4/23/2013

Two minutes interval train



Is this possible? Can our MRT train arrive at 2 minutes interval? No way, but yes. The last time someone brooded this subject that trains can travel at this interval to move more people I remember that it came with a price tag of $6b or some several billions of dollars. To achieve this remarkable and difficult task of 2 minutes interval safely, a highly sophisticated computerized time keeping system is needed to keep the trains safely apart.

Nothing has been heard of this possible multi billion dollar purchase of a top of the art control system. But if we want our train to operate at such peak intervals, this is the money that needs to be spent and spending with glee, after all it is OPM.

Lately, I am pleasantly surprised when I took a peep at the monitors at MRT stations and, yes, trains can arrive in 2 minutes interval, and sometimes within 1 minute. How could this happen? Has the MRT bought the multi million dollar control system and already implemented it? I doubt so. I think if such an expensive system would have been bought, the news would have spreaded across the front page of the media, and fares would have gone up definitely. Spending several billions for a more efficient running train system must be good reason, valid reason to up the fares.

Since nothing is heard, I can safely presume that the wonderful control system has yet to be bought. But then, how could the trains arrive in 1 or 2 minutes interval? The normal internal is 3 minutes at peak hours. And the 1 or 2 minutes interval did not happen all the times, only at some intervals. Even then, it can be done. And 3 minutes interval seems quite normal.

But it will be good if we spend the few billions to shorten the intervals from 3 minutes to 2 minutes on a regular basis with a sophisticated computerized system for peace of mind. It will be money well spent.

What do you think?

21 comments:

Raymond said...

I must say, some of you freeloaders are too much. Free rides isn't enough and now you want quicker free rides? Good grief! Who's going to pay for all these freebies? I can't recall the last time I took an MRT or bus, so why should I pay taxes that are used to subsidize all these nonsense? Please understand there is a limit to our tolerance. You want comfort, you've got to work for it! For goodness sakes!

patriot said...

Was at Bugis Station yesterday at about 1833 hrs, got to abort boarding two trains consecutively. About 5% of waiting commuters boarded, the rest waited for next train which arrived quite fast, maybe with 3 minutes. However, again it had space for about less than 5% og us waiting at the platform.
The Third train arrived about within 3 minutes later and almost all waiting commuters were able to board. Once in the train, me observed that all the passengers were well behaved although me noticed one or two ladies showed a little discomfort on their faces.

Me suspect that some folks may enjoy the squeeze in the trains. Body and skin contacts seemed unavoidable as the cabins were packed liked sardines. As a tall person gets good view of those infront, those low cut and voluptious could give much stimulation and esctasy. And me cant rule out that some get as much joy from being admired and appreciated.

As for whether money had been invested for train schedule control; doubt it had been spent. Else it would have been shouted in the medias. And is frequency of trains capable of increase if no additional carriages are added?

Someone explained that more routes and trains are scheduled to be in operation which me am aware. Question is whether it will be able to cope with the increase in population from 5.4 to 6.9 millions by 2030.

patriot

Anonymous said...

@ Raymond the PAPig lover;
"I must say, some of you freeloaders are too much. Free rides isn't enough and now you want quicker free rides? ... Who's going to pay for all these freebies?"

Who's going to pay?
Singaporeans that's who.

Multimillion dollar salaries for Millionaire Ministers.
Who's going to pay?
Singaporeans, that's who.

Multi-billion dollar purchase of the F-35 fighetr jet.
Who's going to pay?
Singaporeans, that's who.

It's Singaporeans who pay for everything.
NOT the PAP political party.

It's just a question of what Singaporeans pay for.
Buy things that make our lives better.
Or.
Pay higher salaries to Millionaire Ministers who make our lives more miserable and financially poor.

Anonymous said...

Right, Singaporeans paid everything through their noses, GST and all kinds of taxes. Nothing is free. The only freeloaders are the pigs.

Anonymous said...

The Greedy Pigs will get their Swine Flu sooner or later. But, it maybe too late for them to realize that money cannot help them to live any better. As they have difficulty breathing, they will realize that money will not even buy them more breathing time.

Anonymous said...

Anyone with a little common sense will know that it is pure stupidity to buy a few billion dollar monitoring system just to get the train to travel in 2 minutes interval.

So easy to earn a billion dollar? How many train trips to earn this amount?

