SINGAPORE - While Dr William Wan, general secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement, said the reserved seats are a reminder to commuters to be considerate, he also said how you ask for the seat is crucial.

"I have been requesting for seats and, to date, nobody has turned me down. If I had demanded it as a right, I would probably get a different kind of response," he said.

The Land Transport Authority said it has also added a new message - ask nicely if you need a seat - to its ongoing campaigns to encourage commuters to take ownership of their journeys.

Video

They have even produced a video this year to spread the message.

The video of the April 11 spat that accompanied TNP's report on Wednsday drew hundreds of likes and thousands of views and shares on Facebook.

One visitor on our Facebook page, who went by the name of Glenn Poh, sympathised with the younger man in the video. He wrote: "Why the old guy die die must sit the reserved seat?? Got seat just sit lah. Why make a fuss?"

Netizen Thilagavathi Vaithilingam wrote: "Please remove the priority seats, there are people who will offer a seat even if there is no priority seat. There was no problem before but after placing the signs more problems."

Fellow netizen Leela Gnanasegaran suggested: "New law on MRT 'Not giving up priority seat, fine $500'. Maybe it will work."

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SINGAPORE - A second train link to Changi Airport is on the cards. But this one could go straight to the airport.

Speaking at the Modern Railways conference at Mandarin Orchard hotel yesterday, Land Transport Authority director of rail services Melvyn Thong said there are plans to extend the upcoming Eastern Region Line (ERL) and link it to the airport's planned Terminal 4.

He did not give further details.

But The Straits Times understands that if plans for the extension go ahead, the ERL is likely to have a direct link to Terminal 4, which is set to be ready by 2017.

Currently, commuters taking the MRT to the airport have to board a shuttle train at Tanah Merah on the East-West Line.

National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der Horng said a direct link to the airport could make the ERL the preferred alternative to get to Changi from the city.

Chief executive officer of engineering firm KTC Group Rajan Krishnan also applauded the move. The former Land Transport Authority director of projects noted that unlike Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur, Singapore has no high-speed express train service to the airport. "Having another link improves accessibility," he said.

He explained that the line would provide excess capacity and cater to the rise in passenger traffic at the airport. Travellers could use the ERL and reduce the load on the East-West Line in the future, he added.

The fully underground ERL will start from Marina Bay, where it is linked to the Thomson Line. It will run through residential estates near Singapore's eastern shore, including Marine Parade, Tanjong Rhu, Siglap, Bedok South and Upper East Coast.

First announced in the 2008 Land Transport Masterplan, the ERL is scheduled to be completed by 2020. However, observers say the line is unlikely to be ready by then as the Thomson Line will be fully operational only in 2021.

Mr Thong yesterday also shared details of a new mega- depot that will be built at the eastern end of the ERL. This integrated development, which he said was likely to be the first of its kind in the world, will house a bus depot and train depots for the ERL, East-West Line and Downtown Line.

The development, which is expected to include an elevated depot, one at surface level and one underground, would be able to house 188 trains and 550 buses.

roysim@sph.com.sg

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SINGAPORE - Concerned about the fourth rail crack on the North South East West Line (NSEWL) in recent weeks, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be appointing an international trackwork specialist to assess the condition of rail and to advise on possible changes to the operator's running rail maintenance regime.

In a statement released today, the agency said it is investigating whether there is a systemic cause of the rail cracks.

Here is the full statement from the LTA:

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is concerned about the fourth incident of a rail crack that has occurred on the North South East West Line (NSEWL) in recent weeks, and is investigating the root causes of the incidents. In the interim, LTA will require SMRT to carry out more stringent checks and replace the running rails earlier where necessary.

LTA is investigating whether there is a systemic cause of the rail cracks. In the first two incidents, the cracks occurred at weld joints done by the same contractor. For the other two occurrences, cracks were detected on the rail itself, at two separate locations on the North-South and East-West Line. All four rail cracks occurred at locations where the tracks curve.

