Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
From SgWiki
The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is a rapid transit system which forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, serving more than a quarter of Singapore's population of four million with a network spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, from Yio Chu Kang to Toa Payoh, was opened in 1987, establishing the MRT as the second oldest metro system in Southeast Asia after the system in Manila. The network has rapidly grown ever since, especially when the white paper titled "A World-Class Land Transport System", published by the Land Transport Authority shortly after its formation in 1995, detailed how the authority intended to favour developing a comprehensive rail network and reduce dependency on road-based systems such as the bus network. The MRT also works in conjunction with the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system, which links the MRT stations with HDB estates.
The MRT system has both underground and above-ground stations, even on the same line. Underground stations are often built in densely built-up areas, such as stations in the Central Area - Singapore's central business district. The primary reason for this is that the construction of an above-ground station in such built-up areas would be difficult. Although underground stations are more expensive to build and maintain, most of them also function as bomb shelters, and often have the secondary role of being a shopping centre in itself.
As it stands at present, however, the daily ridership on the MRT and LRT networks hovers at about 1.3 million per day in 2004, a figure which pales in comparison to the 2.8 million daily ridership on the bus network. The gap is narrowing, however, as the rail network expands, and bus services are often required to be withdrawn or amended to avoid a duplication of services.
The lines are constructed by the Land Transport Authority, with operating concessions given to SMRT Corporation and SBS Transit. These operators also run bus and taxi services, thus ensuring that there is a full integration of public transport services in Singapore.
Contents |
[edit] The Mass Rapid Transit network
|
[edit] Stations
[edit] Station Layout
MRT stations are generally either above-ground or underground, with Bishan MRT Station being the only exception at grade level. For above-ground sections where trains run on viaducts, the first level of an above-ground station is usually only used for as entrance from street level. The second level is the ticketing platform and containing the ticketing machines and the fare-gate between the paid and unpaid areas. Escalators and stairs providing access to the platform level one floor up is located only the paid area. An passenger overpass may sometimes link the unpaid area of this level to another prominent building nearby, such as a school or a polytechnic. The third level is the platform level, where passengers board and alight from the trains. Most of the time this consists of one actual platform island with two sets of tracks for opposite directions running on either side.
For underground sections, stations generally consist of two levels: the ticketing level described as above, usually containing the same services, and the train platform level. There will be at least two sets of escalators and stairs between the two levels, and a further set leading to several street accesses on top of the station area. There are exceptions on the number of levels however, when the station is an interchange and thus consists of more levels than two to accommodate the extra train platform(s) for the extra line(s) and linkway(s). Such stations are often deep enough to be shielded from conventional bomb attacks from the air and act as bomb shelters. This status is enhanced by the fact that underground MRT systems have prebuilt ventilation systems with air-conditioning to even facilitate a degree of comfort in the unlikely case a conventional air assault should occur.
[edit] Train Related Services
Ticketing counters, Add Value Machines, General Ticketing Machines (GTMs), and the passenger service centre, are avaliable in every MRT station. LED displays and plasma display screens showing train arrival time information, date/time and safety messages are prominently shown.
[edit] Shops and other Services
All stations are equipped with restrooms. However, not all the stations have restrooms in the station. Some of them, such as Somerset, have the restrooms located outside the station, on street level. All stations have payphones, both in the unpaid concourse level, and on the platform itself.
Some stations along the MRT & LRT lines also have additional amenities and services, such as retail shops/kiosks, bookstores (Popular), supermarkets (NTUC FairPrice, Shop N Save), convenience stores (7-Eleven, Cheers), automatic teller machines, and self service automated kiosks for a myriad of services tend to be located within the unpaid area, although not all such services might be available at every station. They may act as a distrubution point for the free daily newspaper Today.
[edit] Passenger Information System
Singapore is one of the few cities in the world to utilise plasma displays in metro stations to display train service information. Metro systems worldwide usually use LED displays (or none at all) instead as they are cheaper to install. Critics have opposed the use of plasma displays as they are considerably more expensive to install and are susceptible to the problem of screen burns. However, the rail operators see this as a medium to earn advertising revenue from commercials shown on these displays. At the same time, they are able to display all the train service information, safety messages and time/date on these screens clearly. Using the flip dot system previously, only a limited amount of information could be displayed.
