 cents, from 25 cents previously.

Directors expect fare revenue to remain stable this quarter, while the expanded taxi fleet will lift non-fare revenue.

Asked when approval for renovating the stations would be granted, the executive vice-president of finance, Mr Patrick Lau, said: 'We are not sure, because the decision lies with the authorities.'

The retail revamp is the brainchild of chief executive Saw Phaik Hwa, who was a retailer before joining the transport company in December 2002.

The operator had expected income from rental of retail space to rise by 50 per cent or $10 million in the next financial year. For the nine months ended last December, rental dipped from $14.9 million to $14 million.

[kenmin]

Anyway....anyone figure why the need a track running between STC and PTC?
Because there is only one depot.

[babystan03]

04 February 2005

Nicoll Highway Circle Line MRT to be located at Republic Avenue
By Wong Siew Ying/Ng Lian Cheong, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Republic Avenue will be home to the new Nicoll Highway Circle Line MRT station.

The Land Transport Authority and contractors have decided to relocate the station and tunnels, following the collapse of the Nicoll Highway last April.

Mangled steel, obstructions and soil disturbance at the collapse site will pose many difficulties during tunneling work.

So, after six months of study, the builders have decided to relocate the Nicoll Highway Circle Line MRT station and tunnels, which were over 60 percent completed when tragedy struck.

The reconstruction project will include a new alignment of 1.8 kilometres of tunnels.

And the new station will be shifted a hundred metres south of the original location.

The LTA says costs are expected to rise due to additional recovery works.

It is also taking a top-down approach to construction, starting with the roof before working its way to the platform area.

Lim Bok Ngam, Director, Engineering, LTA, said, "The new station caters for one single line and is shallower. So top-down is more suitable. Because of the revised design, we find that it's more prudent to carry out a top-down construction; in a way we will limit the extent of excavation, the depth of excavation to about 7 metres maximum, whereas in the previous construction method, the depth of excavation could be as deep as 30 metres."

The new Nicoll Highway Circle Line Station will have two entrances - one, linking it to the Concourse, and the other serving a nearby park.

Besides changes to construction methods, there are also new provisions for risk management and personnel movements.

LTA says 95 percent of the project team will comprise new faces to inject fresh inputs into the process and avoid possible psychological impact on the workers.

More checks will also be done to better monitor ground movements and work progress.

Rajan Krishnan, Director of Projects, LTA, said, "When we move from one level of excavation to the next level of excavation, we have to ensure that not only 1 or 2 staff clear it, but professional engineers, the qualified person in charge of supervising the work, the project manager, a number of people from LTA's side and the contractor's side...verify that things are okay."

Traffic along Republic Avenue will be diverted when work begins in June, and the reconstruction project is expected to be completed by 2010. - CNA

Copyright © 2005 MCN International Pte Ltd

[babystan03]

Feb 5, 2005
Slower but safer way to rebuild collapsed MRT sector
Rebuilding of Nicoll Highway section to start this year; be finished in 2010

By Christopher Tan
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

THE new MRT track to replace the collapsed Circle Line section along Nicoll Highway will be built using a different, safer approach.

First, twin tunnels will be created with boring machines, which are proven to be the least disruptive to the earth and surrounding structures. They will run a straighter, and therefore slightly shorter, course than the previous tunnel.

Next, the new Nicoll Highway station, to be sited 100m south of the original location, will be built using a top-down method. This requires putting up the station roof first, and using it as a super structure to support the retaining walls. Excavation will then continue through openings in the roof. The method, which is less commonly used here, is slower.

Land Transport Authority director of projects Rajan Krishnan, however, emphasised that the previous cut-and-cover bottom-up method is still a safe one, and has been used extensively in past MRT projects. The collapsed tunnel was built using the cut-and-cover bottom-up method.

This time, the retaining walls of the new station will be 1.5m thick, about 50 per cent thicker than the ones that gave way on April 20 last year, killing four men. These walls will go 60m down, twice as deep as before.

Mr Rajan said re-excavating along the collapsed site was too risky because of the uncertainties posed.

