GROWING: RISING TO THE CHALLENGE 94 Events That Shaped Us 95 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1986: Collapse of Hotel New World 96 1993: The First Major MRT Incident 97 2003: SARS Crisis 98 2004: Exercise Northstar 99 2010: Acts of Vandalism 100 BEGINNING: THE RAIL DEVELOPMENT 1 2011: MRT Disruptions 100 CONNECTING: OUR SMRT FAMILY 57 The Rail Progress 2 2012: Bus Captains’ Strike 102 The Early Days 4 One Family 58 2015: Remembering Our Founding Father 104 Opening of the Rail Network 10 One Identity 59 2015: Celebrating SG50 106 Completion of the North-South and East-West Lines 15 A Familiar Place 60 2016: 22 March Fatal Accident 107 INNOVATING: MOVING WITH THE TIMES 110 Woodlands Extension 22 A Familiar Face 61 2017: Flooding in Tunnel 108 Operations to Innovation 111 Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit 24 National Day Parade 2004 62 2017: Train Collision at Joo Koon MRT Station 109 Operating for Tomorrow 117 Keeping It in the Family 64 Beyond Our Network & Borders 120 Love is in the Air 66 Footprint in the Urban Mobility Space 127 Esprit de Corps 68 TRANSFORMING: TRAVEL REDEFINED 26 A Greener Future 129 Remember the Mascots? 74 SMRT Corporation Ltd 27 Stretching Our Capability 77 TIBS Merger 30 Engaging Our Community 80 An Expanding Network 35 Fare Payment Evolution 42 Tracking Improvements 50 More Than Just a Station 53 SMRT Institute 56 VISION 1 Moving People, Enhancing Lives MISSION In 2017, SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT) celebrates 30 years of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) operations. To be the people’s choice by delivering a world-class transport service and Delivering a world-class transport service that is safe, reliable and customer-centric is at the lifestyle experience that is safe, heart of what we do. reliable and customer-centric. We are Singapore’s iconic multi-modal public transport operator and our MRT and light rail systems connect seamlessly with our island-wide bus, taxi and private vehicle services. Throughout our 30 years of service, we have connected communities and transformed the CORE VALUES way people live, work and play. Moving Stories documents our beginnings, the expansion of our businesses, our challenges Safety & Service Excellence and our involvement with the community. The people who have been on this journey also Mastery reflect the personal experiences of our diverse workforce, past and present. Responsibility & Respect Teamwork I • As we embark on the next leg of our journey, we look forward to the boundless nurture Tn R M opportunities to continue working for you. Integrity S • 2 Beginning / The Rail Progress Beginning / The Rail Progress THE RAIL PROGRESS 3 1968 - 1981 Various studies 1983 conducted on the 1982 1987 feasibility of a public train system Mass Rapid Transit Corporation was set up 1988 Decision by Parliament to build and manage the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit Fifteen more stations opened 1996 to build a rail-based train network Limited was incorporated and the MRT system was officially MRT system 1990 to operate the MRT line launched by Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Opening of the Woodlands Singapore’s first Prime Minister 1999 Operations began Completion of the North-South Extension by Prime Minister Commencement of with inaugural service and East-West Lines (NSEWL) Goh Chok Tong, and the between Yio Chu Kang loop was completed on the Bukit Panjang and Toa Payoh MRT stations the North-South Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) 4 Beginning / The Early Days Beginning / The Early Days 5 during service. Not only was the bus schedule construct two main arteries — the North-South that a “bus–rail” system would be a better different among operators, the bus routes were and East-West Lines — that would connect the This is going to be the most expensive single project to be alternative. The outcome of this report paved THE EARLY uncoordinated and the fares were confusing for four corners of the island. As it was a massive undertaken in Singapore. The last thing that we want to do is to the way for further engineering studies in 1979 to commuters. Many areas were underserved as a investment that would tax Singapore’s economy, develop the final route plans and cost estimates. result, and commuters would often have to walk a several studies were commissioned to explore the squander away our hard-earned reserves and leave behind The investment was projected to be $5 billion DAYS distance to their destinations. feasibility of the idea. enormous debt for our children and our grandchildren. Now since over a ten-year period. It would be the largest During the rolling good times of the 60s, we are sure that this is not going to be the case, we’ll proceed infrastructure project the country had ever Singapore was undergoing a sea of change. The unregulated pirate taxis