Metro in Singapore is aseptic, fast, comfortable and very easy to use. To my mind the underground transport reflects the culture of the city. I compiled information about MRT or Mass Rapid Transit in Singapore: history, prices, lines, operation hours.
History of Mrt
MRT – Mass Rapid Transport is the official name of Singapore public transport system, a part of which is the metro. The first train started its way in 1987. The first line of Singapore metro was 6 kilometers long and had only 5 stations. So far there have been launched 6 new lines with 2 more to be opened in the nearest feature.
Today the capacity of MRT is 121 stations with total line distance of 170.7 kilometres
With every year the number of station and lines was increasing, making the network more and more suitable for getting around by metro in Singapore. Together with technical innovations they developed security solutions. The aim was to protect passengers from accidents and attacks. Today the capacity of MRT in Singapore is:
- 121 stations;
- 170.7 kilometers of total line distance.
According to the plans of the government the number of passengers per day will be increased up to 6 million till 2030.
Lines and directions
In 2017 metro in Singapore still has 6 lines. They help locals to get from home to work. Tourists use mainly the direction of the airport and city centre. The map of MRT system in Singapore will help you better understand, how it operates.
- North South Line, opened in 1987, 26 stations, length 44 km
- East West Line, opened in 1987, 31 stations, length 49 km
- Circle Line, opened in 2009, 30 stations, length 35 km
- North East Line, opened in 2003, 16 stations, length 20 km
- Downtown Line, opened in 2013, 18 stations, length 20 km
- Bukit Brown, under reconstruction
How to buy ticket in metro in Singapore
Passengers of Singapore metro have to go through special gates at the entrance and at the exit. The system count the payment from the Ez-Link cards. The latter are the easiest way to pay for Metro in Singapore of MRT.
One can buy such a card at the special machine and top-up it manually or with help of cashier. An adult EZ-Link card is 12 Singapore dollars: 5 dollars is kind of deposit for the card and 7 dollars one can use to get around the city.
But for a special card, there are also normal one way tickets. For those tourists and visitors, who is not going to use taxi in Singapore it is the best variant of getting around the city centre.
Security and safety rules underground
There are certain rules to follow while using MRT in Singapore. Read them carefully, because metro rules are really strict. The most important ones are «no drinking and no eating» both at the station and on the train. Otherwise you may eat the most expansive apple or sandwich in your life.
The fine for food and drinks in Singapore metro is 500 dollars.
I should mention that all the restrictions are graphically shown one almost every step, so one should be blind not to see the signs. So, be careful.
No trash bins,
no food,
no drinks,
no durian
Metro stations
All the metro stations in Singapore have glass doors opening only when the train comes. Pay attention at the lines on the floor — they help to organize the process of unloading and downloading. Especially these green and red lines work well during the rush hours (early morning and evening after 5 pm).
My advice: look around and read all the signs at the entrance of MRT station in Singapore. Respect the rules and get prepared for quite a chilly journey. All the trains in Singapore metro are air-conditioned.
Hours of operation
Everyday locals and tourists are welcome to use the lines of Singapore metro from 5:30 am till 1 am. In case you miss the last train or you need to get to another place earlier, use a taxi or UBER. The latter is a famous application which is cheaper that basic taxi on the one hand and on the other — it is easier and faster. To get the application you may follow this link to get a free ride.
On public holidays, New Year, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Christmas and special occasion metro in Singapore works longer, giving citizens and guests of the city to get around easy and fast.
I was very impressed by the public transport system and its organization. It fully reflects the way the country has been developing. There you can see how much locals respect the laws and love their city.
On the other hand you can see how authorities take care of the people using MRT daily: it is clean, comfortable, pleasant and very, very, very easy and fast. Use metro in Singapore at least once and you are sure to get surprised.