'There are generators, an excavator, gas tanks and steel structures buried. Also, to predict how natural soil will behave is tough enough. But to do so in an area that has been disturbed, where the soil is mixed with foam concrete and grout, would be doubly challenging.'

The task would be 'like a treasure hunt'.

All these uncertainties could also make it more costly to re-excavate the first site, he reckoned. Besides the debris, rebuilding along the same alignment would pose other engineering challenges, he said.

Huge T-shaped retaining walls up to 5m thick would have to built outside the existing walls, and these would have to go as deep as 70m before re-excavating can start. The steel supporting beams for the new walls would also have to puncture the old walls first.

He was not able to offer the reconstruction cost, but 'we would keep to the $273 million' of the original contract.

The damage caused by the collapse is still being worked out by the various parties, including insurers, he added.

The former tunnel and station have been filled with sand and stabilised, and Nicoll Highway will be returned to its original course by the end of the year.

Construction of the new section will start in the middle of this year and is scheduled to be completed in 2010. But by the middle of next year, stretches like Bras Basah Road, Beach Road, Raffles Boulevard, Temasek Avenue and Rochor Road that were diverted for the Circle Line construction will be reinstated to their previous positions.

The rebuilding project will be handled by a new team from Japanese contractor Nishimatsu Construction. Its director of international operations Tadashi Sugiyama said yesterday the company will mobilise all the necessary resources to ensure the project is completed in a safe and timely manner.

The LTA will also put in more stringent safety measures for that section. It will appoint its own specialist instrumentation contractor and an independent checker for the temporary works.

The extra layer of control, which was introduced on the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway project soon after the Nicoll Highway collapse, is expected to become a regular feature of major infrastructural projects from now on.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Feb 5, 2005
Line linked to Circle Line may be realigned

A PLANNED MRT line meant to join the Circle Line at the original Nicoll Highway station may have to be realigned, the Land Transport Authority has indicated.

It did not say which this would be. Future lines include one linking the Bukit Timah area to downtown, and another looping the east coast area.

One of these was supposed to hook up with the Circle Line at the former Nicoll Highway station, which had provisions for such a link.

The station replacing it will not have such a provision, the LTA revealed yesterday.

Nevertheless, the LTA assured, future lines can still connect with the Circle Line, although it may require 'a bit more work' when no structural provisions are made.

Meanwhile, director of projects Rajan Krishnan said discussions are underway with listed transport group SMRT Corp, the appointed operator of the Circle Line, on the feasibility of opening other stages of the line before the Nicoll Highway section (part of Stage 1) is completed in 2010.

Opening other sections first might not yield enough commuter traffic for the line to be commercially viable, but no decision has yet been made.

The Circle Line connects mature population centres such as Bishan, Serangoon and Telok Blangah, but the bulk of ridership traffic is expected to be to and from the city centre, with intra-town commute forming a smaller portion of traffic.

SMRT had expected the Circle Line to cater to about 300,000 rides a day.

Stock analysts have not forecast how the delay of Stage 1 of the Circle Line would affect SMRT's future profits. The line was supposed to be up and running by 2008, although earlier indications were for a 2007 opening.

Researcher Teo Hiang Boon of broking house G K Goh said: 'I haven't changed my recommendation for SMRT since November. It's still Hold.'

A Hold call on a stock is understood to be less than favourable.
-- CHRISTOPHER TAN

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[ignoramus]

..

[babystan03]

Expo Station:

http://img133.exs.cx/img133/1286/dscn212218fp.jpg

[vytux]

If only other cities around the world would learn from investment into public transport like the Singaporean example. We'd have a much greener (and cleaner) world!

[kenmin]

The rough figure stated includes the cost of building the
- North South Line & East West Line Basic Network Completed In 1990 (S$5 Billion)
- Woodlands Extension (S$1.4 Billion) *Conflicting figures ranging from S$1.2 Billion to S$1.4 Billion were given. The latter was chosen.
- Dover Station (S$55 Million)
- Changi Airport Extension (S$750 Million)
Got this from the Transport White Paper (http://www.lta.gov.sg/corp_info/doc/white%20paper.pdf).