[edit] Barrier Free Facilities
Barrier free facilities such as
- lifts
- ramps
- tactile guidance system
- handicapped friendly toilets
are installed in
- 18/25 Stations On The North South Line
- 21/29 Stations On The East West Line
- All 16 Stations On The North East Line
Barrier free facilities are being retrofitted at the remaining
- 7/25 Stations On The North South Line
(Marina Bay, Raffles Place, City Hall, Orchard, Newton, Braddell, Bishan)
- 8/29 Stations On The East West Line
(Buona Vista, Tiong Bahru, Tanjong Pagar, Raffles Place, City Hall, Bugis, Lavender, Paya Lebar)
Barrier free facilities will also be installed in all future lines & extensions.
Remarks
- Information correct as of 17 August 2005
- Disabled passengers & passengers travelling with prams or luggage should ensure that their station of origin & destination station have been retrofitted with these facilities before embarking on their journeys.
[edit] Rolling Stock
4 types of rolling stock are in use on the Mass Rapid Transit system. However, they are not interchangable on all lines.
[edit] Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 Cars
- On The North South Line
- On The East West Line
[edit] Siemens C651 Cars
- On The North South Line
- On The East West Line
[edit] Kawasaki Heavy Industries & Nippon Sharyo C751B Cars
- On The North South Line
- On The East West Line
[edit] Alstom Metropolis Cars
- On The North East Line
- On The Circle Line
[edit] Depots
The depot houses trains that have not been put into service or are undergoing maintainence works, as well as diesel powered rail maintainence trains.
[edit] Bishan Depot
- For The North South Line
- For The East West Line
[edit] Changi Depot
- For The North South Line
- For The East West Line
[edit] Ulu Pandan Depot
- For The North South Line
- For The East West Line
[edit] Sengkang Depot
- For The North East Line
[edit] Kim Chuan Depot (2006)
- For The Circle Line
[edit] History of the Mass Rapid Transit
- REDIRECT
The Mass Rapid Transit's history can be traced back to 1967, when city planning studies forecasted the need for a rail-based urban transport system by the year 1992. Following the debate of whether a bus-only system would be more cost-effective, the parliament to the conclusion that an all-bus system would be inadequate, since it would have to compete for road space.
The construction of the Mass Rapid Transit network was Singapore's largest public works project at the time, commencing on 22 October 1983 at Shan Road. The network was constructed in stages, with the North South Line given priority, since it passed through the Central Area, which faced high demand for public transport. The MRT Corporation, presently the SMRT Corporation, was established on 14 October 1983. It took over the roles and responsibilities of the former provisional Mass Rapid Transit Authority.
On 7 November 1987, the first section of the North South Line, consisting of five stations over six kilometres went into operation. 15 more stations were later opened, after which the MRT system was officially launched on 12 March 1988 by Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister of Singapore. On 6 July 1990, after 21 other stations were added, the last station on the East West Line, the Boon Lay MRT Station, was opened, marking the completion of the plans for the system two years ahead of schedule.
The Mass Rapid Transit has had subsequent expansions in both new stations and infrastructure. These include the expansion of the North South Line into Woodlands, completing a continuous loop. The concept of having rail lines which would bring people almost directly to their doors marked the introduction of the Light Rapid Transit system into the existing Mass Rapid Transit network. On 6 November 1999, the first LRT trains on the Bukit Panjang LRT Line went into operation. In order accommodate tourism, the Changi Airport MRT Station and Expo MRT Station were built. The North East Line, the first line operated by SBS Transit, as one of the first fully-automated heavy rail lines in the world, opened on 20 June 2003.
