Xiao 1

Xiao Yong Samuel

Student ID: 9216020182
Class: PAE 18157
Essay
12/7/18

REDUCING OVERCROWDING IN TRAINS

A recent statistics report from the Land Transport Authority in Singapore showed that daily train ridership had hit a new high of 3.3
million (Tan, 2017). This has been the highest recorded statistics of daily train commuters in recent years. This means that one out of two people
living in Singapore rely on the train transport system everyday, thus making it one of the most dominant mode of commuting. However, this has
led to adverse effects upon the train transport system and in particular, overcrowding. Nonetheless, there are already solutions that are being
put in place to effectively reduce this problem.
The increase in train ridership daily has resulted in a greater ratio of passengers to trains currently available. Hence, creating a higher
prevalence of overcrowding during peak commuting hours. The Customer Service Satisfaction Survey held annually concluded that even after
three years of improvement, satisfaction with train services fell from 96.0% to 91.8%. This was largely driven by the lower scores in the areas of
reliability, waiting time, comfort, travel time, and service information (PTC, 2017). Overcrowding can take place in two situations: boarding and
commuting. The daily commuter would face a longer and more congested wait to board the train with the increased commuter load. Likewise,
the reduced amount of space for passengers within each cabin would incur the same problem of overcrowding.
The first solution targets at increasing standing capacity and space per cabin to allow for more passengers. This can be achieved through
a new design of retractable train seats that will be implemented in the latest batch of new train models. They will have rows of retractable seats,
which retracts up or down depending on the passenger load. As of the first quarter this year, twelve new trains on the North-South and East-
West Lines (NSEWL) will have four sets of three tip-up seats located in the centre of each car (Ng, 2018). Once the seats are retracted up or
 Xiao 2

down, they are locked in place. All these are achieved through a electronic mechanism that can be only accessed and operated by the train
driver. If all these seats are tipped up, each six-cabin train will have standing room for 100 more passengers, increasing its peak capacity by
around 6 percent to 1,700 (Tan, 2018). Furthermore, waiting time during boarding would decrease as the rider would have a higher success rate
of entering the train. Hence, the innovation and technology implemented through this new seat design would reduce the presence of
overcrowding significantly.
Another way of combating the issue of overcrowding is through the new passenger load display system. This new system, otherwise
known as the Passenger Load Information System (PLIS), displays the load levels in each train car through LCD screens at the MRT platforms
using three colour-coded icons: red, amber and green. The green colour code would mean an emptier train cabin while a train cabin with limited
standing capacity is colour-coded red. Amber is somewhere in between for which the cabin has available standing space but little seating places.
The PLIS is a similar system being used on the Yamanote Line in Tokyo (LTA, 2018). The system detects the passenger load of each cabin through
load sensors that are installed on the train. The data is then transmitted wirelessly to the following train station which subsequently displays
across LCD screens to waiting passengers (Neo, 2018). The system would help produce a more even distribution of waiting passengers at each
station. The information display will also help to channel commuters more efficiently and evenly. This would then reduce the possibility of
passengers being concentrated at cabins that may be already full. Thus, this system would result in better informed passengers who will be able
to discern better in securing a place on the train. Overcrowding would then be reduced as a result of greater efficiency of channeling them into
more available train cabins.
In conclusion, positive results are expected through the new seats and PLIS display, both of which have the common aim of reducing
overcrowding in trains. The implementation of the two systems do possess high potential in reducing the problem of overcrowding and its
effects will continue to firmly take root once it is established on subsequent trains. But most importantly, the hope is that such improvements
and other future developments will ultimately optimise and enhance the overall train commuting experience for riders. These would in turn
undertake an integral role in upholding the vision of a world-class transport system in Singapore.
 Xiao 3

References

LTA. (2018, May 14). Factsheet: Passenger Load Information System piloted on downtown line for smoother boarding Retrieved July 9, 2018, from
https://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=92c8d167-02a4-419f-9939-6e6236ecbb28

Neo, E. (2018, May 14). New system to show commuters crowd levels on trains. Retrieved July 9, 2018, from
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/new-system-to-show-commuters-crowd-levels-on-trains-10230950

Ng. (2018, February 28). 'Tip-up seats' on new MRT trains to increase standing space during peak hours. Retrieved July 9, 2018, from
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/mrt-trains-new-seats-nsewl-tip-up-standing-space-9998204

Neo, E. (2018, May 14). New system to show commuters crowd levels on trains. Retrieved July 9, 2018, from
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/new-system-to-show-commuters-crowd-levels-on-trains-10230950

PTC. (2018, February 13). Commuter satisfaction with public transport dipped 1.9% to 94.5% in 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2018, from
https://www.ptc.gov.sg/newsroom/news-releases/newsroom-view?news=commuter-satisfaction-with-public-transport-dipped-1.9-to-94.5-in-
2017

Tan, C. (2017, April 22). Bus, Rail Ridership Soars to New High. The Straits Times. Retrieved July 9, 2018, from
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/bus-rail-ridership-soars-to-new-high
 Xiao 4

Tan, C. (2018, February 28). 'Tip-up' seats on new MRT trains to allow for more passenger standing room. The Straits Times. Retrieved July 9, 2018, from
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/tip-up-seats-on-new-trains-to-allow-for-more-passenger-standing-room