The North-South/East-West line and the Woodlands line already cost $6.3 bn

[babystan03]

Feb 7, 2005
MRT signs going multilingual

By Theresa Tan

A QUARTER of the 8,000 key signs at MRT stations now have signs in Chinese and Tamil as well as English, to help those who cannot read English.

The Land Transport Authority is currently in the process of making multilingual signboards and maps for MRT and LRT stations across the island. Work is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

Since stations names in Malay are similar to English ones, the new signs will only have Chinese and Tamil translations, an LTA spokesman said.

The move is part of efforts proposed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his National Day Rally speech last year to help older Singaporeans feel more at home.

Previously, only a handful of MRT stations in the city area, such as Dhoby Ghaut and Little India, had signs in more than one language.

After the North-East line opened in 2003, non-English reading commuters complained that they found it hard to work out where to get off the train, as the line was completely underground and there were no landmarks to help them identify their location.

In response, the LTA is spending $600,000 to replace existing key signs and maps with multilingual versions. The project started late last year.

So far, 30 underground MRT stations have English, Mandarin and Tamil station names on panels above the platform doors.

An LTA spokesman said: 'We are progressively changing the signs at all the stations and we hope to finish the project by the end of the year.'

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved

[babystan03]

07 February 2005

Smooth rides along Punggol, Sengkang LRT lines since opening
By S. Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : The latest additions to Singapore's LRT system - the Punggol and Sengkang LRT lines - performed well since it started operations on January 29.

Operator SBS Transit said the system had delivered safe, reliable and smooth rides.

Up to February 6, there have been 54,840 rides on the Punggol LRT and some 37,180 on the Sengkang LRT.

SBS Transit's Chief Operating Officer Ong Boon Leong said he was encouraged by commuters' support and confidence. - CNA

Copyright © 2005 MCN International Pte Ltd

[ignoramus]

Feb 8, 2005
More than 10,000 rides a day on Punggol, Sengkang LRT
ONE tiny resident and her mum were hugely relieved when the west loop of Sengkang LRT opened more than a week ago.

Two-year-old Edlyn Ho used to have to walk with Madam Yuen Kah Wai across four roads to get from Sengkang MRT station to their HDB flat in Anchorvale Link.

Usually, the little girl tired out halfway through the 15-minute journey and ended up in her mother's arms. Madam Yuen, 28, whose arms used to get a little sore carrying 11kg Edlyn, said: 'The LRT saves on walking. But if I'm alone, I'll walk because it's faster and it's exercise.'

In its first nine days, the loop has recorded an average of 4,131 rides a day.

Traffic on the east loop of Punggol LRT, where five out of seven stations opened on the same day, have averaged 6,093 rides a day.

'We are encouraged by the commuters' support and confidence,' said SBS Transit's chief operating officer, Mr Ong Boon Leong.

SBS Transit told The Straits Times that it believes passenger numbers will improve when residents are more familiar with the system and after it removes existing Punggol bus services that duplicate the train line in the middle of next month.

The LRT is just one of the upgrades planned for the Sengkang and Punggol estates. A neighbourhood park at Compassvale Street is due to be ready by this year. In two years' time, a 21ha town park along Sungei Punggol, with a fruit tree theme, should be open too.

Sungei Punggol's Anchorvale Community Club is scheduled to open next year, with an adjacent sports complex featuring a football field, sports hall and swimming pools opening in 2007.

Other new amenities in the two estates include churches, temples and a petrol station.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement & Condition of Access.

[babystan03]

09 February 2005

SMRT up in arms to keep commuters happy
By Farah Abdul Rahim / Lee Ching Yee, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : The God of Fortune smiled on 8 lucky commuters who won 88 days of unlimited travel on public transport, thanks to SMRT's Ride for Free countdown draw.

And for the really lucky commuter, he or she could walk away with a Nissan March, the top prize in the festive draw.

The winning ez-link numbers will be displayed at train stations and bus interchanges, as well as online @ www.smrt.com.sg

Meanwhile, SMRT commuters who love shopping are also in for a treat.

