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Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) refers to Singapore's metro system. 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 on "a world class land transport system" published by the Land Transport Authority shortly after its formation in 1995 detailed how the authority intends to favour developing a comprehensive rail network and reduce dependency on road-based systems such as the bus network. As it stands at present, however, the daily ridership on the MRT and LRT networks hovers at about 1.2 million per day, a figure which pales in comparison to nearly 3 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 The gap is narrowing, however, as the rail network expands, and bus services are often required to be withdrawn or amended to avoid a duplication of services.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 presently constructed by the Land Transport Authority, with operating concessions handed to SMRT Corporation and SBS Transit. Map of MRT & LRT System, correct as of 2005 History Initial plans The idea for the building of a mass rapid transit line in Singapore was initiated in 1967, in a four-year State and City Planning study conducted by the Singapore government and the United Nations Development Program, as part of an urban renewal and development project with the aim of formulating a long-term comprehensive concept plan for guiding the future physical development of the country. The study came to the conclusion that the physical land constraints faced by the small island nation would not be able to support the construction of more roads to support the expected rise in transportational demands, and hence forecasted the need for a rail-based urban transport system by the year 1992. Bus versus rail One particular participant of this early study was Mr Ong Teng Cheong, later Singapore's first elected President. Then a member of the Ministry of National Development's Planning Department when he returned from overseas studies in 1967, he became a fervent supporter and advocate of a rail-based system. His background as an architect and urban planner placed him in good stead, when as Minister of Communications, he had to convince the cabinet in a heated debate in the early 1980s, that the S$5 billion needed for the system would be beneficial for the long-term development of Singapore. He argued that "this is going to be the most expensive single project to be undertaken in Singapore. The last thing that we want to do is to squander away our hard-earned reserves and leave behind enormous debt for our children and our grandchildren. Now since we are sure that this is not going to be the case, we'll proceed with the MRT, and the MRT will usher in a new phase in Singapore's development and bring about a better life for all of us." A provisional Mass Rapid Transit Authority was established in July 1980 after a heated debate. Mr Ong faced strong opposition from other members of the cabinet, most notably Finance Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee, due especially to the heavy investments involved. Dr Goh had earlier called in a team of specialists from Harvard University, who recommended that an all-bus system would be sufficient into the 1990s, and would cost some 50 percent less then a rail-based system. Two independent American transport and urban planning specialist teams were then appointed by the government to conduct their own independent reviews as part of the Comprehensive Traffic Study in 1981, and the debate was also brought to national television in September 1980, a rarity at that time. The study came to the conclusion that an all-bus system would be inadequate as it would have to compete for road space which would have been increasingly overcrowded by then, an issue which would be solved by a rail system. Mr Ong henced declared in triumph on 28 March 1982, that the "Government has now taken a firm decision to build the MRT. The MRT is much more than a transport investment, and must be viewed in its wider economic perspective. The boost it'll provide to long term investors' confidence, the multiplier effect and how MRT will lead to the enhancement of the intrinsic value of Singapore's real estate are spin-offs that cannot be ignored." Construction begins The green light to begin construction of Singapore's then largest public works project was given in May 1982, with groundbreaking on 22 October 1983 at Shan Road, and the work expected to be completed in 1992. Sixty-seven kilometres of track was to be constructed, along with 42 stations, of which 26 would be elevated, 1 at grade, and 15 underground. The network was constructed in stages, with the North South Line given priority as it passed through the Orchard Road corridor as well as the Central Business District, two of the most transport-dependent areas then. The MRT Corporation, now SMRT Corporation, was established on 14 October 1983, taking over the roles and responsibilities of the former provisional Mass Rapid Transit Authority. Initial opening On 7 November 1987, the first 6-kilometre section of the North South Line from Yio Chu Kang Station to Toa Payoh Station went into operation. The novelty resulted in thousands flocking to the 5-station segment just to experience and try out the system. At the launching of Toa Payoh Station, Mr Ong was quoted as saying that "this is like a 20-year affair from conception to delivery. Now the baby is born, to say that I am happy and pleased is an understatement." Nine more stations from Novena to Outram Park were opened on 12 December 1987 by then DPM Goh Chok Tong, with the trains running as a through service from one end to the other although it included what were to later become interchange stations at City Hall and Raffles Place, and with Tanjong Pagar and Outram Park on the East West Line. The MRT system was officially launched on 12 March 1988 by Mr Lee Kuan Yew, then Prime Minister of Singapore, coinciding with the opening of six more stations from Tiong Bahru to Clementi. Nearing completion Rapidly, the rest of the system opened in stages: - 5 November 1988: Three stations on East West Line from Jurong East MRT Station to Lakeside MRT Station were opened.
