SINGAPORE – Works to upgrade in-train displays are being carried out on Downtown Line (DTL) trains, with the first refurbished train entering passenger service on July 3.
The DTL trains are the latest to be retrofitted with dynamic LCD screens, following the ongoing midlife upgrade of 25 North East Line trains.
The same LCD screens have been installed on newer trains serving the North-South and East-West lines, all 91 Thomson-East Coast Line trains, and 44 Cross Island Line trains that will be delivered from 2027.
The upgraded screens display station arrival information together with the route map, and indicate which side the train doors will open.
Replacement of the existing static route maps will involve the changing of screens and updating of the corresponding train sub-systems, said the Land Transport Authority.
It said all 92 DTL trains will be fitted with the new LCD screens by 2025, when the 2.2km-long DTL 3 extension comprising Xilin and Sungei Bedok stations will open. Hume station, which will be between Hillview and Beauty World stations, is also slated for completion that year.
Commuters have welcomed the display upgrades for their improved readability compared with the previous static displays.
Student Kadrian Wong, 22, said the new screens have significantly bigger fonts which “can be seen, even from the seats”, and also include text in different languages.
He said commuters standing farther away from the train doors may have difficulty reading the older displays, so these upgraded screens are more user-friendly.
Mr Kailaash Bahadur Gurung, a 19-year-old student, said he likes how the new screens clearly highlight the train’s travel direction and final destination.
Facility manager Ernest See, 35, said there is “no blind spot” for the new displays, which makes it a better experience for commuters.
He suggested that more information, such as directions to escalators, lifts, gantries and exits for the upcoming station, and nearby amenities, also be displayed.
“Such additional information will make the screens more useful for tourists and commuters going to the area,” he said.
Process executive Gabby Lam, 33, suggested that the screens have less frequent transitions so that the displays remain for more than 10 seconds, as it is currently inconvenient for commuters who want to view the complete route map.
Ms Lam added: “The new screens may benefit people who can read English, as the increased font size applies only to the English text.”