SMRT has just revamped five stations at a cost of S$20 million to include more retail space

Shops conveniently located at MRT stations are a boon for both retailers and commuters.

The newly revamped Yew Tee MRT station-cum-retail mall has many more stores for shoppers - and even includes a clinic.

A few commuters we spoke to welcome the change.

Retailers at Yew Tee and Sembawang - together with Raffles Place, Marsiling and Bukit Batok stations - are celebrating more than the New Year cheer.

Their cash tills have been ringing in the sales since they opened over the past month.

The revamped stations have more than 90 shops - which have been given a new lease of life.

SMRT is also looking at revamping its remaining stations. - CNA

Copyright © 2005 MCN International Pte Ltd

[ignoramus]

..

[babystan03]

^ Ignore, have you try the Punggol LRT yet??

[ignoramus]

Nope. I want to though, even though the ride itself may be no different from the ride on the Sengkang LRT.

[babystan03]

Nope. I want to though, even though the ride itself may be no different from the ride on the Sengkang LRT.

I think the "scenery" will be different......though I'm not sure how big the difference is ........:?

Maybe I try to arrange that in the meetup next week or something......haha.....:D

[huaiwei]

Damn Ulu loh...although I heard there is a new mall somewhere over there I think.

Anyway, isnt Punggol the place whereby I first met baby? :D

[babystan03]

Damn Ulu loh...although I heard there is a new mall somewhere over there I think.

Anyway, isnt Punggol the place whereby I first met baby? :D

Yeah baby.......ulu place......:lol:

Got mall ah?? Must be one of those small ones like Ten Mile Junction....:yes:

[huaiwei]

MRT staff do remind commuters to keep left

I REFER to the letter, 'Get commuters to keep left' by Mr Henry Tan Soon Choon (The Sunday Times, Jan 30).

The 'keep left' escalator scheme was launched in 2002 as part of SMRT's efforts to cultivate social graciousness and enhance the travelling experience of commuters.

Under the scheme, commuters are encouraged to 'keep left', allowing others who are in a hurry to walk on the right. There are also signs along the escalators to serve as a reminder.

We wish to share with Mr Tan that it is not always possible to deploy staff at the escalators during peak hours as they may be required to serve commuters at the passenger service centre, attend to equipment or patrol the station premises.

Nevertheless, station staff do remind commuters to keep left should they spot such situations in the course of their duties.

We thank Mr Tan for his feedback, and would like to urge commuters to practise courtesy towards others to ensure a more pleasant travelling experience for all.

Dawn Low (Ms)
Manager
Corporate Communications
SMRT Corporation Ltd

[babystan03]

Punggol LRT part 1(12/2/05):

Boarding the station
http://img139.exs.cx/img139/5701/dscn230217te.jpg

Scene from the overhead bridge
http://img139.exs.cx/img139/1001/dscn230319zt.jpg

Going to the platform(no escalator btw)
http://img139.exs.cx/img139/4647/dscn230410jp.jpg

At the platform
http://img139.exs.cx/img139/8710/dscn230619wa.jpg

Finally my LRT came........:D
http://img160.exs.cx/img160/6387/dscn231015ql.jpg

To be continued........;)

[babystan03]

Part 2 LRT ride(12/2/05):

The only mall i've seen on the way
http://img239.exs.cx/img239/2259/dscn231311ny.jpg

Crowded train
http://img239.exs.cx/img239/6130/dscn231414it.jpg

Commieblocks (seem like the only thing in Punggol....:lol: )
http://img53.exs.cx/img53/1826/dscn231610rb.jpg

Reaching the Punggol Station......
http://img53.exs.cx/img53/2299/dscn232012fr.jpg

Reached.......yipee(less than 10 mins est)......:D
http://img53.exs.cx/img53/1396/dscn232217mp.jpg

[huaiwei]

Ah ha! Punggol Plaza...that must be the mall I was talking about. :D

Anyway, there are people in Pungool? :lol:

[babystan03]

Ah ha! Punggol Plaza...that must be the mall I was talking about. :D

Anyway, there are people in Pungool? :lol:

Yes.......to go visit ppl during new year mah......:yes:

[huaiwei]

icic...anyway the people dont look like they are dressed for visiting loh. :D

[babystan03]

icic...anyway the people dont look like they are dressed for visiting loh. :D

Haha.....the weather is too hot for that......:rant:

[babystan03]

Feb 24, 2005
Sip wine at Raffles Place station

By Daryl Loo

OFFICE workers getting off work can now kick back with a cup of coffee with a dash of booze or a glass of wine at the Raffles Place MRT station, something which has never been allowed before.