It is too early at this stage to determine if there is any underlying link or systemic issues that contributed to these four recent rail cracks. Nevertheless, SMRT has put in place various precautionary measures.

First, SMRT has completed ultrasound checks on all 81 rail joints welded by the contractor involved with the rail joints in the first two incidences, and no defects have been identified.

Second, SMRT will be stepping up checks on all curved track segments, including the rail joints and running rail itself.

Third, SMRT is stepping up its running rail replacement programme and will replace rails earlier. The threshold for replacement has been reduced from a wear-limit of 14mm, to 12mm, as an interim precautionary measure, and LTA will review this threshold for replacement as part of its review of the MRT running rail maintenance regime.

Stepped up Audit Checks

Mr Chua Chong Kheng, Deputy Chief Executive, LTA: "LTA is monitoring SMRT's remedial actions very closely. While the design of the NSEWL ensures that trains are stopped when there is a rail crack, and passenger safety is not compromised at any time, we nevertheless take a very serious view of the recent occurrences. LTA will be stepping up audits on SMRT's maintenance works. Audits will be stepped up to a fortnightly basis, instead of monthly, to ensure that checks are done thoroughly and rigorously. We will also focus our audits on the track curves, as the recent rail cracks have occurred along such stretches."

Appointment of International Trackwork specialist

SMRT's system of running rail replacement is similar to the approach adopted by operators in other cities, whereby individual running rail segments are replaced when there are defects, or when the wear and tear for that rail segment warrants it. Nevertheless, to better determine what further measures can be taken to address the situation, LTA will be appointing an international trackwork specialist to assess the condition of rail and to advise on possible changes to the operator's running rail maintenance regime.

LTA will carry out a detailed investigation into the four rail crack incidents to ensure that all contributory causes are properly addressed and will update the public at a later date.

SINGAPORE - A rail crack delayed southbound MRT services between Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio from 6.25am on Thursday.

It was the third instance of a rail crack delaying train services in Singapore since late last month.

An SMRT spokesman said the crack was detected between Yio Chu Kang and Ang Mo Kio stations.

The delay was as much as 40 minutes initially, but this was later brought down to 15 minutes, The Straits Times reported on its website.

SMRT engineers were quickly on site and the rail operator said it was investigating the incident.

It said "G-clamps" had been used, as in the previous cases, to temporarily stabilise the affected area.

It then imposed a speed restriction on trains on the affected stretch of the track.

The speed limit would remain for the entire day and repairs to rectify fault would be done after the trains stopped running for the day, SMRT said.

Rail cracks were rare on the Singapore rail network till last month, occurring, on average, only once a year, The Straits Times said.

Now, in just over a month, it has happened thrice and on different parts of the North-South Line each time.

The two earlier incidents, on April 29 and May 18, were similar in many respects, SMRT had said.

Both occurred at rail joints welded between old and new rails by the same contractor.

After a preliminary analysis, SMRT began probing four main areas to determine why the rail cracks occurred: the material used, workmanship, stress factors and welding process.

"We are conducting a thorough inspection of all suspected rail joints in the entire network and will be taking the appropriate remedial actions," SMRT vice-president for corporate marketing and communications, Ms Kalai Natarajan, had said.

"This is in addition to our regular patrols and tests carried out on all our tracks to detect rail flaws in order to ensure rail integrity." SMRT and the Land Transport Authority are also speeding up work to replace all the sleepers on the North-South and East-West lines by 2016.

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SINGAPORE - SMRT said it has begun talks with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on a complete overhaul of what it called an "ageing" rail network.

The operator added that its priority was the North-South Line, which has the oldest parts of the track. It was on this line that a rail crack delayed train services on Thursday for up to 40 minutes.

Preliminary investigations found that the latest problem was caused by corrosion, unlike two recent incidents on the same line which involved welded joints.

This, said SMRT's vice-president for corporate marketing and communications Kalai Natarajan, is "symptomatic of an ageing rail infrastructure". She warned that similar cracks can happen again.

"Engineers do not preclude similar incidents from happening in future," she said, adding that the rail infrastructure is experiencing the effects of wear and tear.