- 20 December 1988: Two stations on North South Line from Khatib MRT Station to Yishun MRT Station were opened, completing the Northern section of the line.
- 4 November 1989: Marina Bay MRT Station, the last station on the North South Line, was opened. Also opened were nine stations on the East West Line from Bugis MRT Station to Tanah Merah MRT Station. Hence forth, the system started to run as a two-line system, with the 2-level interchanges coming into full operation at City Hall and Raffles Place.
- 16 December 1989: Three stations on East West Line from Simei MRT Station to Pasir Ris MRT Station were opened, completing the Eastern section of the line.
- 10 March 1990: Three stations on a Branch Line starting from Jurong East MRT Station to Choa Chu Kang MRT Station were opened.
- And finally on 6 July 1990, the last station on the East West Line, Boon Lay MRT Station, was opened, marking the completion of the system two years ahead of schedule.
Woodlands MRT extension In less than a year after the completion of the MRT project, the government announced in February 1991 their intentions to extend the system to Woodlands. Construction commenced in 1993, and the 16 kilometre, 6 station elevated line was opened on 10 February 1996 at a total cost of SGD$1.2 billion. With this extension, the North South Line was reconfigured to include the three stations on the former Choa Chu Kang Branch Line (Jurong East station, Bukit Batok station, Bukit Gombak station and Choa Chu Kang station), forming a continuous line from Jurong East MRT Station to Marina Bay MRT Station. The construction of this line was not without political fallout. For a long time, the politicians representing residences in the North-east area of the island have been calling for the construction of a planned North East Line. The annoucement of the Woodlands Extension has led to protests especially from opposition members of parliament, in particular from Mr. Chiam See Tong and Mr. Low Thia Kiang, representatives of Potong Pasir and Hougang constituencies respectively, with both areas potentially benefitting from such a line. The opposition members accused the government of favouring the Woodlands Extension over the North East Line due to opposition representation in the north-east area, arguing that there were far more residents in the north-east compared to the north, and questioned the rational of building the Woodlands extension when the north was relatively undeveloped. Woodlands New Town was only half completed, and Sembawang New Town was still in the planning stage at that time. More than a decade later, however, when the disputes with Malaysia over the railway land used by KTM escalated, it came to the fore, that one of the criteria the Malaysian authorities had listed before they would consider shifting the existing railway station away from Tanjong Pagar was for the MRT system to be introduced to Woodlands. On 16 October 2003, in responce to a question fielded in parliament, Professor S. Jayakumar, then Minister for Foreign Affairs, mentioned, that the Points of Agreement concluded between the two sides on 27 November 1990 included a clause stating that KTM will shift the station to a site adjacent or close to the Woodlands MRT station within five years from the day the MRT to Woodlands is opened, something the KTM has not yet done. Considering that the Points of Agreement was made in the year 1990, and followed quickly by an annoucement to build the MRT line a year later in 1991, there is a possibility, that the line was given priority over the North East Line due more to international and local political concerns than economic considerations alone. Light rapid transit introduced Full article: Light Rapid Transit (Singapore) The concept of having rail lines which could bring people from door to door without requiring the use of road-clogging buses was much favoured by the government transport planners, especially with the increased emphasis on a rail-based public transport network. On 6 November 1999, the first LRT trains on the Bukit Panjang LRT Line went into operation, followed by the Sengkang LRT Line on 20 January 2003, and the Punggol LRT Line on 29 January 2005. The system, as well as the light rail concept, was not without its criticisms. With the system in Bukit Panjang experiencing lower-than-expected ridership in its earlier years, several feeder bus services to the estate were removed or amended to encourage ridership, much to the chargrin of many local residences. Popular opinion against the LRT system was high, with complaints that the new LRT system was more expensive compared to buses, less comprehensive in coverage, and less reliable. Indeed, the Bukit Panjang system experienced over 50 breakdowns since its opening, prompting the Land Transport Authority to impose hefty fines on its operator, SMRT Corporation. Public confidence in the overall LRT system was so low, that when SBS TRansit announced the commencment of operations in her system