Trains in Singapore

John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
Apologies these are not good photographs, but they may be of interest. Singapore doesn't have mainline or freight trains, but the MRT is one of the best metro systems in the world. The network is growing and is already a very comprehensive system. Trains are basic inside but immaculate, very reliable, very frequent and cheap to use. They also integrate with the excellent public bus system.

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Focalplane

Western Thunderer
When I lived in Singapore (1974-1980) the Metro was yet to be built but the old station and line to Malaysia was still in place though hardly used. One major project that did disturb, however, was that the house we rented on Whitley Road was demolished to make way for the Pan Island Expressway. I returned in 1986 and again in the 1990s and took one journey. Yes, clean and efficient with glass walls along the platforms as is seen in many metros these days. Singapore had a reputation for high rise suicides when I lived there and I feel sure the Metro would have been a similar significant risk.
 

John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
When I lived in Singapore (1974-1980) the Metro was yet to be built but the old station and line to Malaysia was still in place though hardly used. One major project that did disturb, however, was that the house we rented on Whitley Road was demolished to make way for the Pan Island Expressway. I returned in 1986 and again in the 1990s and took one journey. Yes, clean and efficient with glass walls along the platforms as is seen in many metros these days. Singapore had a reputation for high rise suicides when I lived there and I feel sure the Metro would have been a similar significant risk.
Initially the platform doors were in the underground stations but not the overground stations which represent most of the system. About ten years ago there were some accidents and the government ordered the doors to be installed across the network and that was that. I remember the old Tanjong Paggar station which was the terminus of the Malaysian railway very well, it became a bit of a political football when the Singapore government wanted to move it to the North of the island as the station was Malaysian owned and it occupied prime real estate. They seem to be dusting off the KL - Singapore high speed rail link plans again, potentially it would link up with a wider Southeast Asia high speed railway network and into China. The new China - Laos line opened a few months ago.
 

John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
These are typical overground stations, with the platform doors. One useful thing is MRT stations generally host convenience stores and food takeaway places. I've no idea how many 7-11 stores there are in Singapore but they're everywhere. One interesting point is that platforms are identified with letters rather than numbers.
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John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
The interior of an EW line train, these are about to be replaced with the first of the new trains having just arrived in Singapore. These sets have one of the best train information systems anywhere as it shows you where the train is (solid red light), next station ( flashing red light), remaining stations (green lights) and which side doors open at next stop at a glance. Unfortunately this system is being 'improved' with fancy LED screens which have much more information but are much harder to read and most of the extra information is pointless. The seats next to doors are all marked priority for needy travellers and in busy times people will generally stand up if in these seats and an older person, pregnant woman etc boards.

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Tim Hale

Western Thunderer
Until recently, there was a checkpoint at Woodlands on Singapore island with the Malaysian rail system. When stationed on the island, the track may have extended further south because I was sent to Butterworth by rail from a smaller station to hand deliver essential spares to a grounded ‘plane at the old base.

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John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
The Malaysian link originally terminated at Tanjong Pagar which is right on the waterfront near the city centre, the old container terminal is at Tanjong Pagar. There was also a freight branch to West Jurong at one time. Now Woodlands train checkpoint is the Southern terminus, which is just inside Singapore. For a while the trains stopped at Woodland but the station was still Tanjong Pagar because of the in political machinations over the old station. The Malaysia rail link has been closed during COVID and is now basically a metro link to Johor Bahru when operational, there's no direct train to KL anymore. Although the eastern orient express terminates in Singapore.
 

John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
On Tanjong Pagar, the container terminal is also moving, they're building a huge new mega port at Tuas on the Western edge of Singapore and the old site will be redeveloped. The land is worth a fortune as it is very central and adjacent to Sentosa resort island. Tuas port is the Singapore equivalent of Siberia, it's not even close to Tuas really.
 

John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
Some pictures around the old Tanjong Pagar railway station, sadly its all a sorry state. However, it's not all bad as the construction works in one of the pictures are for the work to close the circle of the MRT Circle Line including a new station. The KTM visible on the wall stands for Keretapi Tanah Melayu, Malayan Railways, the operator and owner of the rail link with Malaysia and the Tanjong Pagar station. Those familiar with Singapore will know that the language situation here is complicated. The official 'national' language is Malay, however the language of administration is English with Mandarin being the most common first language. Officially recognized languages are Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil. Also, to highlight location, a picture from about a kilometre down from the station which shows how close it is to the old container port. For any of you interested in container shipping, this is the old container port which has been running down for years and is a shadow of what it once was. In fact the reason it looks as busy as it does is that it was kept active to provide extra capacity in the current unusual market conditions.Tanjong1.JPG
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John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
A couple of pictures of the Sentosa monorail. For some reason monorails are still popular in Asia, this is a small link between Vivocity on the main island (about a kilometre from the old Tanjong Pagar station) serving three stations on Sentosa island which is a big holiday resort island and home of the Fort Siloso museum but some are quite big and proper transport links such as the Tokyo monorail (my prefered link for Haneda airport).

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John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
The MRT is still growing at a great pace. These are some pictures taken near where we live in West Jurong of construction works for the new Jurong Regional Line. As is normal here (and in much of Asia) the line will be elevated.

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Focalplane

Western Thunderer
Our first home in Singapore was in the west at Clementi Park. Not as far west as Jurong which was then famous for its bird park. This was the era of the Austin Cambridge taxi, and “no aircon lah”. The commute to Orchard Road was always interesting, through Tanglin. A long time ago now.

I can remember the word Keratapi but not from Tanjung Pagar but from travelling on the old North Borneo railway in Sabah. It was the only train journey I took in 8 years living in Southeast Asia.
 

John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
Nowadays Clementi is sort of middle of the West, Jurong East which is the next MRT station going west from Clementi has been developed as a second central business district, and if you continue going west Boon Lay (3 MRT stops beyond Jurong East) is now a major centre. There's a big MRT depot at Clementi for the EW and NS line rolling stock. The old freight line went through Clementi by too. Rail is having a renaissance in SE Asia, there's the new railway from China to Laos, Indonesia is building a new high speed railway between Jakarta and Bandung and metro railways are growing. Jakarta is building a metro railway which is desperately needed. I am hoping that Malaysia and Singapore will agree to build a high speed line between Singapore and KL.
 

John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
This always makes me laugh as I can't help thinking it's a train jump for a new sport, the end of the EW Line at Tuas Link, Although not visible here Tuas Link is one of the crossings over to Malaysia.

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John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
Not connected with trains but this is what is left of the Brani container terminal which was an extension of the container terminal in the 1990's located on Brani island opposite the older Tanjong Pagar terminal. I remember it in its peak when all 9 berths would have large box boats alongside as well as the berths at Tanjong Pagar opposite being full.

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John Bradshaw

Western Thunderer
I know this is going off topic in an already off topic thread, but in case it is of interest, the worlds top container ports:


It highlights the profound changes in trade and the global economy over the last thirty years. What is striking isn't just the dominance of Asian ports in the top positions but the size of the raw numbers for container throughput in Asian ports.
 
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