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https://www.stomp.sg/singapore-seen/woman-hurls-vulgarities-man-during-argument-train-calls-him-stupid-old-dude Woman argues with commuter over her touching his leg, hurls vulgarities and calls him 'stupid old dude' A man and a woman sitting beside each other in the corner seat on the MRT train got into a fierce argument, where the woman did not hold back her language. A Stomper shared a video of the incident on April 25 at 2.37pm, though it is unclear what transpired before the video was taken. But the woman seemed to be angry at the man for accusing her of touching his leg with her foot as well as littering on the MRT platform. In the first clip, she insulted him: "Stupid old f***ing dude. I'm not even touching you. P***y." In the longer clip, while waving her finger at the man, she said: "I don't even touch you." He replied: "I did not see it. I did not see it." The woman continued to scold the man loudly: "So next time you pick up the rubbish in public, so that you don't become a f***ing b***h to the public and somebody else has to pick up after you in public. An adult knows how to pick up after themselves." He rebutted: "Good people don't speak the way you speak." She responded: "Then you don't shout at me for doing this, when I didn't even touch you. "You're the one that threw the rubbish on the platform. OK? So shut the f*** up. So don't make other people pick up your rubbish because all these workers are suffering and jobs are like s***." Defending himself, the man said: "I didn't see it. I didn't see it. You understand? I didn't see it." The two went back and forth until eventually, the woman revealed the supposed reason for their argument. "You just shouted at me for this and I'm not even touching you," she said, pointing to her crossed legs. The man responded: "Most people don't sit this way." She pointed down the carriage and shouted: "Most people don't sit this way? Let me go down the entire f***ing train and see who's crossing your f***ing legs." Getting up from his seat, he said: "Go ahead." She told him: "I'm not going to go. You go." As the man exited the train, the woman clapped and cheered. She said: "Get out of the f***ing train, loser. F***ing rubbish. Never even pick up. You're f***ing balding b***h. Get out." The man reiterated that he "didn't see it." Having the last word, she told him, "You didn't see it? Everybody f***ing saw it. Get the f*** out. You pick up your f***ing rubbish up for yourself. B***h." The video ends with the man leaving the carriage and the woman going on her phone.

The last few years I have been planning driving trips to USA and Australia, quite hectic and taking alot of efforts to put together. So this coming year decided to take a breather before another epic USA trip in 2026. Then out of nowhere, this short clip popped out and piques my interest: I took some efforts to find out more about this train to Lhasa. In brief, the train departs from Xining spanning 2000km and taking about 21.5hrs, costing about RMB800 per way for 4-berth soft-sleeper. However as you need to apply for permit to enter Tibet, best let the tour company assist to book both the train tickets and Tibet permit for you. But I found out that there are also other train packages that can take you from major cities such as ChongQing, Beijing, Shanghai, Guan Zhou, etc, etc, with Xining to Lhasa as the core component of the trip. So my intention is to fly to either Beijing or Guang Zhou to take the train rides to Lhasa, spent a few nights in Lhasa, then take the scenic train back to the city and spend a few days jalan around before flying back to Singapore. Currently I am thinking of Guang Zhou with 53hrs train time haha. https://www.tibettravel.org/tibet-train/xining-to-lhasa-train.html And there are also other train rides in China that are very scenic, taking passengers through beautiful terrains, which I am also considering with one departing from Fuzhou heading to Hefei with stops at Huang Shan.. As never recall anyone here sharing on such trips, I would like to ask around if anyone here has embarked on such trips before? I have come across many Youtube videos and experience seems quite positive. And would be good also if you feel motivated to take on such rides haha. Feel free to contribute. I would not be moderating, just putting out awareness that such trips are easy to put up and embark. If I were to go on such trip by end of the year, I am sure to do some sharing. This is another video from Beijing to Lhasa with some mention about high altitude sickness and that the trains provide such facility:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Transportation/Indonesia-presents-China-made-high-speed-train-cars?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20221004123000&seq_num=5&si=44594 Indonesia presents China-made high-speed train cars Railway to connect Jakarta with Bandung; operations to start in June 2023 A total of 12 sets of eight-car trains, approximately 200 meters in length each, will be delivered in the future. KOYA JIBIKI, Nikkei staff writerOctober 3, 2022 21:48 JST JAKARTA -- Indonesia has presented in public the cars of the country's first high-speed train connecting the capital Jakarta with Bandung, a major city in West Java, with commercial operations expected to start in June 2023. The cars, presented to the media on Saturday, were manufactured by a company under China's state-owned train manufacturer CRRC. The covers on the cars were not removed throughout the event. The cars arrived at the port of Tanjung Priok in Jakarta in early September. A total of 12 sets of eight-car trains, approximately 200 meters in length each, will be delivered in the future, including those for inspection According to Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), an Indonesia-China joint venture for the high-speed rail project, the cars consist of VIP seats, first- and second-class seats, and a dining car. With a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the new railway connects Jakarta and Bandung, a distance of about 142 km apart, in as little as 35 minutes, compared to 3.5 hours by the existing railway. There is a plan for Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Chinese President Xi Jinping to take a ride together for a test operation of the new railway in November. Xi is scheduled to attend the Group of Twenty (G-20) Summit in Bali the same month, which Indonesia will chair. Initially, Japan was considered a strong contender to win the order for Indonesia's high-speed railway project. However, Widodo adopted the Chinese proposal on condition that China would not require Indonesia to bear any financial burden. Nevertheless, the completion of the project has been pushed back from the original target of 2018 due to delays in land expropriation and the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction is approximately 90% complete, and the railway is expected to open in June 2023. The total construction cost exceeds the initial estimate of $5.5 billion. In October 2021, the Indonesian government reversed its previous plan and decided to invest government funds. The parliament is scrutinizing the amount of money needed.