were an alternative When the train proposal was raised in Parliament, it embarked on. to the inadequate public transport services. The generated fierce debate on the merit of having an with the MRT, and the MRT will usher in a new phase in Singapore’s The economy was growing and the standard of drivers would often take as many passengers as expensive public transport system when there was development and bring about a better life for all of us. An independent study team from Harvard living was improving. The promise of a better life they could to increase earnings, paying little heed then already a more cost-effective bus system in University was commissioned in 1980 to validate was becoming a reality. It was an exciting time to service quality and passenger safety. place. Every ministry defended its viewpoint. the findings and recommendations from the for everyone. MR ONG TENG CHEONG reports. The Harvard team favoured the “all-bus” Commuters were entirely at the mercy of Minister for Communications and Labour system, which could be easily scaled up to In those days, car ownership was low and for most the drivers. Ong Teng Cheong supported the MRT proposal. meet the nation’s demand by increasing the people, public transport was the only option. But He was convinced that the MRT would play a feeder routes at less than half the cost of a public transport planning was non-existent. The By the late 70s, an efficient bus network was finally significant role in the country’s economic growth were already taxing construction resources The intensive debate led to the formation of a “bus-rail” system. system that was put in place had been born out put in place. With a booming population and and development. An efficient train system would heavily. An MRT system would only strip the nation high-level study team of government officials of necessity rather than through careful design. rising expectation for better public services, there enhance the world’s perception of Singapore further of the limited construction resources which and consultants in 1972 to recommend the A Comprehensive Traffic Study examined the was still an unmet need for a reliable and efficient as an advanced nation with a high standard of Trade and Industry Minister Dr Tony Tan felt should public transportation system that would support Harvard team’s proposal and found that an Buses, taxis and trishaws were the only choices of public transport system to support the country’s living, comparable to cities like Toronto, Montreal, be channelled to address the more pressing Singapore’s growth needs. The resulting Singapore “all-bus” system would require dedicated bus public transport available. The lack of seamless development. Construction of the MRT was finally Chicago and Marseille. need of public housing. Mass Transit Study concluded that a mass rail lanes, which would occupy more than 40% of connectivity for the public transport system underway in the 80s to meet the growing public transit system would be the solution Singapore the Central Business District roads. Furthermore, resulted in long and often inconvenient journeys. transport demand. There were concerns that the cost and impact of Finance Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee also felt that was looking for to meet future transport demands. half of the commuters would still have to make at the mega train project could derail Singapore’s the rail system would be unnecessary — why least one bus transfer to reach their destinations. Private operators ran the buses, which were The idea of building a rail system in Singapore economic growth. Aggressive projects, like the burden the economy with a huge cost when there In 1975, the team went on to compare an It became apparent that with Singapore’s rising poorly maintained and broke down frequently was first mooted in the 1960s. The plan was to building of Changi Airport and public housing, was already an efficient bus system in place? “all-bus” versus a “bus-rail” system, and found population and economic growth, an “all-bus” 6 Beginning / The Early Days Beginning / The Early Days 7 system would be inadequate to meet the public transport demands in the long run. It was finally decided in 1982 that Singapore would require a Safety & Service Excellence rail-based urban transport system to support its growth. Mastery When the Government first started recruiting for MRTC, I was Responsibility & Respect young and raring for a challenge, so I went for the interview. I • Tn Construction of the train network began in 1983. Singapore Mass Rapid Teamwork R M Transit Limited (SMRT) was incorporated on 6 August 1987 to operate the nurture S They asked me whether I saw myself as a ‘railway man’. MRT for the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC), which was the owner, Integrity • At that time, I was just a young engineer and did not builder and regulator of the system.