PUBLIC transport commuters can look forward to more breathing space onboard trains during rush hours from Friday, when SMRT Corp rolls out an extra 112 train trips per week.

It will be the fourth increase in number of trips SMRT has made since February, bringing the total number of weekly trips added in eight months to 895.

This translates to an 11 per cent increase in number of trips - timely, given the surge in public transport ridership, especially on trains.

In the first quarter of this year, the average daily number of train and bus rides in Singapore hit 1.7 million and 3.08 million respectively. This was 10.5 and 5.2 per cent higher than in the same period last year.

In July alone, SMRT train ridership jumped 8.7 per cent to 44.9 million, or 1.45 million a day.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.