They can pick these drinks up at the Coffee Connoisseur cafe, the first outlet at an MRT station in Singapore allowed to serve alcohol.

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2005-02-24/home6.jpg

Before the cafe was allowed to set up underground, the layout of the station's shopping arcade had to be changed, to conform with the fire safety rules that places selling liquor have to abide with.

The revamp cost SMRT Corporation, which operates all the MRT stations and lines here with the exception of the North-East Line, about $7 million.

Minister of State for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua said yesterday at the official launch of the Raffles Xchange, as the arcade has been dubbed, that such use of space is encouraged as it creates alternate income for public transport operators.

This, in turn, allows operators to hold off future hikes in fares, she added.

The Raffles Place station is the first to undergo a major facelift under SMRT's plan to add retail space and inject new life into some of its 51 stations.

Work on it started last June and was supposed to have been done by November. But regulatory issues, such as the fire safety requirements, which required the station's walkways to be made wider, delayed things.

'I am glad that SMRT has persevered in its plans,' said Mrs Lim.

It led to a review of rules, like the one on the width of MRT station walkways, by agencies such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Urban Redevelopment Authority which regulate such issues, she noted.

To work around the one that says no retail outlet is allowed to serve alcohol at any MRT station, SMRT built The Coffee Connoisseur outlet in an area away from the main transit area at Raffles Place.

Retail space at the station has been increased by 53 per cent to 2,600 sq m, allowing more shops to open there. From 35 spots, there is now place for 53, of which just one unit is yet to be rented out.

Most outlets are selling clothes and accessories, and include Giordano and Goldheart Jewelry. There is also the usual bunch of food outlets, gift shops and convenience stores.

SMRT chairman Choo Chiau Beng said after his company's experience dealing with regulatory issues at Raffles Xchange, it should be able to complete revamps at other MRT stations much faster.

The operator is hoping to raise its income from retail space rental by 50 per cent or $10 million by April next year.

SMRT is also getting revenue from advertising at its stations, trains, buses and taxis, providing engineering services and rail management overseas, and its taxi business.

But Mr Choo believes that if all goes as planned, SMRT's retail rentals should be the fastest growing area as 'we've still got plenty of space in all the stations'.

'If we can grow our non-fare revenue, it helps us to give people using public transport the lowest fares,' he added.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[redstone]

The mall is new, right?

[babystan03]

The mall is new, right?

More like renovated......:yes:

[babystan03]

Any more pics of Punggol MRT station? :D

Only one more.......:yes:

http://img207.exs.cx/img207/7651/dscn232412sc.jpg

[ignoramus]

..

[huaiwei]

Finally....

Where have you been all these while?

[babystan03]

Changi Airport MRT (again...:D ; 3/3/05 )

http://img221.exs.cx:81/img221/5282/pic0042813wj.jpg

http://img221.exs.cx:81/img221/7697/pic0043015eo.jpg

[Worlds of Earth]

The best looking of the lot from the inside.

[ignoramus]

..

[huaiwei]

Ignore seems to be updating this thread every weekend.....haha! :D

[ignoramus]

..

[ignoramus]

..

