The Singapore Metro is a convenient and comfortable mode of transport. We spent four days in Singapore during the final leg of our three-week winter trip, traveling around the city by metro and on foot, without ever using a taxi, as our hotel was located in the very center of the city and close to two metro stations.
Singapore Metro. General information
The metro in Singapore is called MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), and there is also a light rail transit system called LRT (Light Rapid Transit) on the outskirts of the city (not relevant for tourists). The first MRT stations were opened in 1987, and the LRT in 1999.
Currently, the Singapore Metro (MRT) consists of six lines:
- North South Line (north-south line) – red metro line;
- East West Line (west-east line) – green metro line;
- North East Line (northeast) – lilac line;
- Circle Line (circular) – yellow line;
- Downtown Line (central) – blue line;
- Woodlands North – Woodlands South – brown.
For convenience, there is a Singapore metro map at each station.
Singapore metro stations are marked with a yellow icon (I heard somewhere that this icon resembles a leaf, but I don’t think so). Each station is numbered and marked with letters depending on the metro line and a number – the serial number.
In the center of Singapore, the subway runs underground, but it is not deep, unlike ours, where you have to descend very long escalators, sometimes even two. Most subway stations further from the center are located above ground.
Every subway station in Singapore has escalators and elevators (!), which is very convenient, especially if you are traveling with a heavy suitcase. There are also restrooms at the subway exits. They are free and very clean!
The platforms are wide, and there are quite a few benches at central stations. The tracks are fenced off by glass doors that only open when the train arrives at the station. I have only seen something similar in St. Petersburg. The platform has lines marking the places for passengers to enter and exit, and passengers line up before the train arrives. I first saw such queues in the subway in Hong Kong, but now nothing surprises us anymore.
On the subway platform. The tracks are fenced off with glass doors. Places for passengers to enter/exit are marked. I wonder why our subway doors are always in different places, while in Singapore they are clearly marked with lines?
A civilized queue forms at the entrance to the car.
The passages between stations can be quite long, sometimes equipped with moving walkways. Subway exits are numbered with letters, and there are signs everywhere indicating which exit to take to get to the right place.
Subway cars
The subway cars are modern, clean, and comfortable. There are no doors between cars, so you can walk from one car to another. The red seats are reserved for people with disabilities, passengers with children, and the elderly.
There is a subway map above the doors in the cars, or more precisely, a map of the subway line on which the train is currently traveling. Lights illuminate the next station. There is also an indicator above the doors that shows which side the doors will open on.
There is no WiFi in the cars! To be honest, the situation with WiFi in Singapore surprised us. There is no free WiFi in subway cars or parks! Even in Kiev, we already have WiFi in the subway, not to mention Moscow, where free internet is available not only in the subway but also in many parks. There is WiFi at the stations, but for some reason I was unable to connect.
The carriages are very cold, as in most places in Singapore, the air conditioning is very strong. A light jacket or scarf would be useful.
Prohibitions in the Singapore subway and fines
While the first two points are clear, the last two are ambiguous. People drink bottled water in the train cars! They also ride with coffee/cola cups. And on the green subway line, which runs from the airport to the city, I even saw people eating! They were brazenly eating in the Singapore subway car!
Singapore subway operating hours
The subway in Singapore operates from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Each station has a schedule of the first and last trains in different directions.