SINGAPORE – Do not be surprised if you hear a new melody the next time you are at a train station or travelling on a train.

The new chimes, based on familiar local tunes, are played only within selected trains and on some MRT station platforms when trains arrive and depart on the North-South Line, East-West Line and Circle Line.

They are longer and sound similar to a jingle, compared with the usual one.

It is SMRT’s latest move to enhance the travelling experience of commuters, especially the visually impaired.

The pilot initiative, introduced on Oct 29, will run for three months.

SMRT president Lam Sheau Kai said: “To enhance the travelling experience of commuters, especially those who are visually impaired, we partnered The Teng Company, a not-for-profit Singapore arts company, to produce these melodic chimes.”

TikTok user @adiel_rusyaidi managed to capture the new melodies in a video on Monday, and several other users likened the sounds to those played in trains in other countries.

A user commented: “I just came back from Osaka. This (sounds) so Japanese. I love this small touch by SMRT. Well done!”

Another said the tunes should be played at every station, just like on the Yamanote Line in central Tokyo.

Dr Samuel Wong, creative director of The Teng Company, said that a lot of thought had gone into the research process for the tunes, and although the length of the tunes was modelled after those in Japan, the chimes were fully inspired by three local folk songs.

In a LinkedIn post, Dr Wong said: “To foster a stronger multiracial identity, three tunes were chosen as inspiration for the station chimes that are played on the platform.

“The chimes were composed or arranged from these three sources. They are: the Chinese children’s ditty San Lun Che (The Trishaw), the Malay folk song Chan Mali Chan, and Singai Naadu, the Tamil National Day work composed and arranged by Shabir Sulthan.”

Those who are interested in hearing the new sounds can do so at the following MRT stations and in trains where the trial has been implemented:

Stations only

• Orchard, Somerset, Dhoby Ghaut (North-South Line)

Stations and trains

• Tanah Merah, Expo, Changi Airport (East-West Line)
• Bayfront, Promenade, Nicoll Highway, Stadium (Circle Line)