Additional 590 MRT train trips

Additional 590 MRT train trips
By Ion Danker – March 9th, 2011

More train trips will be added to ease the peak hour squeeze. (Yahoo! Photo)

Commuters can look forward to higher train frequencies as an additional 590 train trips per week will be added to the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) and North-East Line (NEL).

From this Sunday, SMRT will be rolling out an additional 420 more train trips per week on the NSEWL, of which 260 will be added on weekdays and the remaining 160 on weekends.

SBS Transit will also add another 170 trips per week on weekdays during the morning and evening peaks, including off-peak hours on the NEL from 21 March.

Speaking in Parliament, Transport Minister Raymond Lim revealed that last train services on the eve of public holidays will be also be extended.

“In the past, SMRT and SBS Transit ran extended last train services to 2am on the eves of three holidays – Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Both public transport operators will henceforth extend the last train to 12:30am at city stations on the eves of all other public holidays as well,” said Mr Lim.

As for the opening of new MRT lines, Stages 4 and 5 of the Circle Line are expected to open by October this year. Those living and working along the section of the line from Marymount to Harbourfront stations will have better accessibility to the other stations.

However, Bukit Brown station will only open when the area is more developed. The station is located near Jalan Mashor and placed between Caldecott and Botanic Gardens stations.

It was also revealed that Woodleigh MRT station along Upper Serangoon Road will finally open on 20 June. It stayed shut when the North East Line started running about eight years ago. But the area is now more developed with a new international school and condominium projects coming up.

Damai station along the Punggol LRT Line will also open in June.