Forum: Range of indicators used to track MRT reliability
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
We refer to the Straits Times commentary “Is there a better, more holistic way to track the health of Singapore’s MRT system?” (Nov 27) and thank transport correspondent Kok Yufeng for his suggestions.
The Mean Kilometres Between Failure (MKBF) is an internationally recognised indicator to provide an objective measure of rail network service reliability. It is a useful target for the tripartite partners in the One Transport Family to collectively focus on and benchmark ourselves against other jurisdictions.
Singapore’s MKBF target of 1 million train-km places our MRT among the most reliable metro systems in the world. As of end-November 2024, the overall MKBF for our MRT network has improved to 2.2 million train-km, up from 1.8 million train-km at end-September and 1.9 million train-km at end-October. The MKBF for all MRT lines has remained above 1 million train-km since 2019. Besides MKBF, we also track other indicators such as the number of serious delays over 30 minutes.
We agree with Mr Kok that it is important to track a range of indicators beyond rail reliability. The Public Transport Council (PTC) regularly conducts surveys and focus group discussions to understand commuters’ travel experiences and concerns.
In 2023, the Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey indicated a mean satisfaction score of 7.8 (out of 10) for public transport, with train reliability scoring 8.2 (out of 10). These results have remained stable since 2019.
PTC is reviewing the format of its surveys to gather feedback from stakeholders on how we can further enhance service levels and commuter experience.
Yeo Teck Guan
Senior Group Director, Public Transport
Land Transport Authority
Patricia Tan
Director of Transformation and Research Analytics
Public Transport Council
