TRAIN commuters will know which door is opening and which stop they are heading to with a new real-time map system to be rolled out by SMRT.

The map panels are similar to that on Hong Kong trains.

Each train stop is lit with the approaching station in red and the rest of the upcoming stops in green.

Lighted signs next to the map will show which train door is opening.

Housewife Ms Chua Swee Yeow, 40, said the new signboards were especially useful during peak hours when it was too crowded to see the station name on the platform.

'Also sometimes you don't know which side the door will open and you don't want to sound stupid and ask someone. So you stand in the centre and keep your eyes on both doors,' she said.

Other passengers said it was useful for the elderly or for times when they take naps and wake up not knowing what station they are at.

SMRT will also install digital signboards in the middle of all carriages.

These rectangular boards will flash the train station name and which side the doors are opening in different languages.

Announcements, which are currently made, will continue as usual.

One train is fitted with the new system and after a two month pilot, it will be rolled out to all trains by mid-2010.

Fitting each train will cost the operator $120,000 and a total of $12.7 million for its 106 trains.

The cost will not be passed on to commuters, said SMRT.