[edit] Projects
[edit] Circle Line (2008)
- REDIRECT
Currently under construction in 5 stages, the 33.3 kilometre long Circle Line will be the first major rail line to be built since the publishing of the land transport white paper. Originally scheduled to be opened in stages from 2008 to 2010, due to the collapse of the Nicoll Highway station in April 2004 during its construction, the estimated completion date of the first stage of the Circle Line has now been postponed to 2009. The Circle Line is set to connect all the existing MRT lines, and allow commuters to travel around the country without having to pass the downtown area, avoiding congestion.
[edit] East West Line Boon Lay Extension (2009)
After months of planning, the Land Transport Authority announced on the 29 December 2004 the details of the Boon Lay MRT Extension (BLE). The 3.8 kilometre, 2 station line will extend from Boon Lay MRT Station on the western end of the East West MRT Line, with one station along Jurong West Street 63 between Jurong West Street 61 and Pioneer Road North, and the second station at Joo Koon Circle, near the junction of Benoi Road and International Road.
The fully elevated line will cost about S$436 million, with construction planned to commence in the second half of 2005, and completion targeted by 2009. The extension's alignment along Jurong West Street 63, Upper Jurong Road, and International Road required the acquisition of one full lot and eight part lots, totalling about 28,000 square metres of land.
[edit] Circle Line Downtown Extension (2012)
The Land Transport Authority announced on 14 June 2005 that it would be constructing a Downtown Extension (DTE) of the MRT to serve the Downtown at Marina Bay area, which is to be the site of an integrated resort as well as Singapore's second botanical gardens. Three new stations will be constructed underground linking the Promenade MRT Station on the Circle MRT Line and the Chinatown MRT Station on the North East MRT Line. Two stations tentatively named Bayfront and Landmark will be built to serve the Downtown at Marina Bay (DTMB) area, as well as a station, Cross Street, along Cross Street near the Chinatown area.
The 3.4-km fully underground extension is estimated to cost S$1.4 billion. Construction is to begin by 2007 and the extension to be completed by 2012.
[edit] Eastern Region Line & Bukit Timah Line
These lines, when constructed will provide mass public transport to areas that will continue develop years from the present and thus will only need closer services then, especially also with further future land reclamation. They are presumably still in the planning and design stages. The northern segment of the Eastern Region Line, however, is expected to be built first before the rest of the line.
With the announcement of the building of the Downtown Extension, the route in which the Eastern Region Line and the Bukit Timah Line would take has been shown. Note that station locations except mentioned station interchanges are yet to be confirmed.
[edit] Bukit Timah Line
This line will start at Promenade station and run along the Bukit Timah-Dunearn Road corridor towards the Upper Bukit Timah Road corridor. It is assumed that the line will terminate at Bukit Panjang, currently an LRT station. There will be interchanges with the East-West Line at Bugis station, North-East Line at Little India station, North-South Line at Newton station, and Circle Line at Adam station. This line is likely to be fully underground.
[edit] Eastern Region Line
The first phase of this line starts at the Chinatown station. The line would then run to the north-east, following the Jalan Besar corridor, parallel to the alignment of the North East Line to Boon Keng station (NE9) and thereafter swinging eastwards toward MacPherson station which will be an interchange with the Circle Line. This line would serve the Bedok and Tampines areas not covered by the East West Line and Marine Parade. It will be an oblong circuit and complement the East West line. The line will likely be partially underground, with the other parts running on elevated viaducts.
[edit] North Shore Line
This line, when constructed, will provide direct metro links between the northern, north-eastern, and eastern regions of Singapore. Many areas along this line are still undeveloped yet, and the line is expected to be constructed only after the areas around it has been developed. The line is expected to pass through Woodlands and/or Sembawang, Punggol, and Pasir Ris before terminating at Changi Airport, and is presumably in the planning stage.
It is interesting to note that this corridor is already a highly-used traffic corridor, with several bus services plying parts or all of it. It is an extremely competitive area, with services from both SBS Transit and SMRT Buses running near-parallel bus routes.
[edit] Punggol LRT Line
A northern spur is yet to be built, stemming out from Teck Lee (PW2) station. It will run parallel to the northern side of the Eastern loop. A date has yet to be set for the completion of the northern spur although the infrastructure for the extension is already in place. The code assigned for this extension is PN standing for Punggol North.
