IT project manager Kumarakurubaran, 41, was among those who rode on the brand-new SMRT train sporting its orange, red and black livery after it left Bishan depot yesterday at about 8.30am.

It is the first of 57 new trains that will eventually be added to the ageing North-South and East-West lines by 2019.

They will be fitted with a new signalling system and LCD display boards showing information such as the upcoming stops on the line, a list of nearby attractions and their closest exits, and safety messages.

Mr Kumarakurubaran, who boarded at the Yishun MRT station, described the new LCD displays as more user-friendly.

The new train comes with clearer markings for wheelchair areas located in the two middle cars.

All-day tests for the new signalling system, which will allow trains to run 100 seconds apart instead of the present 120 seconds, will be carried out on Sundays, the first of which also began yesterday.

The Sunday tests, expected to last for two months, will replace weekday tests, which began on March 28 during the last hour of service and ended last Thursday.

During the weekday tests, train services were paused for 10 minutes to allow the switchover to the new system.

But in the next stage of tests, the trains will run on the new signalling system from the start of service on Sundays.

The all-day test had wrapped up smoothly yesterday.

The results of the trial will help to determine when the new system will be fully implemented.

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Take a ride on the new train: http://str.sg/4XtH