Anonymous said...

Raymond, u nothing to do is it and very free huh? Like veritas said go read more widely. Don't be an idiot. Check also whether u have balls to talk like that. Check your two tiny are still attached hor

Veritas said...

From an engineering view point, the minimum MRT wait time is 2-2.5 mins unless the train can increase its speed.

In peak hours, all the MRT move in lock step. You can imagine it as beads attached to a string. So the minimum wait time is equal to the time taken for the train travel from the two stations that has the longest distance apart.

The best way to decrease wait time is to increase the speed of rolling stone.

But that is still not the best way to improve the transport system.

Anonymous said...

@ April 23, 2013 10:28 am
// So easy to earn a billion dollar? How many train trips to earn this amount? ///

Exactly.
So why are we buying the F-35 jet fighter?
Why is TummySick investing in foreign banks like UBS, Bank of America etc?

The said...

When SMRT got caught with their pants down and did not want to improve their services because it costs time and money or eat into their easy profits, they will come up with cockananny excuses.

I happened to be timing the train arrivals today. Around 7.30am, I saw trains came in at intervals of 2 minutes or less.

This improvement is probably down without much cost by tweaking the computer software. The only major cost would be more train-cars if they did not have enough to mount the stepped up frequencies. But I have not heard or seen the arrival of many such cars.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

>> Has the MRT bought the multi million dollar control system and already implemented it?

Probably not. To save money and to exploit people, they probably got some cheap Indian IT team from Bangalore to write the software on their Windows 98 Pentium 4 shitbox.

Anonymous said...

@ Raymond.

Wah!
You talk like the Singapore Reserves and Government money belong to the PAP.
And that Singaporeans have no right to say how the money should be spent.

So is it true?
Singapore Reserves belong to PAP?
Government money belong to PAP?
CPF money belong to PAP?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

When I first heard of the multi billion dollar system that was floated just to save a minute I was shell shocked. And to think that asses are entertaining that it is a possible good buy, I almost fainted.

Veritas said...

All these billion dollars things are bullshit. Fuckers in SMRT want to show "mission impossible" or they are corrupt.

I am a engineer. Trust me on all these issues.


Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has ordered an additional 15 metro trains for the city’s new Downtown Line (DTL).
The $119.2 million contract builds on a previous order with Bombardier for 73 trains to operate on the 42 km line, connecting Bukit Panjang through the Central Business District area to Expo.


http://www.rail.co/2013/03/28/new-train-order-for-singapores-downtown-line/

That is to say, the train cost $ 8 million. Its not too expensive. The S$ 6 billion price tag for F35 squadron can buy us 750 trains.

The signalling system would probably not cost as much. And train signalling could be done manually, by human. Its a simple semaphore, not too complicated.

Right now, I am not too sure if we can increase the speed of our metro further without discomfort. According to wiki, its running at 85km/h. (really?) If that is the case I think 110 km/h could be the maximum speed without causing too much noise.

vetrafurniture said...

Thanks...........Moving companies Singapore

Anonymous said...

It is damn stressful just to get onto a train.

No wonder bizness at Institute Of Mental Health is damn good and long queue too to seek solution for stress related problems.

How to remain sane in Sin?

Anonymous said...

Just like firing bullets, all they need to do is to buy more trains and fire them more frequently, within two min intervals for example. No need $6b or rocket science to do that lah. Trains everywhere in mega cities are stressful tools of transportation. Fortunately, in sg, they ban the chewing gums.

Anonymous said...

@ April 23, 2013 10:28 am
// So easy to earn a billion dollar? How many train trips to earn this amount? ///

--Not difficult as all especially with a population of 5m. Everyone just need to pay $200. Easily paid by all the tourists who used sg as a stopover.

Veritas said...

I think we need to have cyclist track. We need to encourage Singaporeans to cycle.

You go Germany, everywhere got cyclist track, unless you go to small lorong.

Now Shanghai is building cyclist track also. We are a first world country. No cyclist track.

Anonymous said...

Yah lor!

So simple and yet the many ex-army generals in SMRT do not even know it.

What a failure!

Anonymous said...

When the lives of lesser mortals are worth nothing and ranked lower than rich foreigners who can afford private transport, what does it matter with courting the danger of trains arriving at more frequent intervals?

So long as those planning it does not have to travel on those trains, no problem!