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SINGAPORE : Commuters say they are looking forward to a better travelling experience on trains following plans to expand and upgrade the rail network.
However, some hope that the plans like the upgrading of the train signalling system can be rolled out earlier.
Overcrowding is one issue that the upgraded train signalling system, to be fully completed in eight years, is hoping to address.
More trains will be added, while commuters can look forward to saving some 20 seconds of waiting during peak periods on the North-South and East-West lines.
A commuter said: "Less traffic, less crowded trains, and I will be able to board the train on my first try."
Another said: "In six to eight years, I will be working, so I will be probably be taking the transport, so it will be beneficial for me."
"I don't mind waiting six to eight years, for an improved train system," a third added.
However, others are hoping the upgraded system will be rolled out earlier.
"I think they should make it faster, because the issue now is quite immediate because you can see during peak hours, a lot of people just cannot get up on the train," one of them said.
"I just hope they will accommodate the growing population, which is now five million, and well in eight years, the population will probably grow further," another said.
The Land Transport Authority and public transport operators say they are mindful of the increasing travel demand on the rail network. And they are doing all they can to increase rail capacity to improve the overall travel experience for commuters.
And some commuters say they too have a part to play. One of them said: "Some of them (the passengers) just cannot be bothered to move in." Another added: "Everyone just gets blocked at the entrance."
Experts say there is a limit to boosting capacity on train systems.
Associate Professor Lee Der Horng, Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore, said: "For the street traffic, we can actually shorten the time between each vehicle to some very minimum distance.
"But in the MRT environment, we cannot really do this because we will have to consider the safety issue. Safety can become a constraint to the overall system capacity. But we cannot compromise."
Similar upgrading projects like the Victoria Line in London will take some nine years to complete. Even then the trains there will take 10 seconds longer to arrive compared to Singapore.
LTA said an additional train will also be added for the North East Line (NEL) during peak hours next year. More trains will also be purchased to boost capacity and reduce loading on the NEL.
The trains will be delivered in four to five year's time. LTA added that it expects to progressively increase the peak capacity by some 50 per cent for the NEL.
- CNA/al
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