You can thank Yuuka_miya for helping me to pronounce things! This video a remake of a previous video incorporating your feedback, improving pronunciations, making corrections, and fully revamping the visuals and script. Please enjoy and consider sharing!
At around 8:50, the reason why Promenade doesn't have a cross platform interchange is due to track re-alignment that happened after the collapse of Nicoll Highway station during construction. This caused a massive redirect of the Downtown Line to avoid soft soil in that area, making the tracks impossible to meet for a cross platform interchange. You can still see evidence of the initial platform design in the architecture. With regards to Dhoby Ghaut, honestly I think it was a cost thing. There are many massive malls with underground floors and parking already surrounding that area and it would have been a massive undertaking connecting it to an already ridiculously overbuilt station and underground pedestrian system. You can also see that thinking happen with the Thomson-East Coast Line choosing to interchange at Outram Park instead of Dhoby Ghaut.
Dhouby Ghaut stations are below Stamford Canal. That add to another level of complexity as the drainage system may need expansion in the future even though it had been expanded and improve around 2010s.
The collapse of Nicoll H'way station during construction prevented it from becoming an interchange station with the then Circle Line's Downtown Extension/Arts Centre Line (now Downtown Line stage 1), not Promonade station from having a X-platform interchange. That was more likely because that aforementioned Downtown Extension was reclassified from being part of the Circle Line to being under the new Downtown Line, which I heard meant that the level crossing just south of the station (which would happen if it was a X-platform interchange) would no longer be acceptable. As for Dhoby Ghaut the only mall with underground floors that existed prior to construction was Plaza S'pura, while the remaining basements & carparks belong to The Atrium@Orchard office towers instead, which were built together with the North East & Circle Line platforms instead & thus could've been planned around them
yeah, it just made the opportunity a huge waste. plus at promenade, a huge turn had to be made in order to connect promenade and esplanade that'll interfere with the DTL if the cross-platform transfer was allowed.
Yeah, there's honestly no reason why Dhoby Ghaut should connect to another MRT line. In fact, it's not really located in a particularly busy place when you compare it to other stations.
@@syncout9586 it's quite a busy place only after the MRT developments was built. I'm sure that the only reason why it could have been avoided is due to complexity, cost and furthermore, already built surroundings on a triple-line interchange. To the eyes of LTA, I think that they already think that Dhoby Ghaut is already packed enough and the remaining station box is used for the Circle Line.
When did you go??? Rn covid restrictions are being lifted and more people are returning to work physically. Now even at 2pm-3pm some parts of the line may have no seats available. Most people eat lunch between 11am to 1pm so 2-3pm is a very quiet time during working days.
Excellent video! I have to say you absolutely nailed the pronunciation of almost all of the station names - probably not a very major detail to many - but I think it just shows how well-researched this video was.
@@RMTransit When you come to do the Bangkok one - it won't help... Tonal languages.... near - in Thai is ใกล้ (which they'll romanise as glai) far - in Thai is ไกล (which they'll romanise as glai) Although I assume you're waiting for the pink and yellow lines to partially open at the end of this year (hopefully), so you can use the "monorail" song from the Simpsons.
Didn't expect a remake of the Singapore MRT system so fast but appreciate the effort to include more facts/details and more accurate pronunciation. The Cross-Island Line is prob SG's equivalent of London's Elizabeth Line... Connecting the east and west of SG. It'll have initial 6-car operations (with possibility expansion to 8 in the future) so it's a high-capacity line. Hopefully that'll alleviate the crowded 3-car Circle Line. The bus system are also pretty well connected with the mrt system thru many integrated transport hubs that house bus interchanges/terminals with mrt stations, malls and residential developments. Great vid as always Reece :)
I visited Singapore with my family in like 1989 as a four year old. Have my first memories ever there, that's how big of an impression the city gave me. From then on I was doomed to be a city, architecture, skyscraper and food nerd. Nasi goreng became a staple in our Swedish household lol, my father wanted it at least once per week.
As a Singaporean and first time viewer, I read the channel name as ringgit Malaysia transit. Also, its interesting how others view MRTs, I never gave it a second thought
I noticed your pronunciations of local neighbourhood names were pretty solid. Didn't realise you redid the whole video until I finished watching it. I love the MRT so I appreciate the effort (Y)
Having a master plan. A master plan is the key to making good decisions when building out a system w provisions that you don't have to go back and create. I've seen systems that built provisions and small sections of metro that at first didn't make a lot of sense until 15 years later when it became an important line or connection and saved a lot of time and money. This is so important It brings to mind my absolute frustration with my hometown of Los Angeles who has no master plan. They're building a light rail line now (Crenshaw) with no idea where it will end up. LA's planning, after the MTA (which is also responsible for freeways and roads) was created in the 80s, is reactionary rather than proactive which guarantees a mediocre skeletal system.
LA is good compared to LV, who after accepting the Car Sales man and Tunneling company owners proposal just constructed and opened highway lanes underground to the city instead of a planned Metro Rail system. Amazing use of tax payers money right?
Its also abit of a pity that Singapore ended up not using some of its provisions e.g. both Promenade & Bright Hill/Sin Ming stations were originally planned to have X-platform interchanges, while Downtown Line's Jln Besar & Rochor stations were originally planned to be 1 single interchange station
This is the advantage of not having a political deadlock. You can plan long term without your ass being booted after 4 years of drafting plans when a network can take 20 years of construction.
Yeah, almost all of US transit is reactionary based on built up need over master planned. Once upon a time almost every American city had complex trolley networks, commuter rail, and interurban rail that would have rivaled anywhere in the world if they were maintained and updated. Sadly all that was torn out in abandoned in the 1930s-60s and we've been left with car-based infrastructure. Now, transit is only built when a) the city realized the roads are too clogged when everyone has to drive and there needs to be an alternative, and b) there is latent demand for transit that is unmet. Often, this just leads to city planners slapping a light rail over a highway with no thought to anything besides reliving traffic, so here we are.
just returned from Singapore a few weeks ago. Currently live in NY. I'm amazed how much better their system is. If you miss a train, another one comes in less than 5min. Also NY seems to stack an insane amount of parallel lines in Manhattan while neglecting Brooklyn. I have no clue why intelligent urban planning is so difficult in the US.
Yeah....and yet there are still many singaporeans who will rush to board the train as the train doors are closing....as if the next train is hours behind.....lol
One significant reason is because Singapore is a younger city which started with a "clean slate" in terms of infrastructure planning more recently. Newer cities tend to have better infrastructure because of access to newer technologies at the time of planning and also, many past mistakes to learn from other major cities. It's also easier and cheaper to build from scratch than to refresh an existing design.
There weren't that many accidents or suicides, but the few that did happen were a few too many for Singaporeans. I vaguely remember as a teenager, there was one particularly horrible accident where someone lost her legs after an accident. It was the citizenry that demanded those safety doors on the platform, and there was a lot of frustration and annoyance that it took as long as it did for them to acquiesce and install them in all above ground stations. I think many Singaporeans will be pleasantly surprised to learn in this, we were ahead of the world.
@@1Invinc In Toronto suicides are such common occurrence at subway stations that almost all stations have some suicides and they even installed suicide helplines at all stations. But till now, there are still no safety doors, even for extreme narrow and crowded underground stations. Will I guess that the reason why when MRT was sued for not having enough safety measures for one of the suicide attempts, they engaged Toronto Traffic Commissioner as professional advisors in court.
This is much better than the original, especially in how you didn’t get carried away non essential information like rolling stock features unless they were necessary to explain the MRT’s innovations (eg, the TEL’s 5 door trains)
Seconding the comments from the Singaporeans here on your pronunciation of station names - kudos to the work you've done for this video! Place names in Singapore reflect our multi-cultural population, which means the words aren't always pronounced consistently or intuitively, especially to a foreigner.
I remember being in Singapore as a kid and, after spending most of my childhood in the States, being AMAZED by the Singapore metro! Honestly, being from Texas originally, it was my first time ever riding some form of metro
A bit of a grim history here but the screen doors you see at above ground platforms were actually retrofitted following a spate of incidents where people fell (whether accidentally or deliberately) onto the train tracks and getting hit by the oncoming trains, killing them.
As someone that takes public transport almost everyday the pictures you used of the stations are very beautiful. Also for additional information, Downtown line did not have a connecting site with dhoby ghaut because the latter is already a transition site for 3 of the lines(North East, North South, Circle) with a shopping mall built on top of the station so there isn't enough space.
The whole Singapore transportation network works very well. While we’ve been on the MRT network a lot, our preferred method of travel is by bus. My wife is originally from Singapore, so we visit often. By taking the bus, she sees some of the areas she used to haunt and it gives me a much better idea of the country. It also gives you a great understanding of just how compact the core area of Singapore is. Wonderful country to visit and the people, generally, are friendly and welcoming.
That's one of the hidden perks of bussing around, and the huge windows on the buses give you unobstructed views. If you have the chance take bus 103 from Serangoon MRT (or 117 from Punggol) as it crosses the scenic Yishun Dam. The bad thing about buses is that they are subject to traffic conditions - the variance in bus arrival times and travel times can be massive. MRTs are accurate to within 3min, unless the train breaks down...
Thank you very much for putting effort in pronouncing the names of landmarks, stations and estates the way they should be pronounced. Its greatly appreciated.
I just made a visit to Singapore and my last visit was almost 3 yrs ago and the experience with MRT rides had improved leaps. The rides were very comfortable and 90% of the time, seats were available too. Going anywhere in SG is even more easy now. Good work SG government and Singaporeans.
The cross region line will be a game-changer. Where the existing lines provide consistency and convenience, the CRL will provide speed, effectively "shrinking" the island and cutting travel times for those living outside the central area in half, putting it on par with driving. It will make driving in Singapore even more useless than it is
can it go to ikea and changi as if using expressway? bcos i dont want to sit for more than 1 hr in bus from hougang to sengkang untill tpe. so stupidly long when its so close.
