Singapore's Unusual Metro Line

My main sources were the LTA's official DTL and CCL publications, which are available online, as well as some insights from locals.

From The Red Line by yuuka is also a great read.

Thank you to Richard, dancvg, and WHY for providing some of the footage used as well as some further information.

[JerryWoo]

The cross island line will make travelling between east and west faster as there are fewer stations between pasir ris and clementi.

[tanalson]

Bus service 171 has been rerouted to loop around the bukit panjang region. Previously before DTL existed, 171 would travel along bukit timah road to orchard and ended up at marina square. Now everyone that are travelling along bukit timah road are forced to change buses or train to another line just to reach orchard area

[rebootmyth]

Nice use of the station alert music :D

[kbhasi]

(6:37) Yep, you're correct. The station is huge to the point where, if I go by memory rather than looking at signs, I'd sometimes end up heading towards an exit other than the one I had intended to go to.

[Kuristina_M]

It’s definitely not perfect but it certainly helps my travels.

Ever since DTL opened, I hardly take EW line that much.

[tanjunweirsjdpup]

Rochor -> Jalan Besar
Marina Bay -> Shenton Way
Bayfront -> Gardens by the Bay

[caines]

7:20 Before the DTL was extended to Bukit Panjang (BP), Service 190 was the ONLY reasonable form of public transport that’d shuttle commuters to and from the city.


This news broadcast depicted how frustrated commuters were back then, considering that the MRT would have to take detours (especially from Orchard).

I recall never being able to find a seat, even on weekends, because of the lack of alternative transit options. Bear in mind, Service 972, a complimentary bus route that terminates at BP, was only introduced a month or two after overcrowding made local news headlines.

Despite the low density neighbourhoods the DTL pass by on the way to BP, the higher-than-average station distance and low ridership (hence faster dwell times) on this section did make the journey to and from the city faster. As for bus services, 190 and 972 still maintain high frequency and ridership, but I’m happy to report that seat availability is definitely more pronounced.

As for the bus services within the low density areas, they weren’t as severely axed than when the TEL was extended into the city. Actually, there was an outcry that made the LTA U-turn on its decision to discontinue one of the trunk bus services, although reducing its frequency. Many bus services lack expressway access to the city from these low density neighbourhoods, anyways, making regular trunk bus services awfully slow.

[defge_cd]

I did NOT expect the pannenkoek reference! Brilliant

[strmdominatr]

Nice video. Honestly there were things you could have mentioned for the CCL, originally a light rail system before force to be promoted to medium level.

Adding on NSEWL are very hard to beat in terms of usefulness

[ca-ke]

This is such an interesting video as someone who went to school along bukit timah road the entire time the downtown line was being built and heard lot of complaints about the loop. Another grip with the downtown line is also its missed connection with the red line/cck in the northwest. There is a big residential area in the northwest that up to now is still poorly connected metro wise (only being served by ns->ew line). Downtown line could have given them a fast direct connection to the downtown city area if it connected at choa chu kang but now its only connected to those areas via LRT via bukit panjang which really limits its use.

[tehsiewdai]

Great video, thanks for visiting Singapore!

[see_turtle]

7:00pm paya lebar to serangoon is hell

[trollpotatoe]

hell yeah, a video on my favourite MRT line

[koifish]

downtown line used to be the easiest way for me to get to school when i used to study at bukit timah

[hmtheeternalkennedy]

I can't wait until we bring all the MRT lines together for one big jamboree

[nulnoh]

It needs a hell lot more frequency during rush hour. 6pm at Bugis towards Pasir Panjang is a nightmare. Similarly 7am towards downtown.

[tanjunweirsjdpup]

151, 151B, 151C, 651, 751B : local chime
R151 : er yng

[eseetoh]

OMG your video is so fun n educational to watch!! Yes, I've always wondered if the DTL was a bit of a overkill. 😅

[aehighfmcolinchin]

Regarding the Circle Line, its final stag directly between Habourfront and Marina Bay will have 3 new stations

[JayHo-yz]

Perhaps in future stations we can consider sharing platforms for different lines (like the London underground) if space is such a constraint. If we had adopted this method, separate platforms in city hall/raffles place and promenade/bayfront wouldn't be needed, which would save money too.