Before the three incidents, which happened in the space of five weeks, there was an average of only one rail crack per year.

SMRT is working with LTA to accelerate the replacement of the third rail system, which supplies power to trains. But it is also "critical" to look into changing portions of the running rail on which trains travel, which are almost 30 years old, Ms Natarajan said, adding: "This overhaul is seen as absolutely necessary for system safety and reliability moving forward."

It is believed additional replacement works could mean more planned closures on weekends.

When contacted, an LTA spokesman said the authority will "work closely with SMRT on the upgrading of the rail system".

After investigating Thursday's incident, engineers found that a corroded strip of metal in contact with the rail had caused the underside of the rail to weaken, and eventually crack. SMRT discovered the crack between Yio Chu Kang and Ang Mo Kio stations at 6.25am. It put clamps in place to stabilise the rail, and ordered trains to run more slowly along the affected track.

Ms Natarajan said that in this case, routine tests, including one which uses ultrasound, had failed to detect the defect as it had occurred under the rail.

She also noted that the latest rail crack is "markedly different" in nature from the previous two, as it occurred on a non-welded portion of the rail.

The previous cases, on April 29 and May 18, involved joints welded between old and new rails located on a curved track.

When asked what action SMRT would take to identify defects that could not be detected by ultrasound, she said visual checks would be stepped up across the entire network.

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On Friday at 11.20pm, a rail crack delayed commuters on the East-West Line.

It was the second rail crack in two days and the fourth in five weeks.

At a hastily assembled press conference yesterday, rail operator SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said they would be stepping up checks on the network and replacing worn rails.

The Government will also be upping checks on the rail operator's maintenance work; LTA says instead of monthly checks, it will do fortnightly audits.

LTA's deputy chief executive, Mr Chua Chong Kheng, said that the more frequent audits would "ensure that checks are done thoroughly and rigorously".

Right now, while they cannot pinpoint whether there is a systemic problem underlying these faults, the audits will focus on the track curves as all four cracks had occurred along such stretches.

The four incidents - on April 29, May 18, May 30, and May 31 - individually caused delays of up to 40 minutes.

They have became a cause for concern because they happened in such quick succession.

Rail cracks were rare in Singapore before this series of incidents.

Ultrasound checks will now be conducted on a further 246 rail joints.

Some 40km of rails will also be replaced - about 10 per cent of the total 400km on the North-South and East-West lines.

SMRT says it hopes to accomplish this in two years' time.

It replaced 8km of rail last year.

Rails will also be replaced once they have been worn down by 12mm, instead of 14mm.

Further, LTA will be appointing an international trackwork specialist to assess the condition of rails and to advise on possible changes to SMRT's maintenance regime.

Both parties emphasised that commuter safety was top prority.

Though SMRT senior vice-president for engineering and maintenance, Mr Lee Ling Wee, said they could not preclude more rail cracks from happening since the cracks were symptomatic of an ageing network, he said that SMRT had a system to detect, and attend to, any cracks quickly and precisely.

Trains will also be halted if there are track faults, ensuring passenger safety.

In the long term, SMRT is also looking to expand its workshop facilities so it can pre-fabricate longer rails for installation.

SMRT currently has 18m of spatial capacity to facilitate the change of rails, said Mr Lee.

Commuters TNPS spoke to last night generally welcomed the news of increased checks saying they appreciated that the authorities were taking steps to ensure safety.

But one commuter, Mr Jason Khoo, 36, a tutor, expressed frustration at more frequent delays in the network in recent months.

"I hope the authorities can do more to ensure that trains come regularly and there are no delays, especially since we have been encouraged to take public transport," he said.

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The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT have detailed a series of measures to detect and prevent rail cracks on the MRT network, in response to a fourth crack found in five weeks on Friday.

The measures included replacing worn-out portions of the running rail earlier than scheduled, and appointing an international specialist to assess the condition of the rail.

A crack occurred on the eastbound track between Tiong Bahru and Outram Park stations on Friday night, which delayed journeys by up to 30 minutes.