I often visit singapore and got used to how systematic and connected mrts are. Never gave it a second thought. Until I tried transit in other countries. SG transit system truly is special.
as singaporean, i love the MRT system, its efficient, affordable and convenient. i love that i can get anywhere just taking the MRT and then walk to my destination. and as someone with terrible sense of direction, i never get lost, all the signs are clear and understandable.
Amazing content as usual, and nice refresh! Just copying my original comment: - Singapore has a knack for planning ahead. Besides Gul Circle, Chinatown and MacPherson have the newer line's platforms already in place when first constructed, making for a very convenient transfer that's the next best thing after cross platforms. - On the contrary, there were some extensions that were completely unplanned and can be seen as such. The Downtown line was conceptualized from a merger of three separate lines, hence it completely misses proper connections to many other lines in the central area (Dhoby Ghaut, Raffles Place). Promenade is an oddball station, as it has four side platforms stacked on top of one another (because what was supposed to be a cross platform became a situation of one line passing under another). Jurong East was expanded a number of times, from a three-track station to four tracks (2009) and in the future six for the JRL (2027), and the platform layouts aren't the best if you ask me. - Speaking of the JRL, a connection to NTU, one of the country's major universities, has been proposed since 2000 and even I would miss the opportunity to ride it had I gone there. But seing how other universites around the world are waiting for their own rail connections, we're a lot more fortunate in comparison. - There were actually proposals to build MRT extensions out of the mainland and into islands like Jurong Island and Pulau Ubin. Thankfully, the land uses for these islands have since been revised and all civil development has been consolidated in the mainland. - Despite Singapore's focus on public transport, car needs ocassionally get in the way of its public transport plans. The lack of a connection between the two Downtown Line stretches you mentioned was due to a future underground expressway constructed at that location, and Newton station (serving the North South and Downtown Lines) was forced to use an out-of-system interchange due to a now-discontinued underground highway planned in the area. - New extensions nowadays are built with future developments in mind. The Thomson-East Coast Line is full of these, and so is every future extension. The most well-known of these are the Punggol Digital District and Jurong Lake District, which is crazy given that buisness and commercial areas are effectively planned far from the CBD (as a process of decentralization). - Singapore is set to host the first train-testing centre in Southeast Asia. On that note, with the exception of the North South and East West Lines, incompatibility of rolling stock is one of our system's weaknesses. - Lastly, the Circle Line as you mentioned was built to three-car specifications, but ridership has since surpassed expectations of the early 2000s and it would have been nice had the trains been four or five cars long. Fun fact: The signage on the platform screen doors at 4:35 is only a few days old at the time of writing.
You know the City Hall/Raffles Place clips? I filmed it the day before it switched to the new signages. Today, many of the signs have been switched to the new ones.
Having lived in Hong Kong and Taipei for a good amount of time, the most impression thing about the the Singapore system is the amount of interchange stations. The system definitely benefited from superb city planning so it doesn't feel like there's a funneling of traffic to commercial areas like there is in HK, which is limited by geography - namely Kowloon Pennisula and the narrow strip of developed land on the island. That being said, I was actually much more impressed with SG's bus system, which is probably the best I've experienced anywhere in the world. Full Integration with Google Map and fully featured bus stops plus a lack of unpredictable schedule due to non-existent traffic problem. Again, this all stems from a fundamentally aware and superb city planning.
I've been to Singapore recently and really appreciate the MRT there so much!! All the information including the Exits are very detailed that I was able to take MRT to travel around the city alone after just using it once with my gf who lives there.
As a Singaporean who’s navigated a bunch of European metro systems on solo trips, I think it helps that our system is pretty well signposted and the lines are straightforward, with no express services and few spur lines
When my wife and I first moved to Singapore 15 Years ago from los angeles, I didn't know any better so we bought a car. Later we found out it was totally unnecessary as their transportation system is so efficient and pleasant to ride. After travelling to over 70 countries, I could safety say that it is one of the best in the world.
I literally searched for Singapore MRT today few hours back and quite disappointed that you didn't do a video about. But not anymore 😅. Amazing content dude 🤘.
Another fun fact, some of the MRT stations in the CBD area are connected to one another through a series of walkable underground tunnels and underpasses which also served to connect different buildings in the area together. These tunnels and underpasses also serve as F&B stops or retail and services.
3 decent examples just to add on it: -Suntec City(Promenade MRT side) to Funan via City Hall MRT underpass through Capitol Piazza -Marina Bay Link Mall linking Downtown MRT and Raffles Place MRT -Tanjong Pagar MRT with new exit points (i.e. Exit K) to Frasers Tower and many more. **Exit K has been very rather under-utilised thus far**
Raffles Place EWL NSL Downtown DTL via _One Raffles Quay_ Marina Bay NSL CCL TEL Shenton Way TEL _via Marina One_ Suntec Esplanade CCL City Hall EWL NSL Funan _via Raffles City or Citylink & Capitol_ (and also Promenade CCL DTL via Suntec) Bencoolen DTL Bras Basah CCL _via SMU_ *EWL NSL CCL DTL TEL = MRT lines A underground map is actually hard to find since there isn't really one there shows underground specifically and even streetdirectory map (the less used map) actually features some underground outline which don't really looks that obvious sometimes Press F for missing Rochor Jalan Besar DTL link and almost connected link to Marina Bay station from Downtown/Raffles Place
3:44 it helps that taipei had taken inspirations from singapore's MRT system, hence the similar looking trains (both even have siemens trains with their iconic sounds) 5:18 in the future, we'll be expecting the jurong region line which will be fully overground, probably the first new line to be overground in years now. as well as that, with the TEL potentially taking over the changi branch of the east west line, there will be a short section of track in which the TEL will have to go overground from its predominantly underground character (although i wonder, how would they re-engineer changi airport station and its PSDs for the 5 door configuration?) 8:48 the most probable reason for why the downtown line doesn't connect to dhoby ghaut is probably because of cost, the existing structures underneath the area*, and what was probably thought as unfeasible to have a ~500m connection between the two. what's even weird about bencoolen on the downtown line (the closest DTL station to dhoby ghaut) is that it's a literal stone's throwaway from bras basah on the circle line. they may as well practically be the same station and an interchange at that, but oh well 10:39 the irony when after the white elephant fiasco that happened with buangkok station on the north east line which opened 3 years after the line's opening was a "promise" that no future stations on future lines will be fully built but left unoperational. they've resorted to building shell stations instead to appease the public 12:26 to be very honest here, it seems like a waste to have a branch splitting off the main line at pasir ris just for 4 stops to the north-east. it would've been much more feasible and definitely efficient to have a seperate line running north from woodlands to east around where changi is. this would definitely alleviate the massive crowding on such bus services running along the general area *from what i read, the tunnel section between fort canning and bencoolen on the downtown line had to be carefully built as it went under existing tunnels of 3 running lines, on top of soft soil conditions and other existing infrastructure all in all, this has been a very informative video, keep up the good work 👍
Heard in the Land Transport Master Plan, it is written that the Cross Island Line's branch is planned to eventually become its own North Coast Line or something like that
I honestly feel that Downtown Line is the most inconvenient of lines but of course it largely benefits Bukit Timah area and the industries in the east.
You would be surprised on how much you miss these stuff when you go overseas. The convenience and the ease of access..And especially the little comforts it provides makes a big difference.
its interesting how i see my house in these videos, and also the fact that our train system is being recognised by the public is nice as well. Great Video !
Hey RM thanks for featuring my nation’s metro system network, didn’t know u made videos about my nations metro lines until a friend posted a video about u talking about the East West and North South line, good video as I enjoyed hearing your explanation about Singapore’s metro system and fun fact the reason why the North East Line is using overhead power is because of a trial that the LTA wanted to test weather overhead or third rail power is the best way for future MRT lines, but till today it remains the only line in Singapore to be powered by overhead power
Great remake and well researched as well. I remember riding the mrt when i was really young and how amazed i was with the entire system especially the psds in the underground stations. Well time changes...
There is also another new line that the MRT is thinking of building to connect the Northern part of Singapore. It is the Seletar Line and I think it links the Woodlands Checkpoint to Seletar Airport and other places as well. New stations like Hume and (maybe) Sungei Kadut on the Downtown and North-South line are going to be built when there is more development around the stations, just like Canberra station in 2019. The best station will be the Founders' Memorial that will open in about 2027 along the Thompson East Coast line. t will feature national heroes and iconic figures that were influential to Singapore's founding. Thanks for this great video too!
I got to say that indeed Singapre has one of the best and efficient public transport system. Within a period of 10 years, there was a massive improvement in efficiency and network. Is really convenient. Can have a combination of bus and train as well.
4:21 peak period RP/CH is amazing, huge crowds of office folks running across the platform to change lines. truly an interesting sight. Same at Jurong East - the other red/green interchange. It's 4 tracks in parallel, with platforms in between. Not uncommon is people running from the leftmost train, into the next train on the left and out on the right, and then proceeding to the 3rd train.
Everything about Singapore is awesome and worth visiting! I love this country, it is worthy of emulation. How lucky the Singaporean citizens are! We actually envy you and we are dreaming to become like Singapore too in the future.
8:47: "The lack of a (Downtown Line) connection to Dhoby Ghaut does feel like a missed opportunity to create a more major hub." A very interesting perspective actually, considering Dhoby Ghaut is already successful as a hub. I think the reason why LTA (the stat board overseeing the MRT) didn't consider another line there is to avoid more congestion. The strategic placement of Dhoby Ghaut already works as a slightly off-CBD interchange. Then again, the beauty of the downtown line is its proximity, especially in the CBD area. The overarching goal of these new lines here is to connect transit gaps and provide (less congested) alternatives for the average commuter. Given its current capacity, I think 3 lines at Dhoby Ghaut is sufficient.
If Downtown Line interchanges @ Dhoby Ghaut it'd then be running too close in parallel to the North East Line I think. Fortunately the station's Exit B is only a 5 min walk from Downtown Line's Bencoolen station.
