http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,185415,00.html?
On MRT to Jurong East? Watch out
Trains change track before station, cause sudden jerk
By Lediati Tan
December 02, 2008
HANG ON: Commuters heading towards Jurong East station have to be extra careful when the train changes track there. PICTURE: ST
HANG on tight if you are travelling on the North-South MRT train that is about to pull into Jurong East station.
Otherwise, you might just fall or bump into another commuter.
According to some commuters, every time the train heads towards the Jurong East station after leaving the Bukit Batok station, they feel a sudden jerking motion.
Human resources executive Angela Tan, 44, brought this to The New Paper's attention.
She lives in Bukit Batok and travels occasionally on the North-South Line, which ends at Jurong East.
'Every time the train is about to reach the Jurong East station, it will jerk suddenly and stop for a while,' Mrs Tan said.
She said that she first felt it about eight years ago.
She alerted The New Paper to it last week as she wanted SMRT to know about it. She was worried about the safety of commuters.
Miss Agnes Ye, 24, a civil servant, has also noticed the jerk.
She said: 'It's always at the part where it's going to reach the station. It's very obvious because you can see everyone jerking too.
'But because I used to take that route quite frequently, I know when it would happen, so I would just stand more steadily.'
An SMRT spokesman told The New Paper that trains heading to Jurong East MRT station on the North-South line 'travel on a curved track and cross over to the middle track when entering the station'.
'As a result, passengers on board will experience slight motions, similar to that of a car crossing a speed bump,' the spokesman added.
'Hence, for passengers' safety, we run in-train announcements to remind passengers to hold onto the grab poles or hand grips before the train reaches this stretch.'
Jurong East MRT station is unique because the middle platform of the station is shared by trains travelling between Jurong East and Bukit Batok MRT stations.
Why do the trains sometimes stop abruptly?
'During peak hours, when train frequencies are high, north-bound trains that end at Jurong East will slow down or stop, entering the middle track only after the south-bound train has left the middle platform,' the spokesman explained.
But the jerking may not go on for long.
The spokesman added that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is looking to resolve the problem by adding a new track alignment and platform at Jurong East MRT station. This would be completed in 2012.
Not all commuters notice the jerking motion.
A 24-year-old houseman, who travels frequently on the North-South line, said she did not.
Identifying herself only as Dr Neo, she said: 'I think I have got used to it, so it doesn't bother me.'
On MRT to Jurong East? Watch out
Trains change track before station, cause sudden jerk
By Lediati Tan
December 02, 2008
HANG ON: Commuters heading towards Jurong East station have to be extra careful when the train changes track there. PICTURE: ST
HANG on tight if you are travelling on the North-South MRT train that is about to pull into Jurong East station.
Otherwise, you might just fall or bump into another commuter.
According to some commuters, every time the train heads towards the Jurong East station after leaving the Bukit Batok station, they feel a sudden jerking motion.
Human resources executive Angela Tan, 44, brought this to The New Paper's attention.
She lives in Bukit Batok and travels occasionally on the North-South Line, which ends at Jurong East.
'Every time the train is about to reach the Jurong East station, it will jerk suddenly and stop for a while,' Mrs Tan said.
She said that she first felt it about eight years ago.
She alerted The New Paper to it last week as she wanted SMRT to know about it. She was worried about the safety of commuters.
Miss Agnes Ye, 24, a civil servant, has also noticed the jerk.
She said: 'It's always at the part where it's going to reach the station. It's very obvious because you can see everyone jerking too.
'But because I used to take that route quite frequently, I know when it would happen, so I would just stand more steadily.'
An SMRT spokesman told The New Paper that trains heading to Jurong East MRT station on the North-South line 'travel on a curved track and cross over to the middle track when entering the station'.
'As a result, passengers on board will experience slight motions, similar to that of a car crossing a speed bump,' the spokesman added.
'Hence, for passengers' safety, we run in-train announcements to remind passengers to hold onto the grab poles or hand grips before the train reaches this stretch.'
Jurong East MRT station is unique because the middle platform of the station is shared by trains travelling between Jurong East and Bukit Batok MRT stations.
Why do the trains sometimes stop abruptly?
'During peak hours, when train frequencies are high, north-bound trains that end at Jurong East will slow down or stop, entering the middle track only after the south-bound train has left the middle platform,' the spokesman explained.
But the jerking may not go on for long.
The spokesman added that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is looking to resolve the problem by adding a new track alignment and platform at Jurong East MRT station. This would be completed in 2012.
Not all commuters notice the jerking motion.
A 24-year-old houseman, who travels frequently on the North-South line, said she did not.
Identifying herself only as Dr Neo, she said: 'I think I have got used to it, so it doesn't bother me.'
