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Around 7:50 AM, 5 August 1993
Around 2 AM, 9 October 1997
Around 10 AM, 13 April 1999
23 April 2002
3 March 2003
2000s
SAFETY These incidents have prompted the authorities to consider strengthening the fences along the at grade sections of train track running beside the roads, which was done. There was a proposal to install platform screen doors at elevated stations and platform gates (such as those installed on the Tokyo Monorail ) at elevated stations, but was rejected due to the high installation & maintenance costs, which could eventually be borne by the passenger. Safety was also an issue as there was the risk that passengers might get trapped in the gap created between the platform gates and the train as a result of the platform gates. The idea to use CCTV cameras led to all elevated stations as of 2005 having recordable digital CCTV systems. Eventually the remaining underground stations are planned to have this new system too. More CCTV cameras are also progressively being installed in all stations. There have been no accidents on the North-East line. Announcements There are other announcements played in MRT stations to ensure that the rail transport system is a safe and clean place for commuters to travel. Announcements include no consumption of food and drinks in stations and trains: "Your attention please, eating or drinking is not allowed in stations and trains. Thank you for keeping the stations and trains clean for the comfort of all passengers" There are also announcements providing tips for commuters, mostly tourists, such as "Dear Passengers, if you are using a standard ticket for a single trip, you may obtain your one dollar deposit, from the ticketing machine, at your destination station. Thank You". This announcement is most often played on the North South Line and East West Line from Newton to Raffles Place and Lavender to Outram Park respectively, which are located within the Central Business District. The most common announcements are train service related announcements. an example will be: "The train at Platform A will terminate at Yishun. The train at Platform A will terminate at Yishun. Thank you." Such announcements are played during peak hours when short-trip services occur. Announcements are played whenever the train reaches an Interchange station, to inform commuters to which lines they can transfer to. For example, the announcement on the North South Line when the train reaches Jurong East would be "Jurong East Interchange. This Train is terminating at Jurong East Interchange. Passengers going towards City Hall, and Pasir Ris, please alight on the Left, and transfer to another train. Passengers going towards Chinese Garden, Lakeside, or Boon Lay, Please alight on the Right, and transfer to another train. Thank You for travelling with SMRT. Jurong East Interchange." At terminus station, an additional message "Thank you for travelling with SMRT" (on the North South and East West Line) or "Thank you for travelling with SBS Transit" (North East Line) will be played. Fire Safety After the Daegu Subway Fire incident in South Korea , fire prevention became an important consideration of the Mass Rapid Transit system of Singapore. The MRT uses the guidelines of the American National Fire Prevention Authorities ( NFPA ), which were established for enhancing fire safety within metro systems. The guidelines contain criteria concerning the availability of emergency exits (within 600m), Evacuation time (max. 6 min.), Escalators , and other design features. All the MRT stations and trains have more than one Fire-extinguisher and smoke detection systems are installed in all North-East Line trains. Safety Announcements & The Yellow Line In elevated stations, a wide yellow line is drawn along the platform's edge to remind passengers not to stand too near to the edge. Under the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Regulations 11 and 29, commuters who ignore the instruction not to cross yellow line until the train has stopped at the station may be fined up to $500. For those who are caught trespassing onto the tracks, they may be fined up to $5,000. Safety announcements reminding passengers to stand behind the yellow line are played in all 4 official languages (English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil) on the platforms whenever a train is approaching, especially during peak hours:
Other safety announcements on the platform include:
There are also safety announcements on the train. For example, before a North South Line train switches over to the middle track when it arrives at Jurong East there would be an announcement saying:
This announcement was created, as some time ago, many commuters kept losing their balance whenever the train was being diverted into another track, despite the train cruising at relatively low speeds when approaching Jurong East station. Platform Screen Doors ''Platform Screen Doors by Westinghouse, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group '', are installed at all underground MRT stations. Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit was the first heavy rail system in the world to incorporate the platform screen doors in its stations in 1987 (according to Westinghouse Platform Screen Doors). These doors serve to prevent suicides, enable climate control within the station (better ventilation and air conditioning), better security control as access to the tunnels and tracks is restricted, and for passenger safety considerations. There are 2 series of the platform screen doors in use. The first series, installed at the underground stations along the North South Line and the East West Line (except Changi Airport station), have been in use since 1987. These cost about S$1 million extra per platform it was installed in. The latest series of platform screen doors, featuring a sleeker design and incorporating more glass, are installed at the Changi Airport station and all stations (all underground) along the North East Line in 2002 and 2003 respectively. NS17 Bishan Station Platforms will be retrofitted with platform screen doors by 2007. Emergency Equipment The safety facilities in MRT are listed below:
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