@NDP 2022 And right now we're about to have at least 3-4 stations that can each transfer to at least 2 other lines already. (Dhoby Ghaut of course, and the upcoming Outram Park and Marina Bay interchanges to name a few. Even Jurong East in future with JRL. ) I don't see how that is not convenient enough Plus, the transfer rebates are also surplus. If you're not in on multiple train transfers then by all means do a bus to train transfer, or vice versa.
Local here, outstanding video on the MRT system I'll say. I'll add a few interesting facts into it myself for future references too. - Prior to 1998, SMRT (known as MRTC back then) was fully owned by the government. - SBS Transit was awarded ownership of the NEL in 2003 by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as a way to induce competition and breaking the monopoly. - The BPLRT will be one of the first People Mover Line to keep the INNOVIA 100 tracks while using the INNOVIA 300 train and signalling system. - The DTL and CCL actually shares tracks between Promenade and Bayfront (hence the cross platform transfer at Bayfront). - The DTL trains at one point shared the same depot as the CCL because the main DTL depot wasn't ready yet. - In 2016, all rail lines are owned by the government again, companies are now under a 15 year contract. - The reason why each rail lines (with the exception of the North South and East West Line) have very different specifications and different signalling systems are due to the way the contract was awarded. A tender is opened to any competing rail and signalling manufacturer and the bid with the highest efficiency, highest safety records (though there are discrepancies here *ahem*) and lowest bid cost usually wins the tender. - LTA looooooooves to experiment, they make many modifications and changes under the hood to always seek for maximum efficiency on the rail lines, also part of the reason why CCL and DTL are 3-cars instead of the usual 6-cars, and TEL having 4-cars with 5 exit doors, and the future JRL to have 3 or 4-car configurations with 3 larger doors each car each side. - The NSEWL had a single 4-car train known as money train. It's for transporting the money used from buying the tickets. They are no longer in commission since 2003.
Heard 1 of the money train's cars is now in an army camp & used for combat training. & the DTL & CCL don't & can't share tracks (unless the train is manually driven I remember) as our gov't decided to call for separate tenders for their signalling systems (won by Invensys (now Siemens) & Alstom respectively), though they run parallel to each other between BayFront & Promenade & are connected to each other at the former.
From what I've seen during my 18 hour layover in Singapore, MRT has 2-3 minute headways peak hours 5-7 minute headways off peak hours. Incredibly efficient. They also sell a tourist pass, which you can use every single transit in the country as much as you want for two days and it costs 20 SGD, incredible bang for buck. Singapore is doing this transport thing very well.
Living in Singapore now, the MRT system has made life here more convenient. The Jurong Regional Line was proposed with a development plan at a neighborhood the line will pass through so we can expect residents there will live close to a MRT station. Speaking about last mile connection, most people here use bus at places without LRT as the fare system is integrated so we don't pay that much for a transfer. I can't even find a better transit system in the world XD
u got me at 2:21! i dont think Singapore has that many golf courses haha But honestly, the system is so extensive and popular that even the train enthusiast community adores this system very well. As of now, some 1st gen trains (C151), 2nd gen (C651) and 3rd gen (C751B) are being scrapped and repurposed, making the system show signs of aging but is still very pleasant :)
I was there in 87 when the MRT opened and found the experience and ability for me being visually impaired to easily navigate the service was and is still outstanding. It has grown a lot since then and my last visit in 2018 was still as exciting. Trains arriving every 90sec took some getting wed to if you were with a group so you had to have a backup plan incase you got seperate. You certainly don't try and rush into a train as the auto doors don't stop for anyone. thanks for a great update
When the North South Line opens back in 1987, it starts from Marina Bay and STOPs at Yishun with only 15 stations. All the other stations like woodlands were only added (Extended) later in the late 90s
Singapore metro was my first metro ride. Since then I have travelled in NYC, Bostom, Shenzhen, Bangalore metro. Singapore metro is the most advanced not just interms of tech used but how they have built office spaces and malls above metro stations. Also was walking in Singapore and missed the metro station and was lost and behold there is another metro station few meters away. Singapore is slightly bigger than my tier-3 city of India, but infrastructure there is better compared to US & China
well... Singapore is small, so nearly everything is built above each other (new developments aims to complement necessary infrastructures such as shops and supermarkets within the town with integrated developments. (since the development of toa payoh new town, each "cluster" of blocks will have their own shops and eateries, and each "sections" will have a mall with further infrastructures of shops and services, and within the town there will be government services embed within the "sections" and "clusters". each of the facilities are aimed within a walking distance to a 5-15 min travel) )
@@PrograError Agreed. But why cant cities think that way and built infra like Singapore. Example: Cities like NYC, Bangalore have high real restate value so if they built office space, mall above metro that can be profitable for metros in terms of revenue. Capital cost maybe high but OP cost will be profitable long term. In Bangalore, there is already cluster mentality. People living in southen part will not travel to centre of the city for a night out or a movie. Also Singapore thinks long terms, they have an entire metro line being built with stations already built but will not open for next 3-5 years as development is yet to catch up in that part of the city. Other cities built metro after roads are congested. That is not a good concept. NYC used to do that before, I just wish it happens in India so that we can avoid using private vehicles.
@@AlohaKudla actually you are wrong in believing they built the metro/ MRT with the aim of helping the development. the shell stations are more of a by product of planning, when in fact it's more of the existing new towns helping the development of the new new towns around the planned station as a shell station. In gist, it's the existing new town population and travel patterns helping to fund the development of new new towns, and hence the shell station in the corridor, then the other way as you have believed. (since the start, the lines have all being built within existing towns and main corridors, while some are more newly built, all the stations and hence the lines are basically "funded" by the prospective catchment of the town and the downstream catchment. the only reason why they are planned as "shell stations" was due to a early scandal on the NEL in the early days where a station was planned as a station to be opened later but fully kit out, which got called a white elephant and hence the policy change)
so glad you did a video on my amazing city! you should have maybe mentioned the plan to have express services on the cross island line though, would definitely put our system on a level with tokyo and nyc in such an aspect.
I live in Singapore for over 17 years ... Fair comment ... Bencoolen St - Downtown could be directly connected to Dhoby Ghout ... they are sooo close to each others ... also very close to Bras Basar St Circular Line
The line is also design to interact with the daily life's of Singaporeans such as art display and also the occasionally breakdown that gets complaints hahaha. But the surrounding is also design with shopping and connection to malls and key shelter and exit towards amenities. Timings of peak and non-peak trains are also a key factor to creating competitiveness and services.
this is good and all but, the "johor people mover" has a title now... Rapid Transit System (RTS), that oddly to those watching is based on the more regular or malaysian version of LRTs. there's many reasons for it, but major reason was cost as the malaysian side put it. orginally, it was planned to use the same rolling stock as the TEL but the negotiation turned out this way (which IMO is a classic Malaysian politician shortsightedness of chasing kickbacks, after all the RTS will have a shorter capacity for loading the passengers compared to the planned TEL RS and the causeway is one of the world's busiest border crossing.)
Thought it might've been easier to upgrade the existing Malaysia's KTM Shuttle _Tebrau_ into commuter rail/rapid transit standard, something like KTM _Komuter_ JB (i.e. from seating-only cars carrying ~45 passengers each to those with more standing space & wider doors) & improve conenctivity to Woodlands Train Checkpoint e.g. by extending the MRT from Woodlands N &/or Kranji stations. Then later I heard there's a contract clause that stipulates that in the long term, Singapore's gov't wants to remove KTM services across the border corssing (probably as its seen as undermining its sovereignty)
@@lzh4950 impossible with the single track, plus as you said, there's not political will. also upgrading would have just made the current situation worse at the checkpoint, at least WDN has a way of dispersing the crowd, the KTM station was never made for the amount of crowd likely to transit. i believe just a single oncoming/ incoming train, basically is full house from immigration standpoint
This video really encapsulates a lot of the mrt so well :)) definitely worth the remake! The DTL is actually a mess of both engineering miracles and disasters, it was originally meant to intersect with itself at Rochor but the canal and a future highway ended up screwing the plans so that they had to build Jalan Besar instead. And Dhoby Ghaut really isn’t that much of a missed opportunity. Other than the fact that a four line station in Singapore would be pretty excessive and sprawling (and Dhoby is already a labyrinth), one can simply get off at Little India and take the NEL one stop, instead of going around the loop to Fort Canning. Its also an engineering miracle, because the DTL has to squeeze between the tunnels of the three lines coming out of Dhoby on it’s way to Fort Canning
Also a bit ironic that the gov't had the foresight to build the East West Line a bit deeper along Shenton Way so there'd still be enough space for the Downtown Line to tunnel just above it at right angles (along Cross St), but without a transfer between the 2 lines there
@@lzh4950 dunno if that's foresight or just convenient placing tbh. cos like half the DTL stations are like just off of making an interchange with most of the other lines
Speaking of fares, you can actually pay with Mastercard Paypass or Visa Paywave too. Tourists need not purchase EZLink or NETS FlashPay card to travel around Singapore.
It is understandable that the East-West line is the most used line as it connects the Changi Airport to the city area and that it also has the most stations, also the first 4 stations from Tuas Link are close to the industrial area where workers may need to take to.
The station names (on the latest signs) in non-English languages are tiny though & are more difficult to read from a train that's stopped at the station
@@lzh4950 Singapore is primarily English, so it's not really easy trying to balance the font size between languages. In fact, in HK MTR, the Chinese characters are even more prominent than the romanisations words. That's what you get, a compromise for doing quad-lingual stuff.
I visit family in Singapore often so I am familiar with the MRT, and I enjoy this video overall. It's a great rail system, you never have to run to catch the train because another one will come soon, but gets crowded quickly (for good reason). Noise is also an issue if you live near the elevated MRT lines. And your pronunciation of the stations is pretty good.