[edit] Other Future MRT Lines
Several proposed MRT lines have been shown on various concept and master plans created by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in Singapore. These include a Thomson Line, a Seletar Line, an Arts Centre Line, and various other MRT and LRT lines. Some of the plans for these lines have since been dropped, or have been either incoporated (either in part or whole) into other lines or built using a different route alignment. For example, the under-construction Circle Line's stage one is actually what was once called the Marina Line.
It is expected that many of these lines will not be built anytime in the near future. These lines currently serve undeveloped areas or even reclaimed land that have not been reclaimed yet. It is also expected that the final routes, alignments, and names for these lines, if built, will be different from what is currently proposed.
[edit] Fares & Ticketing
Fares on the MRT system are distance-based, increasing in fixed stages for standard non-concessionary travel. Fares on the SBS Transit's lines are slightly higher compared to those operated by SMRT Corporation, a disparity SBS Transit announced just before the opening of the North East MRT Line, justifying it be citing higher operational and maintenance costs, as well as expected lower ridership than anticipated. Despite protests from the general public, the fare was approved, but as a sweetener, the company set the ticket price comparable to SMRT's rates in the first few months of operation to encourage ridership.
[edit] Magnetic Farecards (1987-2002)
When the system first came into operation in 1987, fares on the Yio Chu Kang to Clementi ranged from S$0.50 to S$1.10 in S$0.10 increments for all adult tickets, regardless of whether they were single-trip or stored tickets. Several concessionary fares were available. Senior citizens and permanent residents above the age of 60 could travel on a flat fare S$0.50 during off-peak hours, namely from 10am to 4pm, and from 7pm onwards on weekdays, from 2.30pm onwards on Saturdays, and for the entire day on Sundays and public holidays. At all other times, standard adult fares were payable. Children below the height of 1.2 metres, and full time students studying in primary, secondary, Pre-university and VITB institutions can pay a flat fare of S$0.30 at any time of the day.
Magnetic strip plastic tickets were used, and came in various forms. The single trip ticket, coloured in green, has a validity on the day of purchase, as well as a time allowance of 30 minutes above the travelling time. Stored value tickets came in three values: The S$10 blue ticket for adults, the S$10 magenta tickets for senior citizens, and the S$5 red tickets for children. In addition, monthly concession tickets can also be purchased, and comes in four values: The beige coloured S$13 ticket for primary students, the peach coloured S$17 ticket for secondary, pre-university and VITB students, the pink coloured S$30 ticket for tertiary students, and the purple coloured S$36 ticket for full time national servicemen. These concession tickets have a validity of one month from the date of purchase, allows up to four trips per day, and are non transferable.
[edit] EZ-Link card & standard ticket (2002-)
- Main article: EZ-Link
Standard Ticket (single trip) adult fares are S$0.90 to S$4.10, excluding the S$1.00 refundable ticket deposit. With the EZ-Link or Visitors Card fares are reduced by 15% to S$0.65 to S$2.98. Concession fares are also available for children, student, senior citizens and national servicemen.
Cards are made free for students in schools, personalized with their photos, name and NRIC number. Each card, regardless of type are also assigned a unique card ID. Several uses for it might be to faclitate tracking of lost tickets, or lucky draws. At each station, there are several machines that allow commuters to add value into the card, and to purcahse or refund the Standard Tickets.
The EZ-Link Card enables residents & foreign visitors alike to travel freely on the MRT, LRT & Bus system without the need for multiple cards, saving them both time & effort as they no longer need to figure out which card to use for which system. Commuters travelling on the MRT & LRT system are also not hindered when transferring lines (which could be run by different operators), by the need to exit the faregates and re-enter through another in order to change lines. In general, once one has tapped the EZ-Link Card on the card readers and enters the MRT & LRT system, he or she never has to tap it again until he or she has arrived at the desired destination station.
