SINGAPORE - The first train with LCD display boards began running on the North-South Line on Sunday (April 16) morning.
It is the first of 57 additional new trains which will eventually run on the North-South and East-West Lines. They will be fitted with the new signalling system and will be the first to feature LCD display boards showing the upcoming stops on the line, the locations of exits at the next station, nearby attractions, as well as safety messages.
There are clearer markings for wheelchair areas located in the two middle cars, and the trains also use energy-saving LED lights, instead of the current fluorescent ones.
All-day trials for the new signalling system will be carried out on Sundays from April 16. The tests - which are expected to last two months - will replace the trials on weekdays, which began on March 28.
Train operator SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had said that passengers should not feel any difference in their journeys during the tests.
The new signalling system will allow trains to run 100 seconds apart instead of the 120 seconds of the existing fixed-block signalling system.
Student Xavier Ang, 14, likes the look of the new LCD displays - which include information about landmarks at stations and which MRT exits need to be taken to get there.
"It's very helpful for commuters because they will know which exit they need to take."