At a media briefing to address that and previous occurrences, LTA deputy chief executive Chua Chong Kheng said the common factor was that all four incidents happened at curved tracks.

The rails are subjected to greater forces at bends, and thus are potentially more vulnerable, he said.

SMRT will thus focus on curved tracks along the North-South and East-West Lines. In all, 246 joints will undergo extensive ultrasonic tests and checks.

SMRT senior vice-president for engineering and maintenance Lee Ling Wee said checks will also be intensified on track components such as bolts and base plates.

The operator had called for a complete overhaul of the ageing MRT system on Friday. Yesterday, Mr Lee said SMRT will replace worn-out rails earlier as an added precaution. Currently, SMRT replaces rails that are worn down by 14mm. This threshold has been raised to 12mm, he said.

Under this new standard, about 40km of rail of the 400km long North-South and East-West lines have to be replaced, estimated to take about five years based on current procedures.

SMRT is in talks with LTA on expanding its facilities so it can produce longer stretches of rail to speed up replacements, he said.

Mr Chua said the LTA would study if more space can be made for pre-fabricating rails at existing or new depots.

The cost of replacing the rail under the new limits will be borne by SMRT, as this falls under the operator's obligation to maintain the railway in a safe operating condition, he said.

He added the LTA would conduct audits of SMRT's maintenance regime every two weeks, down from once a month.

An international trackwork specialist will also be engaged by next week to assess the rail system and advise if the rail maintenance regime needs to be changed, he said.

Both the LTA and SMRT stressed that safety was not compromised at any point. The signalling system is designed to detect rail cracks and prevent trains from entering the area where a crack occurs, Mr Chua said.

The earlier cracks took place on April 29, May 18 and Thursday. Prior to this year, there was an average of one rail crack a year.

Asked why the number of such incidents has gone up, Mr Chua said the cases appeared to be random. "It is too early at this stage to determine if there is any underlying or systemic issues that contributed to these four recent rail cracks."

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On June 9 and June 23, both Botanic Gardens and Farrer Road stations will operate with a single platform from 6am to 10am.

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Train sevices between Dhoby Ghaut and Outram Park services along the North East Line were disrupted at about 8.45pm due to a power fault.

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SINGAPORE - The committee will spend the additional months following up on issues brought up during two focus group sessions held earlier this year. These sessions had involved voluntary welfare organisations for the disabled, grassroots leaders and activists, tertiary students, union leaders and public transport operators.

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Update by the Chairman of the Fare Review Mechanism Committee (FRMC), Mr Richard Magnus, on the FRMC blog:

Hello, I thought I should update you on the continuing work of the FRMC. We have been busy and work is in progress.

You will remember that, in February this year, Minister Lui Tuck Yew expanded the FRMC's remit to review the existing public transport concession framework. We welcomed this additional work.

An expanded and enlightened concessions framework should benefit a broader segment of our commuters, especially commuters who earn lower incomes; those who are physically challenged; tertiary students and children who now seem to be much taller, beyond 0.9 metres, before starting primary school.

The FRMC resolved, quite promptly, to consult in frank face to face discussions through several Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). We held these FGDs in the evenings to facilitate wider participation. Voluntary Welfare Organisations for the disabled, grassroots leaders and activists, tertiary students, union leaders and public transport operators gave their views. Several useful suggestions were made at these FGDs. We considered them and took some on board in our overall reviews.

Overall, we would need to look at our public transport system holistically. We need to carefully balance the social aspects and the economic considerations of our public transport system. The three parties in our public transport system: the Government, the public transport operators and the commuters have a shared responsibility for a good, sustainable and viable transport system.

Our public transport system meets a social need. Our commuters are 'social shareholders' of the system. Public transport is for them. The bottom line therefore is that affordability is a key concern for our commuters.