You did mention NE Line is the first long distance driverless metro system - but I think Kuala Lumpur- Kelana Jaya - is also long and driverless (though LRT) open late 1990s
Cross Island Line will help create a more direct connection from the eastern housing districts to the industrial areas in the west coast. Riders won't have to take the east-west line and won't need to pass by the CBD area.
I happened to see a video from a local who would dispute the notion that the LRTs are comfortable or high-quality. He basically dismissed them as gadgetbahns and said Singapore should have just built tram-style LRT instead. Interesting local perspective.
17:55 How is tunneling a bad thing? Genuinely asking. I suppose it’s expensive, but aside from that, I’d have imagined: 1) it provides grade separation, 2) allows for a line to be built under existing buildings and parks, etc., 3) causes less environmental impact by lessening the need to clear large pathways through nature, and 4) avoids n.i.m.b.y. issues by hiding the trains out of sight. What are the problems with tunneling? Is it just cost-in money, labor, and time? Or is there something else which isn’t occurring to me?
I love these little random snippets of activities. The Prime Day ads say this is really recent, so that's cool. I don't think I've ever seen recruitment posters for Prison Service (Guards) @ 14:52.
Additional details for the network evolution: NSL had a much shorter start compared to the other lines. For the early years, the MRT was a simple network of 12 stations each for the North (red), the East (green), and the West (blue) before the current naming system.
I get it, but that ended up making videos longer and them getting a lot less attention, at the same time I'd say I will keep 80% of the important info in the remakes, so not too much is being lost.
@@RMTransit Makes sense! You gotta learn from what's working :) I wouldn't mind seeing a couple videos in the future that were rolling stock based though! Really enjoyed that top 5 rolling stock one, and most unique rolling stock one as well. Keep it up Reece!
Fun fact: Cross Island Line is Singapore's 2nd MRT line to use Overhead Catenary System. LTA put out a tender notice for railway electrification manufacturers to bid on design n installation of OCS throughout the CRL. It will be also the longest MRT Line and will use 6/8 car trainset. More like Crossrail in London but for Singapore
As a Singaporean, I can say that most Singaporeans typically do not feel exactly like that about the MRT. Most of the time when we talk about the MRT it’s because it breaks down a lot. That’s an actual conversation topic in Singapore, kinda like small talk. It happens pretty often, and because Singapore is so small and interconnected, news spreads fast and so each case of a breakdown will make it on national media. Also, the current CEO for the company SMRT - which is a major transit company in Singapore (that does MRT, LRT, and public bus) - is the former head of Military (3 star general, where there is only 1 at any one time). This is because after the general retires from the military, the government has to give them a decent job that pays a similar wage. So, they usually give them the role of CEO of some major companies, this time being SMRT. So, this, to Singaporeans, is just one huge joke. How would you expect a Military general to know anything about commercial transport??? 🤨
I'm in Singapore since Sept last year, and i never had problems with breakdowns, but in rush hours, the MRT is always full... how will it be in 10 years with the population growth?
@@MegaZord23 not many people experience breakdowns firsthand, but often times you will hear it on the news, and one time the train was stuck in one position for over an hour or so (I heard about this on the morning radio a couple years back). People were really just complaining about the incident.
Thank you for an excellent and well-balanced video on the Singapore MRT system and its expansion plans! The Jurong Region Line was originally proposed in 1996 as a light rail transit (LRT) system to serve the Nanyang Technological University. It was officially announced as a new LRT line - the Jurong Region Line (JRL) - in 2001. This plan was put on hold in 2008, and revived in 2013 as an MRT line rather than as an LRT line. In the context of the Singapore transit system, LRT refers to the rubber-tyred people mover systems serving Bukit Panjang, Sengkang and Ponggol. The redefinition of the JRL as an MRT line in 2013 simply meant that it would not be like these existing LRT lines using people mover systems. The JRL would instead be based on a conventional standard gauge 1435 mm system, as used by the existing MRT lines. However when the JRL system details were announced, it was clear that there were significant differences from the existing MRT lines. Some of these differences seemed to characterise the JRL as less of a heavy rail MRT line and more like a medium capacity rail line. The entire JRL track would be completely elevated with exclusive right of way. Due to the tight curves necessary to fit into an already built-up environment, the JRL cars were to be shorter and narrower than the cars in the existing MRT lines. The JRL cars were to be supplied by Hyundai Rotem and would be run as three-car sets. The dimensions of each car were a length of 18.6m and a width of 2.75m. The car width is significantly narrower than for the existing MRT lines whose cars are typically 3.2m wide. A width of 2.75m is close to the typical light rail car width of around 2.7m. The RTS Link under construction between Woodlands in Singapore and Johore Bahru is a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system distinct from the Thomson-East Coast MRT line to which it links. The RTS uses light rail cars 27m which have a width similar to the JRL cars. Hence the JRL cars are more similar to LRT cars than to the existing MRT cars. The JRL is in effect a medium capacity rail system significantly different from the existing heavy rail MRT systems, and more like a light rail system with elevated right of way. Construction work for the JRL began in January 2023, and the first stations will commence operation in 2026.
some of the bigger stations were overcrowded sometimes, but that was during holiday season. I don't really know how it's like outside of it. I do think that the stations are clean, easy to navigate and the lines are very simple, easy to read and get where you wanna go.
When you mentioned figure 8 on the MRT map, that would have been a good time to show the map you're referring to. You have to assume that people haven't seen any of your other videos, or don't know anything about trains or the places you're talking about, and at least give a tiny explanation of any terms that people might not know about transportation and trains/buses/boats/planes. I had to look up 'bogie' when you used that word in a previous video, as you gave no explanation, and just expected us to know what that means.
They've really completely dropped the ball with the most recent blue and brown lines. As mostly overlapped lines to the red and green, they had the perfect opportunity to configure express trains (like NYC's local vs express system) to address the long-standing inequalities in job opportunities of those who lived far away and could not afford a car. But instead, they went on to dot plentiful stations in exactly the same spacing as all the previous lines, focusing on raising the land value rather than solving transportation issues. The older lines were really done so very well as introduced, but ever since the Circle line they've been throwing excessive train stations at places that don't need one. It really shows a gradual transition from transit-oriented to money-oriented design of the metro.
Huh is blue line offering faster routes to enter city area for residents in bukit panjang hillview tampines bedok reservoir... similarly brown when fully opened is serving woodlands springleaf and the few areas along east coast which currently can only depend on buses to get to red/green lines or into town
You can thank Yuuka_miya for helping me to pronounce things!
This video a remake of a previous video incorporating your feedback, improving pronunciations, making corrections, and fully revamping the visuals and script. Please enjoy and consider sharing!
I mean, it’s fine I guess.
It looks really nice ngl.
And I hope a remake of the Hong Kong MTR video will come soon, Hong Kong is my hometown afterall.
Can you do the Bangkok BTS and MRT and the Airport rail link?
@@Mr_mime2387HK Agreed. Some pronunciation tips for Reece:
Tsuen Wan is "CHOON wan"
Tseung Kwan O is "CHUNG Kwan O"
Tuen Ma is "TOON Ma"
Can you do Stuttgart Stadtbahn
At around 8:50, the reason why Promenade doesn't have a cross platform interchange is due to track re-alignment that happened after the collapse of Nicoll Highway station during construction. This caused a massive redirect of the Downtown Line to avoid soft soil in that area, making the tracks impossible to meet for a cross platform interchange. You can still see evidence of the initial platform design in the architecture.
With regards to Dhoby Ghaut, honestly I think it was a cost thing. There are many massive malls with underground floors and parking already surrounding that area and it would have been a massive undertaking connecting it to an already ridiculously overbuilt station and underground pedestrian system. You can also see that thinking happen with the Thomson-East Coast Line choosing to interchange at Outram Park instead of Dhoby Ghaut.
Dhouby Ghaut stations are below Stamford Canal. That add to another level of complexity as the drainage system may need expansion in the future even though it had been expanded and improve around 2010s.
The collapse of Nicoll H'way station during construction prevented it from becoming an interchange station with the then Circle Line's Downtown Extension/Arts Centre Line (now Downtown Line stage 1), not Promonade station from having a X-platform interchange. That was more likely because that aforementioned Downtown Extension was reclassified from being part of the Circle Line to being under the new Downtown Line, which I heard meant that the level crossing just south of the station (which would happen if it was a X-platform interchange) would no longer be acceptable. As for Dhoby Ghaut the only mall with underground floors that existed prior to construction was Plaza S'pura, while the remaining basements & carparks belong to The Atrium@Orchard office towers instead, which were built together with the North East & Circle Line platforms instead & thus could've been planned around them
yeah, it just made the opportunity a huge waste. plus at promenade, a huge turn had to be made in order to connect promenade and esplanade that'll interfere with the DTL if the cross-platform transfer was allowed.
Yeah, there's honestly no reason why Dhoby Ghaut should connect to another MRT line. In fact, it's not really located in a particularly busy place when you compare it to other stations.
@@syncout9586 it's quite a busy place only after the MRT developments was built. I'm sure that the only reason why it could have been avoided is due to complexity, cost and furthermore, already built surroundings on a triple-line interchange. To the eyes of LTA, I think that they already think that Dhoby Ghaut is already packed enough and the remaining station box is used for the Circle Line.
Went to Singapore. The subway didnt feel crowded but didnt feel sparse as well. I think its because the ridership is evenly distributed perhaps.
When did you go??? Rn covid restrictions are being lifted and more people are returning to work physically. Now even at 2pm-3pm some parts of the line may have no seats available. Most people eat lunch between 11am to 1pm so 2-3pm is a very quiet time during working days.
Which is probably a good sign! It means stuff is right sized!
@@verycursedplane6557
No seat = crowded ?
@@wjj7488 maybe he wants double decked seats that's why
Believe me at peak hour when I was temporarily working there for 5 weeks the trains were very crowded. This was about 5 years ago.
Excellent video! I have to say you absolutely nailed the pronunciation of almost all of the station names - probably not a very major detail to many - but I think it just shows how well-researched this video was.