This is not always true on other metro systems in the world, where a commuter may have to exit the faregates in order to transfer to another line or system. For example, in New York City, if a commuter on the New York City Subway system wishes to transfer to the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) metro system, he or she has to exit the faregates at a designated station on the New York City Subway and re-enter the faregates at the designated PATH station in order to make the transfer, and vice-versa, as there are no connections between the paid areas of both systems where the commuter can make the transfer.
[edit] Art In Transit
One of the distinctive features on the North-East MRT line is the Art In Transit programme. Every station on the line features various artworks by various Singaporean artists, intergrated into the station architecture itself.
A few of the older stations (such as Woodlands and Orchard) also features artworks, but it should be noted that they are not part of the Art In Transit programme.
NE1 HarbourFront - Design: Station features sea-like decor, with the concourse roof forming ship-like formation</P>
NE3 Outram Park - Design: Plain decor with clay figurines jutting out from the walls, also seen along transfer linkway
NE4 Chinatown - Design: Plaine decor with Chinese caligraphy on platform floor and mural on concourse level.
NE5 Clarke Quay - Design: Plain decor with sketches of the Singapore River at concourse
NE6 Dhoby Ghaut - Design: Plain decor with mosaic wall and mosiac floor(level B3 at transfer hall)
NE7 Little India - Design: Plain decor with Indian leafs in grills at entrances
NE8 Farrer Park - Design: brush drawings showing the horse racing activity that used to go on in the Farrer Road Area.
NE12 Serangoon - Design: Plain decor with pictures adorning pillars along platform reflecting multi-cultural aspect
NE13 Kovan - Design: Granite inlays on station floor showing two maps of the Kovan area depicting Kovan's progress.
NE14 Hougang - Design: Plain decor with clay castings of palms of residents in Hougang area on walls
NE16 Sengkang - Design: Plain decor with stained glass depicting fishing village era of the town
[edit] Safety
- REDIRECT
[edit] Accidents
There have been multiple accidents on the MRT system since its inception in 1987, although most faults were subsequently rectified. More notable ones include
- a collision between two trains at Clementi MRT station on 5 August 1993, resulting in 132 injuries. The collision happened because a work train that did maintenance work earlier that morning had spilled some oil onto the tracks.
- the derailing of an empty train in between Yio Chu Kang & Ang Mo Kio stations in the late 1990s/early 2000s
- the recall of the 21 new Kawasaki Heavy Industries & Nippon Sharyo C751B cars from service on 23 April 2002 due to faulty gearboxes, though there were no safety implications
- the mounting of a car onto a stretch of ad grade track along Lentor Avenue in between Khatib and Yio Chu Kang stations, resulting in a collision by an oncoming train
- commuter deaths as a result of being hit by trains on the tracks at Bukit Batok, Redhill, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan and Buona Vista stations, accidental or suicidal.
These incidents have prompted the authorities to consider strengthening the fences along the at grade sections of train track running beside the roads, which was done. There was a proposal to install platform screen doors at elevated stations and platform gates (such as those installed on the Tokyo Monorail) at elevated stations, but was rejected due to the high installation & maintenance costs, which could eventually be borne by the passenger. Safety was also an issue as there was the risk that passengers might get trapped in the gap created between the platform gates and the train as a result of the platform gates. The idea to use CCTV cameras led to all elevated stations as of 2005 having recordable digital CCTV systems. Eventually the remaining underground stations are planned to have this new system too. More CCTV cameras are also progressively being installed in all stations. There have been no accidents on the North-East line.
There has been one accident on the LRT system in Bukit Panjang. This caused the system to be suspended for about half a day.
- Two trains collided at BP5 Phoenix station after one went "missing"
There have been no accidents on either the Sengkang or Punggol LRT lines.
[edit] Announcements
There are other announcements played in MRT stations to ensure that the rail transport system is a safe and clean place for commuters to travel. Announcements include no consumption of food and drinks in stations and trains: "Your attention please, eating or drinking is not allowed in stations and trains. Thank you for keeping the stations and trains clean for the comfort of all passengers"
There are also announcements providing tips for commuters, mostly tourists, such as "Dear Passengers, if you are using a standard ticket for a single trip, you may obtain your one dollar deposit, from the ticketing machine, at your destination station. Thank You". This announcement is most often played on the North South Line and East West Line from Newton to Raffles Place and Lavender to Outram Park respectively.