in Sengkang, much emphasis was made on the different rail system that has been adopted, as well as constant reassurances on reliabiliy and safety. That this system was linked to the North East MRT Line, the first fully automated and driverless system in Singapore and the World, neccesitated the increased attention paid to public-confidence. North East Line The North East Line, the first line operated by SBS Transit and among the first fully-automated heavy rail lines in the world, opened on June 20, 2003. It marked the pinnacle of a long and checkered history of over two decades since the conception of the line had taken place along with that of the original system which was eventually completed in 1990. Serving the airport For a long time since its opening in 1981, the Singapore Changi Airport has relied on taxis and buses as the primary means of public transportation to the rest of the country. They served the airport well, but concerns over competition from other regional airports which often feature quick rail-based services to their city centres, such as the one in nearby Kuala Lumpur International Airport, has accelerated the government's plans to build a rail link to the airport. Provision has long been made for a new line branching off from the existing East West MRT Line at the Tanah Merah MRT Station, with some conceptual plans showing a tentative route alignment up to the airport along Airport Boulevard, continuing beyond the airport to Changi point, before turning southwest back towards the city along the east coast of the island. When the extension to the airport was finally announced, however, the route alignment showed a deviation from previous plans. The final plan involved building only the first two stations, namely Expo Station, an elevated station directly adjacent to the Singapore Expo, and the Changi Airport Station, an underground station built between Terminal Two and the upcoming Terminal Three. The alignment of the station at the airport has been switched perpendicularly to an East-west direction, such that the station leads to two of the terminals directly from either end of the station. The Expo Station opened on 10 January 2001, followed by Changi Airport Station on 27 February 2002, giving the airport its first rail link in 21 years. Initially operated as a shuttle service, through services from Boon Lay were commenced after the full opening, but due to ridership falling below expectations the service was reverted into shuttle mode in 2004. Dover Station The Dover MRT station, built on the East-West line between the Clementi MRT station and the Buona Vista MRT station, was opened on October 18, 2001. The first station to be built over an operating rail lline with no disruptions to train services (although trains drove by the site at a reduced speed during the construction phase), it was also the first elevated station with two side platforms on either side of the tracks, as opposed to having a central platform in all other elevated stations. Adjacent to the Singapore Polytechnic on one side, and undeveloped land on the other, the building of the station was met with reservations by some members of the public over its low catchment area. There were criticisms over the spending of "tax payer's money" chiefly for use only by students of one educational institution. The government proceeded with the construction anyway, citing the catchment area extends to public housing flats on either end of the polytechnic, and that the undeveloped land opposite is slated for extensive development, largely residential in nature. Circle Line Currently underconstruction in 5 stages, the 33.3 kilometre long Circle line was the first major rail line to be built since the publishing of the land transport white paper. Scheduled to be opened in stages from 2008 to 2010, it will connect all the existing MRT lines, and allow commuters to travel around the country without having to pass the downtown area. Planned extensions Boon Lay MRT Extension (BLE) 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 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. Eastern Region Line, Bukit Timah Line & Jurong Region Line - To be opened earliest 2011 & latest 2016
Lines and system network Stations See also: List of Singapore MRT stations Fares Standard Ticket (single trip) adult fares are S$0.80 to S$2.80, excluding the S$1.00 refundable ticket deposit. With the EZ-Link or Visitors Card fares are reduced by 15% to S$0.64 to S$2.33. Concession fares are also available for children, student, senior citizens and national servicemen. See also References Academic papars - Sock, Y.P. and Walder, Jay H. (1999) Singapores Public Transport
Corporate and governmental sources - Land Transport Authority, Singapore (1996) A World Class Land Transport System. White Paper presented to Parliament, 2 January.
- Mass Rapid Transit Corporation, Singapore (1993) Stored Value - A Decade of the MRTC.
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