[babystan03]

Taking the Northeast Line from Harbourfront (16/3/05):

http://img20.exs.cx/img20/4940/pic0140010pd.jpg

[babystan03]

Hmm....seems like not many people going to Marina Bay.....:lol:

http://img224.exs.cx/img224/7879/pic0146018lf.jpg

[ignoramus]

if you happen to pass by Raffles Place do take pics of the Raffles Xchange. :)

[babystan03]

if you happen to pass by Raffles Place do take pics of the Raffles Xchange. :)

Aiyo.....I just pass by there yesterday and I didn't take pictures....... :bash:

[ignoramus]

Aiyo.....I just pass by there yesterday and I didn't take pictures....... :bash:

haha was just wondering whether it looks sophisticated in looks or whether it looks cheap...hehe...

[babystan03]

haha was just wondering whether it looks sophisticated in looks or whether it looks cheap...hehe...

Looks better than the previous one loh.......but not as classy as citylink mall I think......:yes:

[ignoramus]

..

[huaiwei]

Wow you are back. Meetup leh.....without your cap. :D

[nova]

Does anyone have the old MRT map.. with the East-West line in blue and green and the North-South line in red and yellow?

I still miss it.. :(

[ignoramus]

Not all maps are posted here because
1. Maps dating back to 1989 are not exactly available online. Back then computers were only owned by the super rich etc etc.
2. The maps that are available online are mostly created by others and thus there are some discrepancies (like in the alphanumerical symbols given to the stations)

February 1996 To November 1999
http://www.worldtram.com/image/singapore_map.gif

January 2003 To January 2005
http://rocling.iis.sinica.edu.tw/~eddie/Tarcy/Travel/Singapore/Fun/images/MRT_route_map.jpg

January 2005 To Present & Future
http://www.lta.gov.sg/projects/images/system_map.gif

[redstone]

Got some super nostalgic ones when the Woodlands line was not completed?

I remember once when I was little taking the train from Bukit Batok to AMK..... :rant:

[ignoramus]

Got some super nostalgic ones when the Woodlands line was not completed?

I remember once when I was little taking the train from Bukit Batok to AMK..... :rant:

Back then
1. The Jurong East - Choa Chu Kang branch line (4 stations) was brown in colour. I can't remember what were the alphanumeric characters used in this branch line though. (Example: C1 City Hall, C2 Raffles Place and M1 Marina Bay)
2. We had flip dot displays on the platforms, displaying only one line of information, that being the destination of the train which was arriving in 30 seconds time. (Example: M1 Marina Bay)
3. Later versions of these flip dot displays on the platforms, though being able to still display only one line of information, were able to display how many minutes the next train was arriving in, along with the destination of the train which was arriving. This advanced version of the flip dot display was used SOLELY on stations along the Woodlands extension only.
4. Stations along the Woodlands extension also had television sets (not plasma displays or LCDs) on its platforms. I can't remember whether it showed commercials only or whether it showed free to air television channels.
5. There was no tactile guidance system, lifts, ramps or handicapped toilets in use.
6. The Passenger Service Centre at all stations was called the Control Station.
7. There were machines at each station catering to the exchange of S$2 notes for coins.
8. There were 2 versions of ticketing machines at stations. One which adopted the push button technology whereas the later version incorporated an LCD touch screen for commuters to select their fare.
9. Magnetic farecards occasionally get jammed at the fare gates.
10. Single trip tickets had beautiful and stunning images printed on them. Those frequent use resulted in them being scratched.
11. There were onboard in train announcements in all 4 official languages whenever a train was approaching an interchange station. These announcements informed the passenger on the line transfer options at that interchange station.
12. Soothing music (otherwise known as Muzak, I don't know the correct spelling) used to be played in all stations. SMRT Corporation upgraded the PA system at all stations so that they were play such music to calm the busy commuter down.
13. Some fare gates at each station had blue and white stripes painted over them to tell passengers that they are GIRO enabled gates, meaning GIRO passengers could top up their farecards by simply entering through those gates.
14. Rubbish bins used to be commonplace at all stations.
15. The doors closing buzzer sounded like the 7 eleven convenience store door buzzer.

[babystan03]

^
Wah you remember everything so clearly ah?? :eek:

[ignoramus]

^
Wah you remember everything so clear ah?? :eek:

Told you I was a rail fanatic.

[babystan03]

Told you I was a rail fanatic.