The most common announcements are train service related annoucements. an example will be: "The train at Platform A will terminate at Yishun. The train at Platform A will terminate at Yishun. Thank you." Announcements are played whenever the train reaches an Interchange station, to inform commuters to which lines they can transfer to. For example, the announcement on the North South Line when the train reaches Jurong East would be "Jurong East Interchange. This Train is terminating at Jurong East Interchange. Passengers going towards City Hall, and Pasir Ris, please alight on the Left, and transfer to another train. Passengers going towards Chinese Garden, Lakeside, or Boon Lay, Please alight on the Right, and transfer to another train. Thank You for travelling with SMRT. Jurong East Interchange." At terminus station, an additional message "Thank you for travelling with SMRT" (on the North South and East West Line) or "Thank you for travelling with SBS Transit" (North East Line) will be played.
[edit] Fire Safety
After the Daegu subway fire incident in South Korea, fire prevention became the most important consideration of the Mass Rapid Transit system of Singapore. The MRT uses the guidelines of the American National Fire Prevention Authorities (NFPA), which were established for enhancing fire safety within metro systems. The guidelines contain criteria concerning the availability of emergency exits (within 600m), evacuation time (max. 6 min.), escalators, and other design features. All the MRT stations and trains have more than one fire-extinguisher and smoke detection systems are installed in all North-East Line trains.
[edit] Safety Announcements & The Yellow Line
A wide yellow line is drawn along the platform's edge to remind passengers not to stand too near to the edge.
Under the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Regulations 11 and 29, commuters who ignore the instruction not to cross yellow line until the train has stopped at the station may be fined up to $500. For those who are caught trespassing onto the tracks, they may be fined up to $5,000.
Safety announcements reminding passengers to stand behind the yellow line are played in all 4 official languages (English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil) on the platforms whenever a train is approaching, especially during peak hours: "Your attention please, for your own safety, please stand behind the yellow line." (English) "Dajia qing zhuyi. Weile nin ziji de anquan, qing zhan zai huang xian houmian." (Chinese) "Sila ambil perhatian. Demi keselamatan anda, harap berdiri di belakang garisan kuning." (Malay) "��ͪ� �°ͨͤ� ������� �����͕��� ��͕���� ������� ��ͩ��͟� ���� �˟͟�͕� ���ͩ��� ������." (Tamil)
There are also safety announcements on the train. For example, before a North South Line train switches over to the middle track when it arrives at Jurong East there would be an announcement saying "This train would be crossing over to the middle track soon. For your own safety, please hold on to the grap poles and handgrips." This announcement was created, as some time ago, many coummuters kept losing their balance whenever the train diverts its track.
[edit] Platform Screen Doors
- prevent suicides
- enable climate control within the station (better ventilation & air conditioning)
- better security control as access to the tunnels & tracks is restricted
- passenger safety considerations
These are manufactured by Westinghouse Platform Screen Doors, A Member Of The Knorr-Bremse Group. There are 2 series of the platform screen doors in use. The first series, installed at the underground stations along the North South Line & the East West Line (except Changi Airport station), have been in use since 1987. The latest series of platform screen doors, sporting a sleeker design & incorporating more glass, are installed at the Changi Airport station & all stations (all underground) along the North East Line in 2002 & 2003 respectively.
<P>NS17 Bishan station is being retrofitted with platform screen door on both platforms.[edit] Emergency Equipment
The safety facilities in MRT are listed below:
- Emergency Stop Plunger (ESP) - SMRT/Emergency Train Stop (ETS) - NEL
- Emergency Telephone - SMRT/NEL
- Passenger intercom at General Ticketing Machine - NEL
- Fire-Extinguishers - SMRT/NEL
- Emergency Stop Button on escalator/travelator - SMRT/NEL
- Emergency Detrainment Ramp - SMRT/NEL
- Emergency Communication Button - SMRT/NEL
- Door Unlock Handle - NEL
- Emergency Door Handle of platform screen doors - SMRT/NEL
[edit] Security
- REDIRECT
It was noted that overall security concerns related to crime and terrorism are not high on the agenda of the system's planners since its inception. [1] For instance, there was no physical police presence in the rail system, and nor were private security guards deployed. CCTV systems were not widely used, and there were no passenger service booths on the platform level, the only manned booth being the one at the station control room. These measures were not necessary, however, as incidents of crime rarely occurred on the rail system.
