It’s got to happen some day. The trains are going to break down.
This is probably one of the only ways to know, officially, of any train service delays other than being at the train station.
This was about the only indication that something was wrong OUTSIDE the fare gantries. Unsuspecting commuters would have been caught unaware.
I was curious. What contingencies could they have in place to handle such delays? Turns out that there wasn’t much.
The purported free shuttle service “in case of train disruption” didn’t seem to apply, probably because this was a train service delay. It was a matter of terminology I supposed.
Shuttle service? Sorry mate, this is a train service delay. Not a disruption.
So after having failed to board three trains towards Harbourfront I decided to go the other way. I planned to take the line to Serangoon where I could change to the Circle Line and be rid of all this NEL mess. (Look at the System Map. I was travelling from Farrer Park to Labrador Park.) The only problem was that I would have to traverse half the Circle Line and I reasoned that since I was probably going to be spending a very long time standing up in the packed and delayed trains, I might as well do it in relative comfort. So that’s what I did.
What’s the main problem here? The problem is not the delay happening. The crux of the problem lies in the lack of alternative modes of transportation and the lack of preparedness to deal with these kinds of situations. As the train network grows older, breakdowns are going to happen. The fabled smooth running of trains is not going to last forever. Alongside with alleged shoddy business practices and maintenance on the part of a certain train operator, I don’t see how we can expect not to have delays. Unless we are going to be like the Japanese we had better learnt the fuck to deal with it.
When the North East Line first opened, the biggest bus service operator who happened to run the line decided to terminate or alter all the bus services that ply alongside the train line. This is where the lack of alternatives takes its toll during times of service disruptions or delays. There is simply no other way to get to your destination. Taxis are not part of the argument here and they shouldn’t have to be.
Train delays? Tough luck. You only find out about the delay AFTER you get onto the platform.
Unless Singapore want to try and emulate the Japanese (which the operators are not doing that well right now), we should perhaps look elsewhere to improve on the situation. I’m going to look through my London lens and write about how they deal with delays.
Tube delays in London are pretty common. My first tube ride in London was part suspended because they found a body under the train. Not the best form of welcome for a newcomer.
Some information on a website, maybe? This is from www.tfl.gov.uk
Perhaps an information board on train service status at the station? Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51282757@N05/5846504003/
Secondly, we need those bus services back. London underground has such an extensive network that there is more than one way to get to a destination. If you add in the bus services, the number grows peachier. Yes you’ve got to take longer to get to your destination or you’d have to change more but you’d get there in the end anyway! Singapore doesn’t have the spatial or temporal luxury to have built up such an extensive network and thus we need those buses!
Finally, be nice and allow people’s tickets to be accepted on any other bus services to get to their destination, that is if the bus services actually return.
I was frustrated with the whole situation not because the train broke down –I’m sure they’ve tried their best and shit does hit the fan — it lies in the fact that even after having breakdowns happen before, they are still not able to handle it properly. They can try to prevent such incidents from happening but I don’t see how Singapore can emulate the, perhaps, hedonistic perfection of the Japanese any time soon. So please, have some better contingency handling in place. And let people know! Deal with it!
My very awesome roundabout journey. Too bad the trains were underground and so I couldn’t say I took the scenic route.
P.S.: I hope readers go away with this conclusion: I did not, for once, write that London has a better metro system than Singapore — I wrote that London is better prepared for screwups. I think that Singapore has, apart from probably the Japanese, one of the best metro systems in the world. It’s unfortunate that the people who run the network still have this idea that screwups are not going to happen. It has happened before, again and again. Prepare for it, rather than to deny its possibility.
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MILF
August 17, 2012 at 06:02 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
The problem is that the management in Singapore thinks that if you are prepared for scew-ups, then you are incompetent. But when screw-ups do happen, they blame everything but themselves. Welcome to GLC!
OldMan
August 17, 2012 at 06:10 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
You hit the nail on the head. I was taking the NE Line too this morning and there was no indication that there was a delay until I boarded the train … and the train did not move. Then came the announcement that the opposite line train will be delayed. Then the announcements that the line on my side will be delayed. Then came the announcements that the train will be delayed 10min, then 15 mins, then 20 mins. Finally, there was an announcement that all trains will be delayed by 20 mins, at which point, three passengers in my cabin left in a huff presumably to find alternative transportation. Two seconds later, the train doors closed and the train began to move. I think the three passengers who left because of the last announcement that all trains will be delayed 20 minutes must be cursing and swearing. All this time, I was thinking about alternatives to get to my destination and I realized I don’t have the alternative to go by bus and taking a taxi was my best alternative.
henry
August 17, 2012 at 07:10 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Soft skills has never been the forte of technocrats.