And the bottom line for the public transport operators (PTOs) is about keeping a balance between cost and revenue, to stay financially viable. They have to deal with rising costs of energy and manpower, including giving their workers fair wages and reasonable wage increases. Our commuters know that running a public transport system costs money, and that significant money needs to be spent to keep our system well-maintained and able to provide the expected levels of service and reliability. The PTOs also have to meet the return on investment expectations of their shareholders. Yet we think there is a case for the public transport operators to 'share their gains' with commuters.

The Government lays the foundation for an equitable, affordable, accessible and sustainably high quality public transport system. It has a consistent desire for the collective well being and social harmony of the country. It ensures that the environment in which our public transport system operates in is safe. It has to provide the essential infrastructure, set and enforce high regulatory and service standards.

The three parties are shareholders in our public transport system. The outcome can be a framework which assures that commuters have the ability to pay and then provides a safety net if they are constrained and a framework of rules to align PTOs' incentives that encourages the best service at the best price.

These are hard issues. There are difficult trade-offs to be made on a number of key issues.

I think it would be helpful to gather quantitative feedback on these issues. For instance, we know that giving more concessions would surely be welcomed, but how do we prioritise the granting of more concessions that would address the competing interests of the different commuter groups? How should concessions be funded in a sustainable manner? Would full-fare paying commuters be prepared to pay slightly more to help with more generous concession schemes? What about the Government chipping in, and if so, what would be some useful guiding principles that we can put forward for consideration? What about some principles for PTOs to "share their gains" with commuters in a meaningful and impactful manner?

And whatever fare formula that is eventually recommended and adopted, how do we balance the interests of the PTOs, in an environment where all signs point to ever-rising manpower costs, especially with energy costs increasingly becoming a very significant cost driver, and yet try to safeguard commuters' interests by giving the PTC sufficient tools to ensure fare affordability?

Quantitative feedback will also ensure that our Report is unbiased and objective. The FRMC is already in the process of gathering such quantitative feedback. This will tie the loose questions to our overall remit and final Report to the Minister. Minister Lui concurs that this reality testing step is critical and he is agreeable to give us the necessary time, the additional months, to complete our work and finalise the Report.

I appreciate your patience and understanding.

Update from Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew on his Facebook page:

Chairman of the Fare Review Mechanism Committee (FRMC) Mr Richard Magnus shared with me that the FRMC is not quite ready to finalise its report as his Committee would like to gather more quantitative feedback.

The review of our public transport fare review mechanism is an important one as its outcome is one that will affect many.

I therefore fully support Mr Magnus’ request to take the time that he and his Committee will need before finalising the report.

Certainly, from what he has updated me thus far on his Committee’s views and thinking on fares and concessions, I have every expectation that it will be a thorough and thoughtful report.

People were forced to walk in slippery conditions, and some could be seen pinching their noses and covering their faces with handkerchiefs.

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SINGAPORE - The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will hold back its study of the environmental impact of the Cross Island MRT Line until after nature groups have completed their investigations.

It made the decision after its officials met nine representatives of several nature groups yesterday. The meeting was the first face-to-face session between the LTA and the groups since they expressed concern about the proposed MRT line passing through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

The groups, which include the Nature Society Singapore and Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, offered to conduct a study on how different alignments of the line would impact flora and fauna in the nature reserve.

In accepting it, LTA chief executive Chew Hock Yong said the authority will consider the findings before deciding how to conduct its own environmental impact assessment.

Preliminary plans have an estimated 1.4km of the line passing underground through the reserve. Several groups had expressed concern that even soil investigations for the line would damage the nature reserve's ecosystem, and called for the line to go around the reserve instead of through it.

Mr Chew said the nature groups' study will help the LTA avoid undue impact on the environment. "We will not start any work until such time where there is a proper understanding of what is the correct way to do it, so as to minimise the impact on the nature reserve," he said.

He noted that plans presented in January were a "broad brush stroke", and the LTA will consider several factors before it decides on an alignment.

This includes environmental impact, overall travel time, how the line fits into the land use plan and whether it will affect any existing house.

Engineering studies are also needed to decide if it is technically feasible to have the line skirt around the reserve.

Mr Tony O'Dempsey, the Nature Society's spokesman on the issue, said the meeting was positive and the study should take about six months.