Thanks! I had a local who helped me!
@@RMTransit When you come to do the Bangkok one - it won't help... Tonal languages....
near - in Thai is ใกล้ (which they'll romanise as glai)
far - in Thai is ไกล (which they'll romanise as glai)
Although I assume you're waiting for the pink and yellow lines to partially open at the end of this year (hopefully), so you can use the "monorail" song from the Simpsons.
Didn't expect a remake of the Singapore MRT system so fast but appreciate the effort to include more facts/details and more accurate pronunciation. The Cross-Island Line is prob SG's equivalent of London's Elizabeth Line... Connecting the east and west of SG. It'll have initial 6-car operations (with possibility expansion to 8 in the future) so it's a high-capacity line. Hopefully that'll alleviate the crowded 3-car Circle Line. The bus system are also pretty well connected with the mrt system thru many integrated transport hubs that house bus interchanges/terminals with mrt stations, malls and residential developments. Great vid as always Reece :)
Yea if the Cross Island Line didn't exist then the East West Line would be the equivalent to the London Elizabeth Line.
I visited Singapore with my family in like 1989 as a four year old. Have my first memories ever there, that's how big of an impression the city gave me. From then on I was doomed to be a city, architecture, skyscraper and food nerd. Nasi goreng became a staple in our Swedish household lol, my father wanted it at least once per week.
☺️ and Singapore welcomes you and your family again… now that covid isn’t really an issue here anymore :)
We welcome you back for more food tasting 🙂
Come visit again! We are same same but different since 1989
Please come round again!! Our city has grown so much since then
Great to hear that,,, please do drop by again
As a Singaporean and first time viewer, I read the channel name as ringgit Malaysia transit. Also, its interesting how others view MRTs, I never gave it a second thought
I noticed your pronunciations of local neighbourhood names were pretty solid. Didn't realise you redid the whole video until I finished watching it. I love the MRT so I appreciate the effort (Y)
Having a master plan. A master plan is the key to making good decisions when building out a system w provisions that you don't have to go back and create. I've seen systems that built provisions and small sections of metro that at first didn't make a lot of sense until 15 years later when it became an important line or connection and saved a lot of time and money.
This is so important It brings to mind my absolute frustration with my hometown of Los Angeles who has no master plan. They're building a light rail line now (Crenshaw) with no idea where it will end up. LA's planning, after the MTA (which is also responsible for freeways and roads) was created in the 80s, is reactionary rather than proactive which guarantees a mediocre skeletal system.
LA is good compared to LV, who after accepting the Car Sales man and Tunneling company owners proposal just constructed and opened highway lanes underground to the city instead of a planned Metro Rail system. Amazing use of tax payers money right?
Its also abit of a pity that Singapore ended up not using some of its provisions e.g. both Promenade & Bright Hill/Sin Ming stations were originally planned to have X-platform interchanges, while Downtown Line's Jln Besar & Rochor stations were originally planned to be 1 single interchange station
This is the advantage of not having a political deadlock. You can plan long term without your ass being booted after 4 years of drafting plans when a network can take 20 years of construction.
Yeah, almost all of US transit is reactionary based on built up need over master planned. Once upon a time almost every American city had complex trolley networks, commuter rail, and interurban rail that would have rivaled anywhere in the world if they were maintained and updated. Sadly all that was torn out in abandoned in the 1930s-60s and we've been left with car-based infrastructure.
Now, transit is only built when a) the city realized the roads are too clogged when everyone has to drive and there needs to be an alternative, and b) there is latent demand for transit that is unmet. Often, this just leads to city planners slapping a light rail over a highway with no thought to anything besides reliving traffic, so here we are.
just returned from Singapore a few weeks ago. Currently live in NY. I'm amazed how much better their system is. If you miss a train, another one comes in less than 5min. Also NY seems to stack an insane amount of parallel lines in Manhattan while neglecting Brooklyn. I have no clue why intelligent urban planning is so difficult in the US.
Yeah....and yet there are still many singaporeans who will rush to board the train as the train doors are closing....as if the next train is hours behind.....lol
One significant reason is because Singapore is a younger city which started with a "clean slate" in terms of infrastructure planning more recently. Newer cities tend to have better infrastructure because of access to newer technologies at the time of planning and also, many past mistakes to learn from other major cities. It's also easier and cheaper to build from scratch than to refresh an existing design.
US politicians in charge of transit are in the pockets of the auto and oil industries.
@@ashtoncap2161 thats simple. I miss 1st two train. Ill definitely be late for work.
@@MrRedemption7 hahahahaha . true go school same thing 1-2 trains missed is latecoming ticket liao
I was in Singapore in 1988 & was amazed to see the safety doors on the platform. They only had the original line back then. Cheers from Vancouver.
They were early to it!
yes too many accidents and suicides .
Same! I visited from Hong Kong and was impressed in 1989. It's the only actual memory I have from physically visiting Singapore.
There weren't that many accidents or suicides, but the few that did happen were a few too many for Singaporeans. I vaguely remember as a teenager, there was one particularly horrible accident where someone lost her legs after an accident. It was the citizenry that demanded those safety doors on the platform, and there was a lot of frustration and annoyance that it took as long as it did for them to acquiesce and install them in all above ground stations.
I think many Singaporeans will be pleasantly surprised to learn in this, we were ahead of the world.
@@1Invinc In Toronto suicides are such common occurrence at subway stations that almost all stations have some suicides and they even installed suicide helplines at all stations. But till now, there are still no safety doors, even for extreme narrow and crowded underground stations. Will I guess that the reason why when MRT was sued for not having enough safety measures for one of the suicide attempts, they engaged Toronto Traffic Commissioner as professional advisors in court.
This is much better than the original, especially in how you didn’t get carried away non essential information like rolling stock features unless they were necessary to explain the MRT’s innovations (eg, the TEL’s 5 door trains)
Seconding the comments from the Singaporeans here on your pronunciation of station names - kudos to the work you've done for this video!
Place names in Singapore reflect our multi-cultural population, which means the words aren't always pronounced consistently or intuitively, especially to a foreigner.
I remember being in Singapore as a kid and, after spending most of my childhood in the States, being AMAZED by the Singapore metro! Honestly, being from Texas originally, it was my first time ever riding some form of metro
I live in Singapore. I agree, the MRT is great, especially the prescence of screen doors at every station and the route map on the trains.
I spent two weeks in Singapore in July this year . Absolutely love the MRT. I found it very easy to get where ever I wanted to go.
oh
I agree, they have just done such a brilliant job of integrating the whole city and the bus system with the mrt.
A bit of a grim history here but the screen doors you see at above ground platforms were actually retrofitted following a spate of incidents where people fell (whether accidentally or deliberately) onto the train tracks and getting hit by the oncoming trains, killing them.
As someone that takes public transport almost everyday the pictures you used of the stations are very beautiful. Also for additional information, Downtown line did not have a connecting site with dhoby ghaut because the latter is already a transition site for 3 of the lines(North East, North South, Circle) with a shopping mall built on top of the station so there isn't enough space.
The whole Singapore transportation network works very well. While we’ve been on the MRT network a lot, our preferred method of travel is by bus. My wife is originally from Singapore, so we visit often. By taking the bus, she sees some of the areas she used to haunt and it gives me a much better idea of the country. It also gives you a great understanding of just how compact the core area of Singapore is. Wonderful country to visit and the people, generally, are friendly and welcoming.
My wife prefers the bus because she believes it is easier to get seats. But, man, does it take time to get to some places.
That's one of the hidden perks of bussing around, and the huge windows on the buses give you unobstructed views. If you have the chance take bus 103 from Serangoon MRT (or 117 from Punggol) as it crosses the scenic Yishun Dam. The bad thing about buses is that they are subject to traffic conditions - the variance in bus arrival times and travel times can be massive. MRTs are accurate to within 3min, unless the train breaks down...
i prefer taking the bus too, chances of gettig seats are higher especially when taking a bus from the terminal
@@waisinglee1509 oh yes .
But with bus arrival apps.
Comfy ride .
Unless your press for time
@@jianxiongRaven I am pressed for time! Lol
Thank you very much for putting effort in pronouncing the names of landmarks, stations and estates the way they should be pronounced. Its greatly appreciated.
I just made a visit to Singapore and my last visit was almost 3 yrs ago and the experience with MRT rides had improved leaps. The rides were very comfortable and 90% of the time, seats were available too. Going anywhere in SG is even more easy now. Good work SG government and Singaporeans.
Just want to give respect to this dude’s pronunciation of various stations in Singapore. Pretty accurate so I know he paid attention to detail!
The cross region line will be a game-changer. Where the existing lines provide consistency and convenience, the CRL will provide speed, effectively "shrinking" the island and cutting travel times for those living outside the central area in half, putting it on par with driving. It will make driving in Singapore even more useless than it is
Well it's called the cross island line
Yeaa its Cross Island Line and Jurong Region Line and they are not together.
the only reason people buy fancy cars in singapore is to show off their wealth
@@hoogreen yep.
can it go to ikea and changi as if using expressway? bcos i dont want to sit for more than 1 hr in bus from hougang to sengkang untill tpe. so stupidly long when its so close.
I often visit singapore and got used to how systematic and connected mrts are. Never gave it a second thought. Until I tried transit in other countries. SG transit system truly is special.
as singaporean, i love the MRT system, its efficient, affordable and convenient. i love that i can get anywhere just taking the MRT and then walk to my destination. and as someone with terrible sense of direction, i never get lost, all the signs are clear and understandable.
Amazing content as usual, and nice refresh! Just copying my original comment:
- Singapore has a knack for planning ahead. Besides Gul Circle, Chinatown and MacPherson have the newer line's platforms already in place when first constructed, making for a very convenient transfer that's the next best thing after cross platforms.
