>LONDON, Tokyo and New York are highly liveable environments defined by rail commutes, not by the car and not much by the bus even. It is pleasing to know that Singapore's rail coverage and network density will, by around 2020, have grown to levels that will match those of London and New York and exceed Tokyo's. There will be a doubling in the rail network, from 140km to 280km. In practical terms, this says that most Singaporeans can expect to be able to move about efficiently for their daily business, at modest cost and at little polluting damage to the environment. These are the Transport Ministry's reckonings. It is still an imponderable whether Singaporeans will, like those cities' sensible inhabitants, surrender the use of their cars for the convenience of using public transport. The transport policy direction is clear and it is correct. What is to be determined is whether the extent of the network planning and the daily running of rail services by the operators will meet requirements so well that taking the train becomes not an option but the most natural thing to do. However, unlike in conurbations such as Tokyo, the bus network in Singapore will have to be integrated more tightly with rail, both as a complement and an alternative.
The state will be investing about $40 billion all told on existing extension works, like the Circle and Downtown lines, and new lines to link up remoter points of the island, such as Tuas and Woodlands. There will be more interchanges for passengers to make connections and reduce travel times. If the expansion programme released yesterday is not thrown off schedule by budget or other unforeseen reasons, there is a fair chance the MRT can over time be established as the unrivalled mode of transport. The decision to start phased operations on the Circle Line next year, a year sooner, is part recognition of the need to get the public on the side of rail.
There are other enabling factors to consider. The smooth movement of commuters from rail stations to bus interchanges and taxi stands and vice versa, and between stations and commercial buildings, can be better planned. Raffles Place station is an example of underground links that connect to all main buildings; Orchard is not. Woodlands and Toa Payoh stand out for bus-rail connectivity. Design of new lines should have these features, whereas existing stations should where feasible have link connections built. Another factor is to anticipate demand in accordance with the national development plan and the growth of new population centres. For illustration, is it feasible to build above-ground tracks through the vast empty tract of Yio Chu Kang-Yishun and Upper Bukit Timah before full-scale development challenges budgets and design flexibility?
