Things You Didn’t Know About Singapore’s MRT System

Not only does Singapore reclaim land to expand its terrestrial area, the country also digs downwards, up to 43 metres below ground level, to build the Downtown Line. This extensive route includes the deepest station in Singapore, Bencoolen, which serves as a convenient stop for many academic institutions nearby, including the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Singapore Management University. It is also a stone’s throw away from Dhoby Ghaut and Bras Basah stations.

Commuters frequenting the Downtown Line would have noticed the presence of the Passenger Load Information System on the timing screens mounted around the stations. The system provides information on how packed a train is at different carriages. For instance, green indicates that the carriage is not crowded with ample seating space, yellow means only standing space is available, and probability of getting seats is low, while red refers to limited standing space. Powered by load sensors installed in the train, this system cost SGD $1.5 million and took around eight months to develop! It will be finetuned before further decisions to launch on other MRT lines.

Before 2009, there were no safety barriers in place to prevent commuters from falling, accidentally or intentionally, onto the railway tracks. Since 2012, each of the 36 elevated stations across the North-South and East-West Lines has been retrofitted with 1.5 metre-tall platform screen doors along the platform edge to protect commuters from oncoming trains. This infrastructure upgrade also creates a second door, which discourages people from dashing for departing trains.