<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Good news but...: More train trips added
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->IT IS heartening to note from a press release by SMRT dated Oct 17 that another 112 train trips will be added on weekdays. It was also mentioned that on southbound and eastbound services, one extra train trip will be added on each between 7.15am and 7.30am.
I have observed during my daily ride on the North-South Line that waiting time for a train between 7.40am and 8.10am is five to six minutes. Generally, a southbound train is very crowded by the time it reaches Yishun station. Inevitably, commuters who want to board the train at any station after Yishun have great difficulty getting on the train. The situation is alleviated only after Orchard station but worsens again at Dhoby Ghaut station.
SMRT can do more to increase the train frequency between 7.40am and 8.10am. It launched the Lunchtime Xpress some months back, which promises commuters less than 31/2 minutes wait on weekdays between noon and 2pm at selected stations from Ang Mo Kio to Marina Bay, Outram Park and Aljunied. I hope the commendable effort by SMRT in the Lunchtime Xpress can be extended to relieve congestion in the morning rides too.
I also hope SMRT can reconsider its definition of 'morning peak hours to extend beyond 7.30am to 8.30am. In doing so, it will probably realise the need to add more train trips than were announced on Oct 17.
I do not know how much resources SMRT has put in to operate the Lunchtime Xpress and if the return on investment is justifiable. However, I hope it can recalculate the economics and explore redeploying resources from the express service to increase the number of train between 7.40am and 8.10am. The benefits to commuters would be tremendous, but I hope this will not cause any dent to SMRT's bottom line. Michelle Zhang (Ms)
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->IT IS heartening to note from a press release by SMRT dated Oct 17 that another 112 train trips will be added on weekdays. It was also mentioned that on southbound and eastbound services, one extra train trip will be added on each between 7.15am and 7.30am.
I have observed during my daily ride on the North-South Line that waiting time for a train between 7.40am and 8.10am is five to six minutes. Generally, a southbound train is very crowded by the time it reaches Yishun station. Inevitably, commuters who want to board the train at any station after Yishun have great difficulty getting on the train. The situation is alleviated only after Orchard station but worsens again at Dhoby Ghaut station.
SMRT can do more to increase the train frequency between 7.40am and 8.10am. It launched the Lunchtime Xpress some months back, which promises commuters less than 31/2 minutes wait on weekdays between noon and 2pm at selected stations from Ang Mo Kio to Marina Bay, Outram Park and Aljunied. I hope the commendable effort by SMRT in the Lunchtime Xpress can be extended to relieve congestion in the morning rides too.
I also hope SMRT can reconsider its definition of 'morning peak hours to extend beyond 7.30am to 8.30am. In doing so, it will probably realise the need to add more train trips than were announced on Oct 17.
I do not know how much resources SMRT has put in to operate the Lunchtime Xpress and if the return on investment is justifiable. However, I hope it can recalculate the economics and explore redeploying resources from the express service to increase the number of train between 7.40am and 8.10am. The benefits to commuters would be tremendous, but I hope this will not cause any dent to SMRT's bottom line. Michelle Zhang (Ms)