Information for consumers is regarded as useless, since it does not contribute to KPI.
There not one single GLC or Large company here that has a KPI on customer satisfaction. All focus
on ROI and ROE and EVA.. if there is a KPI, its proportion is less than 5%.
Welcome to Singapore Inc.
Ali Baba
August 17, 2012 at 11:23 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Hi Yong Wen, this is what I have always believe that in Singapore, the mentality is when there’s a problem, be it MRT, or something else – it is always top to down before one can see any action to solve whatever the problem maybe. Everybody is waiting for everybody before one can see things in motion. It is just like A > B > C > D >on and on until > X > Y > Z and only then, you will see some action. Why? simply because nobody want to take the responsibility of being “kay kiang” or not my department in charge yet. I am sure you have witness how, when you need certain information and you’re being referred from department to department, or I call the office already and no respond, the handphone also off…let me try again…same old story…Sorry Sir, cannot help you. Might as well get used to it.
Welcome to the island of plenty…plenty of… you wait for me and I wait for you or “plenty” of department…this is not my department, another department or another higher department can decide. In the meantime, find an alternative or just wait for the rain to come or watch the beautiful clouds in the sky, it better than waiting for some respond from the relevant department for action.
SQ
August 17, 2012 at 12:29 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Always interesting to read your posts.
You’re right, shit happens. They need to be prepared and have contingency plans rather than behaving like an ostrich.
Where I’m now (Sydney, AU), trains still run pretty much ok, even though the lines are much older than Singapore’s. The difference is they bother to make scheduled maintenance.
These maintenance are carried out during the weekends to avoid the weekday working crowds, and alternative transportation are always arranged for the weekend train riders so they can still get to their destinations. Dates of the expected disruptions are also posted several days in huge signs at affected stations so transmuters can opt to make alternative plans for those dates.
Yong Wen
August 17, 2012 at 16:33 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Same thing in London. They do that as well. Maybe Singapore should have something like this in place.
Heex
August 17, 2012 at 18:54 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Hi there!
After almost 2 months in a country that is derided by most Singaporeans as being more backward, more underdeveloped… I’m actually pretty impressed with Beijing’s metro system!
First, it’s not perfect – the trains are super packed during peak hours, but Beijing has a population of 17 million, people can afford cars but they can’t get cars (because of a balloting system and a system that only allows certain car license end-digits to go on the roads on certain days), taxi drivers don’t know the way well because the city is 25 times the size of Singapore… so almost everyone in Beijing loves/has to ride the metro. And of course, there is scant regard for personal space as people just boarding as the door is about to close, will just throw themselves into the train cabin as Asians have a knack of wanting to squeeze with more Asians haha.
But I’m really impressed with the frequency and reliability of the trains, especially during peak hours. Trains come every 2-3 minutes (or even less, they don’t even have display panels telling you when is the next train at the station near my place), I have not experienced a single train delay or a train breakdown. Even if the station is very crowded, you can be assured that the next train is just a few minutes away so all you need to do is to just wait patiently.
I think one of the biggest issues with our system is the maintenance issue – the NEL can be considered new compared to what you see in European cities and signalling problems that keep popping up shouldn’t be appearing, because signalling problems are not subject to wear and tear, pointing to a more systemic problem instead. Perhaps in their pursuit for kiasu-ness and being cheapo, SMRT and SBS might have actually purchased systems, trains, rails, rail claws, cable ties that are not the best? And given the light slap on the wrists that these corporations are getting, they probably think it’s fine to settle for less, inconvenience the public and just pay some iffy fines.
The Beijing trains look old and rugged and their volatile weather probably does worse for the maintenance of the tracks and trains. But given the stability and consistency of the service that I’ve seen so far, in these aspect they are at least doing slightly better than SMRT/SBS.
P.S. One last point, perhaps the stability and consistency seen in Beijing is due to the metro company being a state-owned entity (I’m not sure)? The privatization of our public transport services simply isn’t meeting the mark – more government intervention is needed.
octopi
August 20, 2012 at 08:56 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
I looked at your roundabout journey. It is very unfortunate. There is a straight bus between Farrer Park and Harbourfront, and it’s 131.
Yong Wen
August 21, 2012 at 13:44 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
I’ve already tapped in. I wanted to experience just how bad it was, for comparison sakes. Conclusion: it was bad.
Daily SG: 17 Aug 2012 | The Singapore Daily
August 17, 2012 at 05:54 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
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