Singapore MRT

The Singapore MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) metro is impressive. Several points stand out.

The system is closed. We left the ship through an enclosed gateway (like you use in an airport) that we followed to the cruise terminal. The cruise terminal is connected to a shopping mall. We walked through the mall directly to the metro station. We went from the ship to the metro without leaving an air conditioned environment. Civilized!  

The stations downtown are also directly connected to adjacent buildings through a network of tunnels and walkways. 

Entering and exiting the cars has rules. The car doors open behind doors fixed on the platforms. Arrows indicate who should move where. Green arrows for those exiting the cars. Red arrows for those queuing to enter a car. 

The cars are spotless.  All surfaces are made to clean easily, including the hard plastic seats. 

Rules are posted everywhere. You get the idea pretty quickly. 

My absolute highlight was “Communities in Station”, a piano that is free for all to use while waiting. Seems to work in this rule driven society. 

Also of note: paying at the turnstiles is done with “Tap on, tap off”, using a credit card or mobile phone. The system was quick. With practice, I was soon walking through the turnstile without breaking stride! Multiple trips in a day are summed up into a single credit card charge for the day.