S’porean Rides All MRT Lines & Rates Them, Both TEL & DTL Ranked 1st

Man Rates Singapore’s MRT Lines, Smell & Noise Taken Into Consideration

When commuting to a new destination, we often take new train lines that we have not taken before.

In the process, you may have noticed the conditions of trains on different lines can differ from one another greatly.

One man took it upon himself to ride on all the train lines in Singapore and rate them, based on a few factors including smell and strength of air-conditioning.

He shared his findings in a video on his YouTube channel.

Through his “mission”, he discerned that the Bukit Panjang LRT line provided the worst experience of the eight rail network lines.

Man rides and rates Singapore MRT lines

The YouTuber, Jordan, started his journey at Springleaf station along the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), or the Brown Line. TEL is the newest addition to Singapore’s rail network.

Boarding the train, Jordan noted that the seats were “decently comfortable”. However, he lamented that commuters may have to stand for much of their journeys as there were fewer seats available due to the carriages’ five-door configuration.

Jordan also found the trains on the TEL to be very noisy.

Nevertheless, he applauded the intricate details of the designs of train stations along the TEL, although he commented that signages towards the exit could afford to be clearer.

Moving on to Singapore’s first MRT line, the North-South Line (NSL), Jordan remarked the train was markedly quieter than its newest counterpart.

He also quipped that the announcement system on the line was “classic”.

The NSL’s seats were also rated as the widest and most comfortable.

Bukit Panjang LRT gets poorest ratings

Jordan then went on to ride the Bukit Panjang LRT (BP), which he revealed was his “first LRT experience”.

He had much to critique about his experience, which he said was “a hell of an experience”.

Jordan bemoaned the “gloomy” stations and cabins. The bumpy ride with violent braking also resulted in a rather nauseating journey which contributed to a “harrowing” journey on the BP.

Jordan also lambasted the lack of announcements at each stop, the weak air-conditioning despite the small cabin size, and the dysfunctional “smart glass” feature of the trains.

The other train lines fared much better in comparison.

Significantly, Jordan thought the Downtown Line (DTL) had nice station designs, although it had a “strange plane smell” to it. However, Jordan acknowledged the stations were rather well-maintained considering their age.

The Circle Line (CCL), on the other hand, had a pronounced “old station smell”, dim lights, and muffled announcements.

Nevertheless, he commended the strong air-conditioning available on the line, and concluded it still “(got) the job done”.

The East-West Line (EWL) was rated similarly to the NSL, although it was more “shaky”, and crowded even during non-peak hours. It also had a similar, but more pronounced “airplane smell” than was present on the DTL.

The North-East Line (NEL) was criticised for the lack of train arrival timings, inconsistent announcements, and lack of any warning chime before the doors close. Jordan also pointed out the rather harsh acceleration and braking of the train.

The YouTuber wrapped up his journey on the Punggol LRT (PG), which he described as lively. The journey got a comparatively positive review, as the LRT went at relatively high speeds yet still remained moderately stable.

The final scores of each train line are as follows:

• TEL: 8/10
• NSL: 7/10
• BP: 4/10
• DTL: 8/10
• CCL: 6.5/10
• EWL: 7/10
• NEL:  6/10
• PG: 7/10

BP was the worst rated at 4/10, whereas the TEL and DTL are tied for first place with a score of 8/10.

Improvements made in newest additions

Jordan’s detailed review of all the MRT lines, with the exception of Sengkang LRT, provides great insight into the improvements made to Singapore’s rail network over the years.

It is also interesting to note how the prevailing conditions of trains and stations can differ even within the same train line.

Do you agree with Jordan’s opinions? Let us know in the comments

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Featured image adapted from @jordanchua2466 on YouTube and Wikimedia Commons.