119 killed !!

Poor folks, hope those alive get rescued. they are in deformed train carriages stuck inside the tunnel. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/taiwan-train-carrying-350-people-derails-truck-rescue-tunnel-14543694

Ever seen one of these foldable bicycles? The guy below probably has not. Now, this might not be very useful information (because it is not allowed) but apparently, our local train's railing can support a non-foldable bicycle. We thought it is an ingenious way to park or store one away. For those who are wondering what on earth is happening, below is an extract replicated from SMRT... "Some of you may have come across a video that is circulating online about a commuter with a bicycle on board a train. At around 7.10pm on 15 Dec, an SMRT staff tried to stop a male commuter with a non-foldable bicycle from entering the train at Woodlands station. The male commuter was uncooperative and forced his way into a north-bound train. The commuter subsequently transferred to a west-bound train at Jurong East station and exited at Pioneer station at about 7.50pm. We have since identified the commuter and made a police report. For the safety and comfort of all commuters, we would like to remind everyone to observe regulations when bringing foldable bicycles and personal mobility devices on board trains and buses." Check out what netizens have to say about this guy who flouted the law...

Hi there Anyone has experience booking online the KTMB train shuttle from Woodlands to JB Sentral (opposite City Square) ? I wanna book early online to bring kids in... If book online we can board with e-ticket ? There seems to be a few websites but which one is most reliable, thanks.

Japan have the safest rail record does not mean accident will not happen. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/japan-yokohama-train-truck-collision-accident-people-injured-11875426

TAIPEI: At least 17 people were dead and 126 others injured after a train derailed on Taiwan's east coast on Sunday afternoon (Oct 21), authorities said. The train, Puyuma Express 6432, was travelling from Taitung and derailed near Yilan county near the coast, on a railway popular among tourists. "As of 6.30pm there are 17 dead on site and 126 people injured," the Taiwan Railways Administration said in a statement, adding that the train had been moving between two stations in Yilan County before the derailment occurred. Taiwan's central government said that rescue services were at the scene and that the premier had been notified and was highly concerned over the safety of the travelers. At least six compartments of the train overturned, said Taiwan Railways Administration, according to Apple Daily. Taiwan's Central News Agency reported that more than 30 people were still trapped in the train early on Sunday evening. Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/taiwan-train-derail-yilan-accident-10849598

Guys, I have a problem here...... my current Indo maid who has followed me for 4 years wants to go home. Great maid, no complaints, only compliments we employed a Myanmar maid and she is currently understudying the Indo maid. Problem: Myanmar maid Cons: really cannot speak english.....real comms issue here.....not quite intelligent so not much cmmon sense power Myanmar maid Pros: very hard working, willing to learn, New Indo maid Pros: Ah Ma can speak a bit of Malay so solve the comms issue New Indo maid Cons: take a risk on the character part Should we train the Myanmar maid to speak English by giving intensive English lessons, maybe in DVD form or Should we go get an Indo maid?

