Why some S’pore MRT stations have these ‘random’ features, from bright colours to numbered exits

MS Explains: How features such as pink walls and removing ‘Exit A’ at stations enhance your daily MRT commute

Singapore’s MRT stations are perhaps the highest-traffic places in the country. The globally-famous public transit system saw 3.49 million trips daily in 2025.

Yet for most commuters, MRT stations are merely places to rush through. We want to get to the train as fast as we can so we’re not late for work, and out of the station so we can get home quicker.

In the process, you’ve probably seen but not given any thought about certain features in MRT stations deliberately designed to enhance your experience.

From colour-coded walls to numbered exits, these ‘random’ features help millions of commuters without you ever realising it.

Dhoby Ghaut station’s attempts at subtle guidance where three lines meet

In designing MRT stations, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) aims to place the focus on enhancing wayfinding.

The infrastructure aims for intuitive navigation, and it might be more important nowhere else than Dhoby Ghaut MRT station.

One of the largest in the entire system, Dhoby Ghaut station is the interchange of the North-South Line (NSL), North East Line (NEL), and the Circle Line (CCL).

To help with navigating across lines without overwhelming signage clutter, the station features orange walls along the concourse for the CCL, the orange line.

The station is also connected by transfer halls, where commuters can find a vast network of escalators.

These staggered escalators aren’t just there to intimidate you. They help facilitate movement of the dense crowds of commuters commonly seen at the interchange.

For clearer visual orientation, transfer areas are usually very open and even integrated with the mall atrium above.

How Redhill’s pastel pink originated from murder and angry fish

Redhill MRT station stands out to anyone who has ever passed through it. Striking strawberry-pink walls give the station an incredibly unique aesthetic not seen elsewhere on the MRT system.

The station was even featured on Accidentally Wes Anderson, a website for locations resembling the distinct visual style of director Wes Anderson.

While making Redhill station look good, the colour serves as a strategic way of enhancing a station’s identity.

Anyone on a train who even catches a glimpse of the pink of the station will immediately know which station they are at, and where along the East-West Line (EWL) it is.

The colour also incorporates the heritage of the area. Local folklore tells of how a fishing village long ago came under attack from a group of strangely-murderous swordfish.

When attempts by the Raja’s army failed to defeat the fish, a young boy came up with the idea of building a barricade of banana trees along the shore. The swordfish embedded themselves in the trees and were subsequently turned into seafood by the villagers.

However, the jealous Raja then sent his men to murder the boy, and his blood soaked the top of the hill, turning it red.

Perhaps a blood-red station would be excessive, so it’s a good thing they went with a shade of pink that’s easier on the eyes.

Toa Payoh, Novena and Newton MRT stations provide colour contrast

Keeping in the theme of colour for unique identities and wayfinding, these next three MRT stations do exactly that.

But, they have the added benefit of being right next to each other on the MRT network, providing a triple colour contrast.

Toa Payoh, Novena, and Newton MRT stations lead from Bishan towards Singapore’s packed Central Area.

Opened on 7 Nov 1987, Toa Payoh station is one of the first five MRT stations ever opened to the public.

It features bright yellow walls on its platform and concourse, which an old Straits Times article described as a “scream for attention“.

Novena MRT station opened the next month, contrasting Toa Payoh with its own emerald green pillars.

Newton station next to it adopted a distinct splash of saffron orange instead.

Serangoon MRT station marks exits with coloured cubes

Four exits from Serangoon MRT station share a theme. Do you know what it is?

Exits A, B, C, and D, are triangular in shape and surrounded by a different coloured cube.

Exit A takes commuters out on Upper Serangoon Road and has a blue cubic structure around it.

The nearby Exit B leads to Serangoon Central and features a red cube instead.

On the other side of the road is Exit C, this time with a yellow cube around the triangle.

Lastly, Serangoon Exit D emerges in the vicinity of Lorong Lew Lian and is fittingly encased by a green cube.

The designers intended for the colour-coded entrances to make identifying the correct one easier.

Tanjong Rhu brings new accessibility features to the forefront

Speaking of MRT station exits, have you spotted something different about those along the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL)?

At Tanjong Rhu station, for example, you have a choice of Exit 1 or Exit 2, rather than Exits A or B.

LTA made the decision to switch to enable easier navigation for commuters whose languages do not use the Latin alphabet.

Arabic numerals, meanwhile, are universally recognised.

Large stations with many exits could also prove confusing for such commuters. Picking Exit F out of Exits A to G is more difficult than picking Exit 6 from Exits 1 to 7.

Tanjong Rhu station’s signage include other TEL accessibility innovations. Overhead signs feature larger icons and fonts, while cutting down on visual clutter.

Additionally, handrails in the TEL stations have embossed text and braille to guide the visually-impaired.

Designers of MRT stations enhance commute with invisible features

In truth, designing MRT stations is an incredibly complex task.

It requires balancing the needs of many government agencies and operators while providing passengers with both easy navigation and an aesthetically-pleasing environment.

Many, many people put in incredible amounts of effort to create the system which you and 3.49 million others take daily.

The result are these features which invisibly enhance their daily routines without people ever realising how.

So, the next time you step into an MRT station, keep an eye out for seemingly random features. They just might be making your commute better.

Also read: Why closing the Circle Line MRT loop took more time & effort than other rail projects

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Featured image by MS News and adapted from Accidentally Wes Anderson, ZKang123 on Wikimedia Commons.