[edit] Police MRT Unit & Transit Security
In the wake of heightened security concerns as a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and also particularly the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks in which the commuter rail system was targeted, however, the Singapore government initiated several measures aimed at securing the rail system from a similar attack. In the months immediately after the Madrid attacks, the two rail operators, SMRT Corporation and SBS Transit, started employing private unarmed guards who patrol the station platforms, and are empowered to check the belongings of commuters. The Singapore Police Force announced that regular police officers may commence patrolling duties within stations and trains, although this was not visibly apparent except in the immediate period after announcements were made.
In reaction to a second major terrorist attack on a public transport system in the 7 July 2005 London bombings, the police deployed armed Police Tactical Unit officers to patrol within stations the day after the bombings occurred, while pre-existing security measures were placed on higher alert.[2] [3]
On 14 April 2005, the Singapore Police Force made a public announcement on its plans to step-up rail security [4] by establishing a new specialised Police MRT Unit. These armed officers began visible patrols on the MRT and LRT systems [5] on 15 August 2005, conducting random patrols in pairs in and around rail stations and within trains. Dressed in tactical uniforms similar to members from the Police Tactical Unit, they are however differentiated by blue-coloured berets, and are armed with less firepower with each officer carrying a T85 revolver and T-baton similar to officers from Neighbourhood Police Centres. Selected with their height and physique in mind to project a tougher presense [6], these officers are trained and authorised to utilise their firearms based on the officers' discretion, including "shoot to kill" if deemed necessary.
[edit] Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
Plans were also announced in fixing CCTVs within trains operated by SMRT Corporation, in line with existing fixtures in SBS Transit trains. These measures were deemed neccesary in light of the timing of the attacks which took place while the 117th IOC Session was still in progress in the city, and that the meeting venue at Raffles City was located beside City Hall MRT Station, a major interchange station with very high passenger traffic.
[edit] Announcements & Notices
"Attention all passengers, please do not leave your belongings unattended. If you see any suspicious article, please inform our staff or call 999."
- Recorded audio announcements such as the above played in stations & trains, notices on plasma display screens on station platforms and in train carriages, as well as posters and notices in stations remind commuters to report instances of unattended packages and other suspicious activities to the authorities.
[edit] Trash Bins & Mail Boxes
Trash bins and mail boxes were relocated from the station platform & concourse levels to the station entrances.
This precautionary measure has been taken to safeguard Singapore MRT stations.
[edit] References
Academic publications
- Sock, Y.P. and Walder, Jay H. (1999) Singapore’s Public Transport
Corporate and governmental sources
- Land Transport Authority, Singapore (1996) A World Class Land Transport System. White Paper presented to Parliament, 2 January. ISBN 9971884887
- Mass Rapid Transit Corporation, Singapore (1993) Stored Value - A Decade of the MRTC. ISBN 9810050348
- Singapore MRT Limited (1987) MRT Guide Book. ISBN 9810001509
[edit] See also
- History of the Mass Rapid Transit
- Light Rapid Transit
- Transport in Singapore
- SMRT Corporation
- SBS Transit
- List of Singapore MRT stations
- List of Circle MRT Line station names
[edit] Links
- SMRT Corporation Official Site
- SBS Transit Official Site
- Official system map, Land Transport Authority
- UrbanRail Singapore
- Singapore's Rail Transit Systemde:MRT (Singapur)
fr:Métro de Singapour id:MRT nl:Mass Rapid Transit Singapore ja:シンガポールの鉄道 zh:新加坡地鐵