Mr Chew said the LTA had intended to call a tender for environment studies late this year or early next year. Plans for the line remain on track even though the LTA is waiting for the study to be completed, he added. The line will run from Changi to Jurong, and is slated for completion in 2030.

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In a statement on SMRT's Facebook page, the train operator said it was informed at 6am that an insulating rail joint between the two stations had been damaged. Such joints provide insulation along the running rail between two track circuits.

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Here is the statement SMRT provided on its Facebook page:

We were informed at 6am this morning that an Insulating Rail Joint (IRJ) between Ang Mo Kio and Bishan MRT stations has been damaged. IRJs provide insulation along the running rail between two track circuits.

SMRT engineers have restored the track circuits to prevent further damage to the IRJ, while the IRJ will be replaced after operation hours tonight.

We wish to assure passengers that we are monitoring the situation very closely, and that there is no congestion at this point in time.

However, please provision an additional 4 minutes of travelling time between Ang Mo Kio and Bishan stations today. Southbound trains (towards Marina Bay) between Ang Mo Kio and Bishan MRT stations are now running at 18kph to ensure system and passenger safety.

SINGAPORE - Train services on the North East Line are being delayed on Wednesday evening due to a train fault, said SBS Transit.

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SINGAPORE - "Our trains will be travelling at slower speeds along the (North-South and East-West lines)", said the rail operator in a Facebook post on Saturday morning.

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Here is the full Facebook post by SMRT, made on Saturday at 11.18am:

Due to the haze situation, we will be reducing train speed due to low visibility. Our trains will be travelling at slower speeds along the NSEWL.

Passenger safety is a priority. We ask that all commuters make provision for additional travelling time as train speeds are reduced.

Please take good care of yourselves during this period, as the SMRT team continues to work hard in ensuring we get you to your destination safe and sound.

THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) has launched an investigation into a two-hour disruption on the North East Line (NEL) on Wednesday evening.

Following the chaos caused by the stoppage, LTA said it will look into operator SBS Transit's management of the incident, "including rescue and detrainment of affected commuters".

A spokesman said it will also investigate the cause of the train fault, which left 250 commuters stranded on a train for about an hour and affected 50,000 passengers. The train travelling towards HarbourFront stalled as it approached Hougang station on Wednesday evening.

SBS Transit deployed a second train to push the stalled train to the nearest station - a standard recovery procedure - but could not move it despite repeated tries.

Services were disrupted between Woodleigh and Punggol for about two hours, with passengers having to complete their journeys on free shuttle buses.

When asked about the cause of the train stalling, the failed recovery operation and the transport operator's handling of the incident, SBS Transit spokesman Tammy Tan would only say investigations were ongoing.

The NEL had an average daily ridership of more than 450,000 last year.

An expert on trains who declined to be named said it was possible the stalled train's brakes could not be released as designed, thus preventing the rescue train from moving it. Some signalling control could also have restricted movement, he said.

Banking officer Vivien Chionh, 43, who had to get out at Woodleigh, said there were hundreds of people milling outside the station, and the scene was chaotic.

There were not enough station employees to guide commuters, nor signs to say where the shuttle bus pick-ups were, she added, and the buses that arrived were full. It confirmed what other commuters had said.

In a strongly worded Facebook post, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said he expected SBS Transit to manage such incidents much better in the future.

National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der Horng noted the difficulty bus services faced in coping with the sheer numbers of rail passengers.

Even so, he said, transport operators have to equip themselves for such situations: "In this incident, they (SBS Transit) have not done enough."

roysim@sph.com.sg

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SMRT has a new man helming its entire train operations.

The transport operator announced yesterday that it has appointed its senior vice-president for maintenance and engineering, Mr Lee Ling Wee, as its new executive vice-president for trains.

Mr Lee, 47, took over from Mr Khoo Hean Siang on Monday. Mr Khoo, 65, has retired after serving SMRT for more than 25 years.

He will take charge of all train operations, engineering and maintenance for the North-South, East-West and Circle Lines and for Bukit Panjang LRT.

