Rapid Service Trains

Dark Honour SG

New York has a nature of two lines sharing the same stations, with one local and one express.

Japan has trains of 3 classes or more, ranging from local to special express to limited express.

I heard that on New Year countdown, Singapore MRT performs rapid service too.

Is it feasible to have rapid trains in Singapore by 2020 where quite a number of lines have been laid?

A friend of mine commented about this after a visit to Tokyo.

icky SG

difficult for the existing lines, in order to run local and express services, u must have 4 rails...

when they first build MRT, they did not think of this.... so it's very difficult to change now, unless, they build another two rails on top of the existing two rails, u all think possible??? hahaha.....

chrisbenoit SG

Build elevators leading to the 3rd storey, then from the 3rd storey build staircase leading to 2nd storey, then build 2 more rails. Problem solved!

lifelikedrama SG

Of course it is feasible but alot of things have to be taken in account. Like the arrangement of tracks, the possibility of disruption to ground and underground services due to the re-exacavation.

However, this plan might be implemented together with another technology, which started in another country (forgotten which), which is a dual mode transmission track (don't know the actual name) that allow both auto and manual trains to run on the track. When the C151 and C651 phases out in the next 10 years or so, SMRT might want to convert to driverless trains. Then it is the time to think about rapid.

This is my personal opinion though...

simnatic SG

It doesn't seem practical for Singapore's case. The train lines here are short, and express doesnt work cos people are spread all over the island. Unlike in New York or Japan, they have suburbs in which residents are concentrated there. So, since many people live in a place and work in the city, they can have such services cos people will take it. If you notice, in Singapore, every station got people alight. there, the more rural stations are skipped for express service

NickL_C151 SG

Singapore simply has no space for more rails. For express or rapid trains to service, there needs to be crossovers at stations. Currently, the only feasible stations are Tanah Merah for the EWL, Ang Mo Kio for the NSL, none for NEL and Paya Lebar for CCL due to the extra middle track within the station. This is simply not enough for express or rapid trains to function.

For more classes to be installed, at least 1 coach needs to be sacrificed. This also means higher fares for refurbishing the existing coach and lesser standing room for other normal class passengers. On top of that, the coach cannot have walkthrough functions. Plus the existing LTA rules of premium services, passengers aren't allowed to stand in the premium coaches as well. This will also cause platforms to drastically "shorten" due to the normal train shortened to 5 cars or less. Japan can have it because the Green Car takes up only about 1 or 2 cars out of the maybe 18-car train in the peak hours, with the platform much longer than the train itself.

Unless the North Shore Line track layout hasn't been planned, it's the only possible line to have extra crossover lines in each station. But chances ar, it will not be carried out since it doen not even lead to the CBD.

SBS2695H SG

I hope the CCL use the same track system as DTL. Then trains can be interchangeable. Like the EWL and NSL using the same track system.

jayh272416 SG

Thats not really true. In new york, trains even skip some of the stations right smack in the middle of the city.

TIB1224Y SG

The reason for skipping stations in the city is because the trains run from one end of the city to another. The reason why trains go rapid on outskirts and stop at every station is because they serve residents out of the city and bring them to work.

This is based on Japanese systems.

One good example of city rapid is Asakusa Line (Toei) thru train from Haneda to Narita Airport. Skips 6 out of 20 stations. By Toei and Keisei trains.

One good example of outskirts rapid to city local is Sanyo Line (JR West), from Himeji or further to Kobe/Osaka, the 'Special Rapid Service'. Skips many outskirt stations. By JR West Series 223 trains.

^tamago^ SG

I heard that on New Year countdown, Singapore MRT performs rapid service too.

Didn't recall. I came back from Tokyo with the idea that it is not feasible if we do not have quad or overrun tracks.

TIB1224Y SG

Didn't recall. I came back from Tokyo with the idea that it is not feasible if we do not have quad or overrun tracks.

The ability to have rapid trains on two way tracks (means existing system) or even single tracks is also possible, provided that the stations have sidings for trains to be overtaken to go into. If not, frequency will have to sacrificed which is not feasible here.

Lets say, for a through train service that is operated on the North South Line in the morning, it can 'go rapid' and skip Jurong East station, and the non-through service behind it can go into the middle platform. For the existing system its really hard to describe, but in Tokyo one good example would be the Yamanote Line and the Keihin Tohoku Line which runs parallel for sections and after initial slow rides on the Yamanote Line, become smart and with the same fare take the Keihin Tohoku Line...

Dark Honour SG

I’d agree on the part that we need quad tracks but only for the stations where the express and local trains stop at.

However, ‘expanding’ the stations is going to disrupt a lot of land around it and probably expensive.

I read on Wikipedia that in New York, they have a totally separate line that run parallel to the original line but has only platforms at the major stations.

I think that idea is better in terms if it doesn’t disrupt the land around the station not as much as ‘expansion’, provided the lines would have to go deeper. (For elevated tracks, it would just be simply underground.)