I feel that SMRT should provide direct service from Changi
Airport towards Boon Lay and vice versa on all the C751B
trains so that our dear tourists will be able to go to the city
directly without having to transfer at Tanah Merah. Why C751B
train? Because our dear tourists will not have to ride on the old
and noisy C151 trains which do not have the features in the C751B
trains. (main reason)
Last of all, passengers who travel on EWL more than
NSL will get to ride on newer trains. (Not a main reason)
As much as I'd like to agree with this plan... people above the
Tanah Merah block would have to suffer twice the waiting time then
people below the Tanah Merah block. Because of this crossover
feature. Let's say people above the TNM block wait for 7 minutes,
people below the TNM block wait for 3.5 minutes, because there is
an extra train run.
2nd thing, during peak hours the crossover tracks before TNM is
already utilised like nobody's business, because by that time
Changi would be dispatching trains out to supply the peak hour
demand. People like Ben whom I've explained to about the peak hour
situation around TNM would know because the trains coming out from
Changi will turn the "peaceful" scene of TNM into a messy one.
3rd... C151s are undergoing refurbishment. Do you know that
after refurbishment, the C151s bear more features than C751Bs?
Things like illuminated emergency exit sign on both ends of the
train cannot be found in any C751B.
Last... it doesn't matter which line will get more trains. Ulu
Pandan Depot sits in on both lines and it serves the main depot
into dispatching trains out for peak hour. And do remember trains
in any depot are not fixed; they can hop from one depot to another
in just two days. Finally, TOs pick any train in the depot that is
ready for passenger service to do their respective shifts/duties,
there's no regulation on whether a TO can only take C751B out. What
if all the C751Bs break down, just like when they were all
withdrawn from service due to faulty gearboxes in early 2001?