- On the contrary, there were some extensions that were completely unplanned and can be seen as such. The Downtown line was conceptualized from a merger of three separate lines, hence it completely misses proper connections to many other lines in the central area (Dhoby Ghaut, Raffles Place). Promenade is an oddball station, as it has four side platforms stacked on top of one another (because what was supposed to be a cross platform became a situation of one line passing under another). Jurong East was expanded a number of times, from a three-track station to four tracks (2009) and in the future six for the JRL (2027), and the platform layouts aren't the best if you ask me.
- Speaking of the JRL, a connection to NTU, one of the country's major universities, has been proposed since 2000 and even I would miss the opportunity to ride it had I gone there. But seing how other universites around the world are waiting for their own rail connections, we're a lot more fortunate in comparison.
- There were actually proposals to build MRT extensions out of the mainland and into islands like Jurong Island and Pulau Ubin. Thankfully, the land uses for these islands have since been revised and all civil development has been consolidated in the mainland.
- Despite Singapore's focus on public transport, car needs ocassionally get in the way of its public transport plans. The lack of a connection between the two Downtown Line stretches you mentioned was due to a future underground expressway constructed at that location, and Newton station (serving the North South and Downtown Lines) was forced to use an out-of-system interchange due to a now-discontinued underground highway planned in the area.
- New extensions nowadays are built with future developments in mind. The Thomson-East Coast Line is full of these, and so is every future extension. The most well-known of these are the Punggol Digital District and Jurong Lake District, which is crazy given that buisness and commercial areas are effectively planned far from the CBD (as a process of decentralization).
- Singapore is set to host the first train-testing centre in Southeast Asia. On that note, with the exception of the North South and East West Lines, incompatibility of rolling stock is one of our system's weaknesses.
- Lastly, the Circle Line as you mentioned was built to three-car specifications, but ridership has since surpassed expectations of the early 2000s and it would have been nice had the trains been four or five cars long.
Fun fact: The signage on the platform screen doors at 4:35 is only a few days old at the time of writing.
You know the City Hall/Raffles Place clips? I filmed it the day before it switched to the new signages. Today, many of the signs have been switched to the new ones.
the abandoned cross platform transfer at promenade was because of the 2004 Nicoll Highway collapse.
Thanks for such a detailed comment, some great insights here!
Having lived in Hong Kong and Taipei for a good amount of time, the most impression thing about the the Singapore system is the amount of interchange stations. The system definitely benefited from superb city planning so it doesn't feel like there's a funneling of traffic to commercial areas like there is in HK, which is limited by geography - namely Kowloon Pennisula and the narrow strip of developed land on the island. That being said, I was actually much more impressed with SG's bus system, which is probably the best I've experienced anywhere in the world. Full Integration with Google Map and fully featured bus stops plus a lack of unpredictable schedule due to non-existent traffic problem. Again, this all stems from a fundamentally aware and superb city planning.
I've been to Singapore recently and really appreciate the MRT there so much!! All the information including the Exits are very detailed that I was able to take MRT to travel around the city alone after just using it once with my gf who lives there.
As a Singaporean who’s navigated a bunch of European metro systems on solo trips, I think it helps that our system is pretty well signposted and the lines are straightforward, with no express services and few spur lines
I found it difficult to know which direction I should be going.
Been to Singapore a few times now.
The SMRT is definitely the best suburban metro I've ever used.
When my wife and I first moved to Singapore 15 Years ago from los angeles, I didn't know any better so we bought a car. Later we found out it was totally unnecessary as their transportation system is so efficient and pleasant to ride. After travelling to over 70 countries, I could safety say that it is one of the best in the world.
I literally searched for Singapore MRT today few hours back and quite disappointed that you didn't do a video about. But not anymore 😅. Amazing content dude 🤘.
incredible stuff, your channel is literally the best on here for anything transit related
Thank you!!!
Another fun fact, some of the MRT stations in the CBD area are connected to one another through a series of walkable underground tunnels and underpasses which also served to connect different buildings in the area together. These tunnels and underpasses also serve as F&B stops or retail and services.
3 decent examples just to add on it:
-Suntec City(Promenade MRT side) to Funan via City Hall MRT underpass through Capitol Piazza
-Marina Bay Link Mall linking Downtown MRT and Raffles Place MRT
-Tanjong Pagar MRT with new exit points (i.e. Exit K) to Frasers Tower and many more. **Exit K has been very rather under-utilised thus far**
That is a great part of Singapore! I wish there could be more of that underground network or expanded into other areas.
Could you point me to an overview or perhaps a map of these underground tunnels and underpasses?
Raffles Place EWL NSL Downtown DTL via _One Raffles Quay_
Marina Bay NSL CCL TEL Shenton Way TEL _via Marina One_
Suntec Esplanade CCL City Hall EWL NSL Funan _via Raffles City or Citylink & Capitol_ (and also Promenade CCL DTL via Suntec)
Bencoolen DTL Bras Basah CCL _via SMU_
*EWL NSL CCL DTL TEL = MRT lines
A underground map is actually hard to find since there isn't really one there shows underground specifically and even streetdirectory map (the less used map) actually features some underground outline which don't really looks that obvious sometimes
Press F for missing Rochor Jalan Besar DTL link and almost connected link to Marina Bay station from Downtown/Raffles Place
3:44 it helps that taipei had taken inspirations from singapore's MRT system, hence the similar looking trains (both even have siemens trains with their iconic sounds)
5:18 in the future, we'll be expecting the jurong region line which will be fully overground, probably the first new line to be overground in years now. as well as that, with the TEL potentially taking over the changi branch of the east west line, there will be a short section of track in which the TEL will have to go overground from its predominantly underground character (although i wonder, how would they re-engineer changi airport station and its PSDs for the 5 door configuration?)
8:48 the most probable reason for why the downtown line doesn't connect to dhoby ghaut is probably because of cost, the existing structures underneath the area*, and what was probably thought as unfeasible to have a ~500m connection between the two. what's even weird about bencoolen on the downtown line (the closest DTL station to dhoby ghaut) is that it's a literal stone's throwaway from bras basah on the circle line. they may as well practically be the same station and an interchange at that, but oh well
10:39 the irony when after the white elephant fiasco that happened with buangkok station on the north east line which opened 3 years after the line's opening was a "promise" that no future stations on future lines will be fully built but left unoperational. they've resorted to building shell stations instead to appease the public
12:26 to be very honest here, it seems like a waste to have a branch splitting off the main line at pasir ris just for 4 stops to the north-east. it would've been much more feasible and definitely efficient to have a seperate line running north from woodlands to east around where changi is. this would definitely alleviate the massive crowding on such bus services running along the general area
*from what i read, the tunnel section between fort canning and bencoolen on the downtown line had to be carefully built as it went under existing tunnels of 3 running lines, on top of soft soil conditions and other existing infrastructure
all in all, this has been a very informative video, keep up the good work 👍
Ironically, just a short time back. Singapore MRT was plagued with lots of break down and we have to turn to Taipei Metro engineers for help
@@kayleonglim4176 that's true. it's also sad to see how SMRT had really screwed things up with the spate of incidents over the past few months
Heard in the Land Transport Master Plan, it is written that the Cross Island Line's branch is planned to eventually become its own North Coast Line or something like that
I honestly feel that Downtown Line is the most inconvenient of lines but of course it largely benefits Bukit Timah area and the industries in the east.
Everyone should be made to ride in Singapore's MRT to get them to appreciate how important a good metro system is to a city.
You would be surprised on how much you miss these stuff when you go overseas. The convenience and the ease of access..And especially the little comforts it provides makes a big difference.
its interesting how i see my house in these videos, and also the fact that our train system is being recognised by the public is nice as well. Great Video !
Hey RM thanks for featuring my nation’s metro system network, didn’t know u made videos about my nations metro lines until a friend posted a video about u talking about the East West and North South line, good video as I enjoyed hearing your explanation about Singapore’s metro system and fun fact the reason why the North East Line is using overhead power is because of a trial that the LTA wanted to test weather overhead or third rail power is the best way for future MRT lines, but till today it remains the only line in Singapore to be powered by overhead power
Until CRL is built, yes. Apparently they decided to do just that.
Great remake and well researched as well. I remember riding the mrt when i was really young and how amazed i was with the entire system especially the psds in the underground stations. Well time changes...
I actually just visited singapore last week and the MRT system was honestly one of the highlights for me
Well done again to this remake and to your legion of Singapore rail fans contributing.
Let's go, the vid is looking lit! Thanks for having me on Reece!🔥
Thank you for the help!
By far one of my favorite cities in the world. A wonderful place!
There is also another new line that the MRT is thinking of building to connect the Northern part of Singapore. It is the Seletar Line and I think it links the Woodlands Checkpoint to Seletar Airport and other places as well.
New stations like Hume and (maybe) Sungei Kadut on the Downtown and North-South line are going to be built when there is more development around the stations, just like Canberra station in 2019.
The best station will be the Founders' Memorial that will open in about 2027 along the Thompson East Coast line. t will feature national heroes and iconic figures that were influential to Singapore's founding.
Thanks for this great video too!
I got to say that indeed Singapre has one of the best and efficient public transport system. Within a period of 10 years, there was a massive improvement in efficiency and network. Is really convenient. Can have a combination of bus and train as well.
4:21 peak period RP/CH is amazing, huge crowds of office folks running across the platform to change lines. truly an interesting sight. Same at Jurong East - the other red/green interchange. It's 4 tracks in parallel, with platforms in between. Not uncommon is people running from the leftmost train, into the next train on the left and out on the right, and then proceeding to the 3rd train.
haha I used to be one of them 🤣
Everything about Singapore is awesome and worth visiting! I love this country, it is worthy of emulation. How lucky the Singaporean citizens are! We actually envy you and we are dreaming to become like Singapore too in the future.
Where are you from?
Thank you for the love of my island nation.
8:47: "The lack of a (Downtown Line) connection to Dhoby Ghaut does feel like a missed opportunity to create a more major hub."