Ok......now I see it for myself......:D

[ignoramus]

Ok......now I see it for myself......:D

Contribute to the list. Anything else that you saw then but do not see today?

[babystan03]

Contribute to the list. Anything else that you saw then but do not see today?

I think the first generation single trip card comes in 3 colours. Green (single trip), blue(adult), and red (children/student concession). The card is half filled with the colours which is the card's top half part, then there's a big arrow on the card.......:yes:

I can't think of more now......need to sleep soon.....:sleepy:

[redstone]

I want the music and the 4-language announcement back!!!! :cry:

Why take off the music????

[ignoramus]

I want the music and the 4-language announcement back!!!! :cry:

Why take off the music????

Who knows. Perhaps dumbass people complained to SMRT about spending money on such stuff etc. Whenever something new is introduced, people complain. So naturally we see less of such initiatives to provide added services at stations nowadays.

The only new stuff we see at stations since 2000 are
1. Lifts
2. Ramps
3. Wheelchair accessible toilets
4. Tactile guidance system
5. General Ticketing Machine
6. Bi directional wide gates
7. LED screens for estimated next train arrival timings
8. Plasma displays for estimated next train arrival timings, commercials, and safety messages, time and date.

[redstone]

Would it hurt them to play background music?! :rant:

[huaiwei]

Huh? What music?

[redstone]

Dear sir, please read igno's super long post back there...

[kenmin]

Back then
1. The Jurong East - Choa Chu Kang branch line (4 stations) was brown in colour. I can't remember what were the alphanumeric characters used in this branch line though. (Example: C1 City Hall, C2 Raffles Place and M1 Marina Bay)
brown for North bound train though I am not really sure and orange for the other direction. Codes are B1 for Bukit Batok and so on.
2. We had flip dot displays on the platforms, displaying only one line of information, that being the destination of the train which was arriving in 30 seconds time. (Example: M1 Marina Bay)
3. Later versions of these flip dot displays on the platforms, though being able to still display only one line of information, were able to display how many minutes the next train was arriving in, along with the destination of the train which was arriving. This advanced version of the flip dot display was used SOLELY on stations along the Woodlands extension only.
4. Stations along the Woodlands extension also had television sets (not plasma displays or LCDs) on its platforms. I can't remember whether it showed commercials only or whether it showed free to air television channels.
5. There was no tactile guidance system, lifts, ramps or handicapped toilets in use.
6. The Passenger Service Centre at all stations was called the Control Station.
7. There were machines at each station catering to the exchange of S$2 notes for coins.
8. There were 2 versions of ticketing machines at stations. One which adopted the push button technology whereas the later version incorporated an LCD touch screen for commuters to select their fare.
9. Magnetic farecards occasionally get jammed at the fare gates.
10. Single trip tickets had beautiful and stunning images printed on them. Those frequent use resulted in them being scratched.
11. There were onboard in train announcements in all 4 official languages whenever a train was approaching an interchange station. These announcements informed the passenger on the line transfer options at that interchange station.
and there are slight differences between those at City Hall and Raffles Place stations.
12. Soothing music (otherwise known as Muzak, I don't know the correct spelling) used to be played in all stations. SMRT Corporation upgraded the PA system at all stations so that they were play such music to calm the busy commuter down.
absolutely no impression at all. :?
13. Some fare gates at each station had blue and white stripes painted over them to tell passengers that they are GIRO enabled gates, meaning GIRO passengers could top up their farecards by simply entering through those gates.
14. Rubbish bins used to be commonplace at all stations.
15. The doors closing buzzer sounded like the 7 eleven convenience store door buzzer. :)

[playboy]

http://www.reed.edu/~reyn/singapore.mrt.gif

[heirloom]

Perhaps dumbass people complained to SMRT about spending money on such stuff etc. Whenever something new is introduced, people complain.

singaporeans can be soooo sooo miserly. i miss the music too.