Mr Lee, who joined SMRT in May this year, was previously head of the air engineering and logistics department at the Republic of Singapore Air Force. He is planning a restructuring of the trains division that includes placing maintenance teams in the units overseeing the North-South and East-West lines and Circle Line.

Previously, SMRT had a separate maintenance unit. SMRT said this will allow each group to "flag and address all maintenance-related issues with immediacy".

A new systems and engineering group has also been created.

It will be headed by Mr Ng Bor Kiat, 56, who was director of corporate development with the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. SMRT will also form a new inspectorate to conduct system-wide "checks and balances" on the train group.

With Mr Lee's appointment, the bulk of senior management under former chief executive Saw Phaik Hwa has been replaced.

Mr Lee expressed his belief that the realignment would help SMRT rise to the challenges "posed by a growth in population, an increase in ridership, and an ageing rail infrastructure".

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A YEAR-LONG trial offering free travel before peak hours will not apply to students and national servicemen who buy monthly concession passes, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Holders of such passes can make up to four train trips a day and will not be able to make an additional “free” trip beyond the four under the scheme, said an LTA spokesman.

The trial, which begins on Monday, allows commuters to travel for free if they exit from 16 stations in the city before 7.45am on weekdays, said the LTA in a statement yesterday to explain the details. Passengers who get off at those stations between 7.45am and 8am will get a 50-cent discount on their fare.

To travel, they have to use their stored-value ez-link cards.

An LTA spokesman said under the train concession scheme, card-holders would have paid $45 to $50 a month to cap their monthly travel expenditure.

She said: “There is no easy way to extend the scheme to (concession) holders and it would entail complex changes to the scheme and the fare system.”

Those on concession passes would have to decide if it is more worthwhile to buy a stored-value card instead to enjoy the pre-peak free rides or discounts, she added.

The free travel trial is funded by the Government as part of its efforts to ease morning peak hour crowding on trains.

Currently, there are about 59,000 passengers exiting the 16 stations between 8.30am and 9am, 29,500 from 7.45am to 8.15am, and about 18,000 in the half hour before 7.45am.

Asked if commuters would still be eligible for free travel if a train delay caused them to leave a station after 7.45am, the LTA spokesman said eligibility will have to depend on the exit time to keep the scheme simple.

She said it would be difficult to assess a waiver under a wide variety of scenarios and advised commuters to plan their journeys and travel earlier.

She said: “In fairness to all commuters, everyone will need to abide by the cut-off time.”

Those who start their journeys from any of the 16 stations will not get the free or discounted train rides.

The LTA spokesman said the trial aims to reduce the demand for morning peak hour travel along the most crowded stretches of the network, largely starting from outside the city and going towards it.

Lawyer Kenneth Chow, 42, plans to use the free rides two or three times a week.

He said: “The train won’t be so crowded. I might go to the gym, since I have a gym membership.”

roysim@sph.com.sg

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Most said they were sticking with their normal travel patterns for now, while a handful said they would consider starting their city bound commute earlier in the coming days to take advantage of the free travel perk.

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While some have said they are willing to give the free MRT rides a try, others are hoping their bosses offer more flexible work arrangements for them to benefit.

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Only 2 out of 50 commuters polled by The Straits Times said they woke up earlier to take advantage of the free rides.

Cost savings were also on commuters' minds, with some saying that they can halve their monthly transport expenses. One commuter said she can donate her savings to charity.

Today marks the first day of the free peak hour MRT ride trial which the Government is spending $10 million on to offer free and discounted train rides in the hopes of easing early morning congestion in city-bound MRTs.

Those who tap out at any of the 16 stations involved in the trial before 7.45am will get free rides. Those who tap out between 7.45am and 8am will get 50-cents discount.

The 16 stations are those in the city area, including Raffles Place, Tanjong Pagar and Bugis.

Most said they were sticking with their normal travel patterns for now, while a handful said they would consider starting their city bound commute earlier in the coming days to take advantage of the free travel perk.

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