Train Congestion – Survey

Purpose…
Why is it difficult to get onto a train(at peak and off peak hours).

The Survey

Q1: When do you usually take the train?
[a] 8am-10am
[b] 10am-12pm
[c] 12pm-2pm
[d] 2pm-6pm
[e] 6pm-8pm
[f] 8pm onwards

Q2: Which Line do you normally take?
[a] Purple Line
[b] Red Line
[c] Green Line
[d] Yellow Line

Q3: What do you do while commuting the train?
[a] Listens to music
[b] Stare at other people’s shoes
[c] Read a book
[d] Talk to a friend
[e] Others

Q4: How often do you get a seat on the train?
[a] All the time
[b] Frequently
[c] Sometimes
[d] Rarely
[e] Never

Q5: How packed is the train from a range of 1 being least crowded and 5 being most crowded.
[a] 1
[b] 2
[c] 3
[d] 4
[e] 5

Q6: What kind of inconvenience do you experience while boarding the train?

Q7: Are the space in the cabins efficiently used? List/Draw the areas that could be better utilized.

Q8: From your observation, are the number of people evenly distributed among different cabins?

Q9: On a scale of 1~5(1 being the least), how comfortable are your train rides?
[a] 1
[b] 2
[c] 3
[d] 4
[e] 5

Train Congestion – Research

The Problem…

“With regards to SMRT added 1,110 train rides per week, we should note that these additional train rides were gradually added over the last two and a half years or so. Moreover, 1,110 train rides per week may mean an average of about 159 train rides per day. If the average train ride carries about 1,000 passengers, the increase in capacity per day may only be about 159,000.“

“Sometimes, a few trains come one after the other in one- or two-minute gaps, after which there is a longer gap of three to five minutes before the next train arrives. Because of this unequal frequency, the last trains in the first batch have fewer passengers, while the first trains in the next batch are overly crowded. It would be useful if the frequency of services was adjusted so every train carries an optimum commuter load.

I (writer) also think that the number of grab-poles in the carriages is minimal – there is one row on either side or just one row in the middle. I do not know if this is one reason why passengers often choose to stay near the doors. To make people move towards the centre, more grab-pole rows may be required.“

• Crowd congestions at MRT platforms – may lead to potential safety hazards
• Overcrowding and squeezing in trains, leading to uncomfortable experiences
• Heavily packed trains occurring especially during peak hours, and most people would gather around the area in which they came up from, or towards the area in which there would be a nearby escalator at their destinations.
• Peak Hours – Working/ Schooling hours. According to SMRT, Monday to Friday, between 8 to 9 am and 5.15 to 6.30 pm, Saturday, between 8.15 to 9 am and 1 to 2.30 pm.
• Notably a higher level of congestion at platforms such as Jurong East, City Hall, Dhoby Ghaut etc…or at most stations where it is easier to switch lines.
• Long and infrequent train intervals.

 
 

Current Solutions

• Cabins with no seats, more spacious, supposedly easier to board and alight
• More trains during peak hours

Other Solutions

• Dispatching of more trains at higher frequencies, especially during peak hours
• Reduce waiting duration
• Enable removable seats for more space
• Instead of 6 – 8 minutes interval, reduce it to 1 min (eg, Hong Kong)
• Extension of peak hour timings

Shoplah – Personas