[ignoramus]

Has anyone noticed that while lifts have already been constructed at most of the elevated and underground stations, AND have been put under testing for quite a few weeks already, they are still not opened yet for service? Out of the 51 MRT stations operated by SMRT Corporation, only a sprinkling of like 10 have lifts that are opened to the public already while another like 30 have lifts, except that they are just not opened yet. Is SMRT waiting for all testing to be finished at all lifts, meaning waiting till the last lift has been tested, before opening at one shot all lifts? That sounds a bit dumb.

And I realized that stations such as Bedok (elevated) have like 5 lifts (Expensive!) within the station concourse, the most I have seen in one station alone. Thats because its situated in the central road divider and uses underpasses to get people across to the other sides of the road. Usually elevated stations have only 1 lift. And this is the first time I have actually heard of SMRT referring to underpasses as Subways. Usually the LTA etc just calls them underpasses.

[heirloom]

hrmm most of the stsations i use regularly have operating elevators.

[ignoramus]

..

[babystan03]

North South (NS) Line

Constructed But Not Operating
- Yishun (Its Been More Than 3 Months Already)
- Khatib (Its Been More Than 3 Months Already)
- Yio Chu Kang
- Ang Mo Kio

Operating
- Toa Payoh
- Novena
- Somerset
- Dhoby Ghaut

Not sure about the status of the retrofitting works at the other stations. Some are being constructed while some haven't even yet started construction works I think.

Anyways, SOMEONE has to take pictures of the construction work at Bishan Station. That station is literally BEING TORN TO PIECES due to integration/construction works for the Circle Line station beside it. Parts of the station ceiling has been exposed and the downward sloping walls along the side of the track have been demolished.

Hmm....seem like all the stations i use have lift already.....not sure about the problem you've said........:?

As for Bishan station, perhaps Redstone could help u with this?:D

[ignoramus]

Hmm....seem like all the stations i use have lift already.....not sure about the problem you've said........:?

As for Bishan station, perhaps Redstone could help u with this?:D

Oh thats because, haha I almost forgot...

East West Line
- All elevated stations (except Jurong East) have working lifts already

For me on the NSL, its a different story.

[littlearea]

why this thread looking so dead. Didn't update.

[babystan03]

14 April 2005

MRT stations to have armed police officers on patrol
By Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE: Come August, there'll be added security on MRT trains and stations.

Armed police officers on patrol will complement the existing MRT security guards and CCTV monitoring systems.


The new MRT Policing Unit was one of the initiatives announced by Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng at the annual Police Workplan seminar.

Currently, armed police officers are sometimes being deployed on the busy streets of downtown Singapore.

Mr Wong said: "In the current security situation, the Police Force has also assumed additional responsibilities. This demand on Police resources will not decline or diminish in the foreseeable future."

"In fact, the Force will need to do more with the same resources. There is potential in finding new areas of deployment to maximise Police NS (National Service) resources," he added.

"The recent establishment of a MRT Policing Unit, which will be operational in August this year, is a positive and bold initiative," said Mr Wong.

"It represents a new avenue for the deployment of Police NS (full time) resources in conjunction with regulars. It gives them another meaningful stake in safeguarding the security of Singapore," he said.

Mr Wong also noted that security forces around the world are facing complex changes, threats ranging from cyber-space, money laundering to terrorism.

But Singaporeans have mixed reactions about the added security on trains.

"It would give people a wrong impression that there's something we should be afraid of. I don't think there's a need, actually," said a member of the public.

"If you have armed Police at MRT stations, people would think 'oh! what's happening?', it's not a good idea. But they can make it not so obvious, have plainclothes officers carrying weapons discreetly," said another.

"Quite safe with the armed officers around, we'll have a sense of security, being protected by the government," said a third.

Another initiative announced by Mr Wong is that the Criminal Investigation Department is streamlining its bomb and explosives unit.

Five dedicated branches will be set up to tackle, among others, investigation, training and data collection.

Gerald Lim, assistant director of the Bomb and Explosive Investigation Division, said: "It (the division) is to investigate all forms of explosive device incidents. Apart from that, it also manages training of officers, writes doctrines, researches into the development of capabilities, liaises with local and foreign partners and ensures we have capabilities of doing the forensic investigations."

The Police are also enhancing their capabilities in the event of a chemical and biological attack.