A very interesting perspective actually, considering Dhoby Ghaut is already successful as a hub. I think the reason why LTA (the stat board overseeing the MRT) didn't consider another line there is to avoid more congestion. The strategic placement of Dhoby Ghaut already works as a slightly off-CBD interchange. Then again, the beauty of the downtown line is its proximity, especially in the CBD area. The overarching goal of these new lines here is to connect transit gaps and provide (less congested) alternatives for the average commuter. Given its current capacity, I think 3 lines at Dhoby Ghaut is sufficient.
If Downtown Line interchanges @ Dhoby Ghaut it'd then be running too close in parallel to the North East Line I think. Fortunately the station's Exit B is only a 5 min walk from Downtown Line's Bencoolen station.
@NDP 2022 Maintenance costs will also be higher due to the complexity of the entire area
Also risk the danger of moving vulnerable soil
@NDP 2022 And right now we're about to have at least 3-4 stations that can each transfer to at least 2 other lines already.
(Dhoby Ghaut of course, and the upcoming Outram Park and Marina Bay interchanges to name a few. Even Jurong East in future with JRL. )
I don't see how that is not convenient enough
Plus, the transfer rebates are also surplus.
If you're not in on multiple train transfers then by all means do a bus to train transfer, or vice versa.
For those of you who dont know, the very green centre is called the central catchment. it holds singapore's reservoir.
Local here, outstanding video on the MRT system I'll say. I'll add a few interesting facts into it myself for future references too.
- Prior to 1998, SMRT (known as MRTC back then) was fully owned by the government.
- SBS Transit was awarded ownership of the NEL in 2003 by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as a way to induce competition and breaking the monopoly.
- The BPLRT will be one of the first People Mover Line to keep the INNOVIA 100 tracks while using the INNOVIA 300 train and signalling system.
- The DTL and CCL actually shares tracks between Promenade and Bayfront (hence the cross platform transfer at Bayfront).
- The DTL trains at one point shared the same depot as the CCL because the main DTL depot wasn't ready yet.
- In 2016, all rail lines are owned by the government again, companies are now under a 15 year contract.
- The reason why each rail lines (with the exception of the North South and East West Line) have very different specifications and different signalling systems are due to the way the contract was awarded. A tender is opened to any competing rail and signalling manufacturer and the bid with the highest efficiency, highest safety records (though there are discrepancies here *ahem*) and lowest bid cost usually wins the tender.
- LTA looooooooves to experiment, they make many modifications and changes under the hood to always seek for maximum efficiency on the rail lines, also part of the reason why CCL and DTL are 3-cars instead of the usual 6-cars, and TEL having 4-cars with 5 exit doors, and the future JRL to have 3 or 4-car configurations with 3 larger doors each car each side.
- The NSEWL had a single 4-car train known as money train. It's for transporting the money used from buying the tickets. They are no longer in commission since 2003.
Heard 1 of the money train's cars is now in an army camp & used for combat training. & the DTL & CCL don't & can't share tracks (unless the train is manually driven I remember) as our gov't decided to call for separate tenders for their signalling systems (won by Invensys (now Siemens) & Alstom respectively), though they run parallel to each other between BayFront & Promenade & are connected to each other at the former.
From what I've seen during my 18 hour layover in Singapore, MRT has 2-3 minute headways peak hours 5-7 minute headways off peak hours. Incredibly efficient. They also sell a tourist pass, which you can use every single transit in the country as much as you want for two days and it costs 20 SGD, incredible bang for buck. Singapore is doing this transport thing very well.
Local protip, on the Red and Green lines the ending carriages have no motors so they're nice to nap in and not get disturbed by motor noise.
The Train 🚆 stations are Integrated with Bus 🚌 Interchange Stations such as Bedok, Boon lay ,Woodlands etc.
Living in Singapore now, the MRT system has made life here more convenient. The Jurong Regional Line was proposed with a development plan at a neighborhood the line will pass through so we can expect residents there will live close to a MRT station. Speaking about last mile connection, most people here use bus at places without LRT as the fare system is integrated so we don't pay that much for a transfer. I can't even find a better transit system in the world XD
u got me at 2:21! i dont think Singapore has that many golf courses haha
But honestly, the system is so extensive and popular that even the train enthusiast community adores this system very well.
As of now, some 1st gen trains (C151), 2nd gen (C651) and 3rd gen (C751B) are being scrapped and repurposed, making the system show signs of aging but is still very pleasant :)
I was there in 87 when the MRT opened and found the experience and ability for me being visually impaired to easily navigate the service was and is still outstanding. It has grown a lot since then and my last visit in 2018 was still as exciting. Trains arriving every 90sec took some getting wed to if you were with a group so you had to have a backup plan incase you got seperate. You certainly don't try and rush into a train as the auto doors don't stop for anyone. thanks for a great update
When the North South Line opens back in 1987, it starts from Marina Bay and STOPs at Yishun with only 15 stations. All the other stations like woodlands were only added (Extended) later in the late 90s
Singapore metro was my first metro ride. Since then I have travelled in NYC, Bostom, Shenzhen, Bangalore metro. Singapore metro is the most advanced not just interms of tech used but how they have built office spaces and malls above metro stations. Also was walking in Singapore and missed the metro station and was lost and behold there is another metro station few meters away. Singapore is slightly bigger than my tier-3 city of India, but infrastructure there is better compared to US & China
well... Singapore is small, so nearly everything is built above each other (new developments aims to complement necessary infrastructures such as shops and supermarkets within the town with integrated developments. (since the development of toa payoh new town, each "cluster" of blocks will have their own shops and eateries, and each "sections" will have a mall with further infrastructures of shops and services, and within the town there will be government services embed within the "sections" and "clusters". each of the facilities are aimed within a walking distance to a 5-15 min travel) )
@@PrograError Agreed. But why cant cities think that way and built infra like Singapore. Example: Cities like NYC, Bangalore have high real restate value so if they built office space, mall above metro that can be profitable for metros in terms of revenue. Capital cost maybe high but OP cost will be profitable long term. In Bangalore, there is already cluster mentality. People living in southen part will not travel to centre of the city for a night out or a movie. Also Singapore thinks long terms, they have an entire metro line being built with stations already built but will not open for next 3-5 years as development is yet to catch up in that part of the city. Other cities built metro after roads are congested. That is not a good concept. NYC used to do that before, I just wish it happens in India so that we can avoid using private vehicles.
@@AlohaKudla actually you are wrong in believing they built the metro/ MRT with the aim of helping the development. the shell stations are more of a by product of planning, when in fact it's more of the existing new towns helping the development of the new new towns around the planned station as a shell station.
In gist, it's the existing new town population and travel patterns helping to fund the development of new new towns, and hence the shell station in the corridor, then the other way as you have believed.
(since the start, the lines have all being built within existing towns and main corridors, while some are more newly built, all the stations and hence the lines are basically "funded" by the prospective catchment of the town and the downstream catchment. the only reason why they are planned as "shell stations" was due to a early scandal on the NEL in the early days where a station was planned as a station to be opened later but fully kit out, which got called a white elephant and hence the policy change)
To be fair, the Tube have stations that are constructed atop existing infrastructures too.
Wow!
This is a very detailed explanation of the Singapore MRT!
Love the detail and the accuracy of the pronunciation - good of you to coincidentally release this when I am visiting Singapore too!
Hi Reece! I'm from Singapore and this is a very good video of the MRT, especially with the pronunciation of local names! Cheers! 😀
so glad you did a video on my amazing city! you should have maybe mentioned the plan to have express services on the cross island line though, would definitely put our system on a level with tokyo and nyc in such an aspect.
I live in Singapore for over 17 years ... Fair comment ... Bencoolen St - Downtown could be directly connected to Dhoby Ghout ... they are sooo close to each others ... also very close to Bras Basar St Circular Line
8:30 there was an interchange previously planned at the intersection, but it got split up into two separate stations which are ~500m apart
The line is also design to interact with the daily life's of Singaporeans such as art display and also the occasionally breakdown that gets complaints hahaha. But the surrounding is also design with shopping and connection to malls and key shelter and exit towards amenities. Timings of peak and non-peak trains are also a key factor to creating competitiveness and services.
You just gained a new sub! im from singapore
This is an excellent video about our MRT system. Thank you for talking about it and I will be sharing this with my friends.
this is good and all but, the "johor people mover" has a title now... Rapid Transit System (RTS), that oddly to those watching is based on the more regular or malaysian version of LRTs.
there's many reasons for it, but major reason was cost as the malaysian side put it. orginally, it was planned to use the same rolling stock as the TEL but the negotiation turned out this way (which IMO is a classic Malaysian politician shortsightedness of chasing kickbacks, after all the RTS will have a shorter capacity for loading the passengers compared to the planned TEL RS and the causeway is one of the world's busiest border crossing.)
Thought it might've been easier to upgrade the existing Malaysia's KTM Shuttle _Tebrau_ into commuter rail/rapid transit standard, something like KTM _Komuter_ JB (i.e. from seating-only cars carrying ~45 passengers each to those with more standing space & wider doors) & improve conenctivity to Woodlands Train Checkpoint e.g. by extending the MRT from Woodlands N &/or Kranji stations. Then later I heard there's a contract clause that stipulates that in the long term, Singapore's gov't wants to remove KTM services across the border corssing (probably as its seen as undermining its sovereignty)
@@lzh4950 impossible with the single track, plus as you said, there's not political will.
also upgrading would have just made the current situation worse at the checkpoint, at least WDN has a way of dispersing the crowd, the KTM station was never made for the amount of crowd likely to transit. i believe just a single oncoming/ incoming train, basically is full house from immigration standpoint
From Singapore, this video was great
Thank you!
This video really encapsulates a lot of the mrt so well :)) definitely worth the remake!
The DTL is actually a mess of both engineering miracles and disasters, it was originally meant to intersect with itself at Rochor but the canal and a future highway ended up screwing the plans so that they had to build Jalan Besar instead. And Dhoby Ghaut really isn’t that much of a missed opportunity. Other than the fact that a four line station in Singapore would be pretty excessive and sprawling (and Dhoby is already a labyrinth), one can simply get off at Little India and take the NEL one stop, instead of going around the loop to Fort Canning. Its also an engineering miracle, because the DTL has to squeeze between the tunnels of the three lines coming out of Dhoby on it’s way to Fort Canning
Also a bit ironic that the gov't had the foresight to build the East West Line a bit deeper along Shenton Way so there'd still be enough space for the Downtown Line to tunnel just above it at right angles (along Cross St), but without a transfer between the 2 lines there
@@lzh4950 dunno if that's foresight or just convenient placing tbh. cos like half the DTL stations are like just off of making an interchange with most of the other lines
Cool remake of the SG Mrts. Comparing this and the previous vid, this has a lot of improvements.
Speaking of fares, you can actually pay with Mastercard Paypass or Visa Paywave too. Tourists need not purchase EZLink or NETS FlashPay card to travel around Singapore.
Same with the transit systems in Vancouver
It is understandable that the East-West line is the most used line as it connects the Changi Airport to the city area and that it also has the most stations, also the first 4 stations from Tuas Link are close to the industrial area where workers may need to take to.
Watching this video in transportation systems class at uni. Well done.
The Good news is that Singapore SMRT 🇸🇬 Thomson East Coast line has opened 11 more stations 🚉 3rd phase.
Was looking forward to a new video after TEL3’s opening but this is great too thanks for the effort on getting the pronunciations right 😬
Really cool to see how well all their official languages are incorporated into the signage
And it is applied islandwide, well most is English, but certain areas are in 4 languages too.
The station names (on the latest signs) in non-English languages are tiny though & are more difficult to read from a train that's stopped at the station
@@lzh4950 Singapore is primarily English, so it's not really easy trying to balance the font size between languages. In fact, in HK MTR, the Chinese characters are even more prominent than the romanisations words.
That's what you get, a compromise for doing quad-lingual stuff.
I visit family in Singapore often so I am familiar with the MRT, and I enjoy this video overall. It's a great rail system, you never have to run to catch the train because another one will come soon, but gets crowded quickly (for good reason). Noise is also an issue if you live near the elevated MRT lines. And your pronunciation of the stations is pretty good.
You did mention NE Line is the first long distance driverless metro system - but I think Kuala Lumpur- Kelana Jaya - is also long and driverless (though LRT) open late 1990s
Cross Island Line will help create a more direct connection from the eastern housing districts to the industrial areas in the west coast. Riders won't have to take the east-west line and won't need to pass by the CBD area.
Thank you for this comprehensive and educational video! Great content.
I cannot imagine the amount of work this puts in to study the Singapore MRT.
@Andre Mel Sim (Peircess) Good for you. 😎👍
Hey there! On 6:48, the one you showed was the Sentosa EXPRESS. There was an real monorail which served 6 station while the express only served 4
Its neigboring countries also got as long length of subway as Singapore (KL&BKK) hope you consider add this 2 cities too.
I happened to see a video from a local who would dispute the notion that the LRTs are comfortable or high-quality. He basically dismissed them as gadgetbahns and said Singapore should have just built tram-style LRT instead. Interesting local perspective.
17:55 How is tunneling a bad thing? Genuinely asking. I suppose it’s expensive, but aside from that, I’d have imagined: 1) it provides grade separation, 2) allows for a line to be built under existing buildings and parks, etc., 3) causes less environmental impact by lessening the need to clear large pathways through nature, and 4) avoids n.i.m.b.y. issues by hiding the trains out of sight. What are the problems with tunneling? Is it just cost-in money, labor, and time? Or is there something else which isn’t occurring to me?
I love these little random snippets of activities. The Prime Day ads say this is really recent, so that's cool. I don't think I've ever seen recruitment posters for Prison Service (Guards) @ 14:52.
The Raffles/City Hall with different cross plattforms can also be found in Stockholm at T-Centralen, Gamla Stan & Slussen. Very smart!
Additional details for the network evolution: NSL had a much shorter start compared to the other lines. For the early years, the MRT was a simple network of 12 stations each for the North (red), the East (green), and the West (blue) before the current naming system.
Hope this blows up again like the last one
Love the remakes Reece! Although I definitely miss the deeper dives into the rolling stock as part of these Explained videos haha
I get it, but that ended up making videos longer and them getting a lot less attention, at the same time I'd say I will keep 80% of the important info in the remakes, so not too much is being lost.
@@RMTransit Makes sense! You gotta learn from what's working :)
I wouldn't mind seeing a couple videos in the future that were rolling stock based though! Really enjoyed that top 5 rolling stock one, and most unique rolling stock one as well.
Keep it up Reece!
Visited very frequently for about 10 years pre covid its very efficient and sounds amazing
Fun fact: Cross Island Line is Singapore's 2nd MRT line to use Overhead Catenary System. LTA put out a tender notice for railway electrification manufacturers to bid on design n installation of OCS throughout the CRL. It will be also the longest MRT Line and will use 6/8 car trainset. More like Crossrail in London but for Singapore
CRL is a simpler Crossrail, and doesn't even go through the CBD area
As a Singaporean, I can say that most Singaporeans typically do not feel exactly like that about the MRT. Most of the time when we talk about the MRT it’s because it breaks down a lot. That’s an actual conversation topic in Singapore, kinda like small talk. It happens pretty often, and because Singapore is so small and interconnected, news spreads fast and so each case of a breakdown will make it on national media. Also, the current CEO for the company SMRT - which is a major transit company in Singapore (that does MRT, LRT, and public bus) - is the former head of Military (3 star general, where there is only 1 at any one time). This is because after the general retires from the military, the government has to give them a decent job that pays a similar wage. So, they usually give them the role of CEO of some major companies, this time being SMRT. So, this, to Singaporeans, is just one huge joke. How would you expect a Military general to know anything about commercial transport??? 🤨
I'm in Singapore since Sept last year, and i never had problems with breakdowns, but in rush hours, the MRT is always full... how will it be in 10 years with the population growth?
@@MegaZord23 not many people experience breakdowns firsthand, but often times you will hear it on the news, and one time the train was stuck in one position for over an hour or so (I heard about this on the morning radio a couple years back). People were really just complaining about the incident.
Not true. Does not break down a lot.
sounded like you hv an axe to grind
Thank you for an excellent and well-balanced video on the Singapore MRT system and its expansion plans!
The Jurong Region Line was originally proposed in 1996 as a light rail transit (LRT) system to serve the Nanyang Technological University. It was officially announced as a new LRT line - the Jurong Region Line (JRL) - in 2001. This plan was put on hold in 2008, and revived in 2013 as an MRT line rather than as an LRT line.
In the context of the Singapore transit system, LRT refers to the rubber-tyred people mover systems serving Bukit Panjang, Sengkang and Ponggol. The redefinition of the JRL as an MRT line in 2013 simply meant that it would not be like these existing LRT lines using people mover systems.
The JRL would instead be based on a conventional standard gauge 1435 mm system, as used by the existing MRT lines. However when the JRL system details were announced, it was clear that there were significant differences from the existing MRT lines.
Some of these differences seemed to characterise the JRL as less of a heavy rail MRT line and more like a medium capacity rail line. The entire JRL track would be completely elevated with exclusive right of way. Due to the tight curves necessary to fit into an already built-up environment, the JRL cars were to be shorter and narrower than the cars in the existing MRT lines.
The JRL cars were to be supplied by Hyundai Rotem and would be run as three-car sets. The dimensions of each car were a length of 18.6m and a width of 2.75m. The car width is significantly narrower than for the existing MRT lines whose cars are typically 3.2m wide. A width of 2.75m is close to the typical light rail car width of around 2.7m.
The RTS Link under construction between Woodlands in Singapore and Johore Bahru is a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system distinct from the Thomson-East Coast MRT line to which it links. The RTS uses light rail cars 27m which have a width similar to the JRL cars.
Hence the JRL cars are more similar to LRT cars than to the existing MRT cars. The JRL is in effect a medium capacity rail system significantly different from the existing heavy rail MRT systems, and more like a light rail system with elevated right of way. Construction work for the JRL began in January 2023, and the first stations will commence operation in 2026.
some of the bigger stations were overcrowded sometimes, but that was during holiday season. I don't really know how it's like outside of it. I do think that the stations are clean, easy to navigate and the lines are very simple, easy to read and get where you wanna go.
Hey u are missing the airport skytrain and there is an old line from Singapore to Malaysia open in 1932 love the video it awesome
When you mentioned figure 8 on the MRT map, that would have been a good time to show the map you're referring to.
You have to assume that people haven't seen any of your other videos, or don't know anything about trains or the places you're talking about, and at least give a tiny explanation of any terms that people might not know about transportation and trains/buses/boats/planes.
I had to look up 'bogie' when you used that word in a previous video, as you gave no explanation, and just expected us to know what that means.
Bayfront and promenade
Interchange station
Circle line to downtown Same as city hall and raffle place to east west to North South
They've really completely dropped the ball with the most recent blue and brown lines. As mostly overlapped lines to the red and green, they had the perfect opportunity to configure express trains (like NYC's local vs express system) to address the long-standing inequalities in job opportunities of those who lived far away and could not afford a car. But instead, they went on to dot plentiful stations in exactly the same spacing as all the previous lines, focusing on raising the land value rather than solving transportation issues.
The older lines were really done so very well as introduced, but ever since the Circle line they've been throwing excessive train stations at places that don't need one. It really shows a gradual transition from transit-oriented to money-oriented design of the metro.
Huh is blue line offering faster routes to enter city area for residents in bukit panjang hillview tampines bedok reservoir... similarly brown when fully opened is serving woodlands springleaf and the few areas along east coast which currently can only depend on buses to get to red/green lines or into town
Lil insight from inside SG, their building a new line nearer to Marine Parade and a few nearby places, super cool!
Also covered bus stops and taxi stop for each MRT station, directly connected to exits