No vampires or zombies, but plenty of sun, sand, and sea... And food galore too.. Being a seaside place, you can expect good seafood, but I also saw a few type of food that I have never seen before.. This one left the greatest impression! Looks like... well I will let you guys use your imaginations Of course, there's more regular stuff..

NSL between AMK and Marina South Pier.

Something interesting to share. Entering or remaining in a fully packed train is an offence that is liable to $500 fine. Source: http://vulcanpost.com/4451/netizen-calls-smrt-a-retard-you-will-be-fined-for-entering-or-remaining-in-a-full-train/

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/lta--smrt-form-te...isruptions.html LTA, SMRT form team to help minimise train disruptions The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and beleaguered train operator SMRT have assembled a team of rail experts to look into the recent string of MRT disruptions over the past week and explore ways to minimise such incidents. According to The Straits Times, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said on Saturday that the disruptions were

4.6% REDUCTION IN BUS & TRAIN FARES FROM 1 APRIL 2009

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=853390721346302&set=vb.100000261468433&type=2&theater

France Train Shooting - First Video Immediately After Gunman Tackled First footage emerging from the Paris Train Shooting, France. 21/08/2015. See the SECOND video taken on board the train at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=03c_1440223970 Description of Events from the US Armed Forces involved in the Incident Members of the Oregon National Guard and Air Force on some R&R in Europe. Terrorist on train with an AK, pistol, and knife. He exited the toilet with AK at the ready and tried to load and fire off his first clip, tried to load again and dropped the clip/AK. Assailant was rushed by Armed Service persons, he raised AK and tried to fire. He then dropped the AK and reached for pistol which is dislodged from hand. A knife is then pulled and one of the Armed Forces personnel receives injuries to face, neck and almost hand (almost severed finger). The AK is now in the hands of other Armed Forces member who quickly loaded clip and pointed at terrorist to shoot, but was jammed/misfired, so instead the buttstock of the AK is put to the head of the terrorist and he is secured to ground. At time of video, looking for the pistol. News Report At least three people have been injured after a man, reportedly armed with a Kalashninov rifle, opened fire on a Thalys high-speed train between Amsterdam and Paris on Friday. The attacker was apprehended by two soldiers traveling on the same train, according to local media.The shooting occurred near the town of Arras in northern France around 6:00pm local time (4:00pm GMT). The attacker has been detained by the police. According to La Voix du Nord, a US and British soldiers apprehended the attacker after hearing the noise of a machine gun being loaded in the toilet. One of the soldiers was shot, while the other was stabbed in the struggle with the gunman. The third injured person is reportedly French actor Jean-Hugues. The 60-year-old has starred in over 30 movies, including international hits Killing Zoe, Betty Blue and Nikita. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaRCs9cP3G4

Even a blardy SWEET!!!!!

Life is too stress everywhere. . http://www.channelnewsasia.com/mobile/asiapacific/two-feared-dead-in-japan/1949976.html

女郎晚上下班后搭地铁，坐在疑被人放置腐蚀性液体的座位，臀部被烧焦入院。 事发时，女郎在莱佛士坊转换地铁，一上车看到有空位就坐了上去。谁知坐下后，就感觉裤子湿湿的，发现座位上有液体，以为是水，也不以为意，换到对面的另一个座位。 不到一分钟，她的臀部突然传来阵阵的灼热感，原本打算在政府大厦下车，但想早点回家，决定忍一忍。 岂料到了多美歌地铁站，臀部的灼热感变成刺痛，她再也忍不住，马上下车到女厕查看，骇然发现右臀

PREVENTION is considered the best approach to modern healthcare. Instead of treating a health issue when it occurs, it is more effective to prevent it from occurring in the first place. The same goes for our rail network. To maintain the health of this vital service, it is important for the operators, Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) and SBS Transit, to take on the role of doctor by checking the network's pulse and reacting swiftly if it misses a beat. Singapore has grappled with disruptions to train services in recent months, including a delay on the North-South Line in January that affected some 19,000 commuters during the peak-hour rush. With an expanding yet aging network that now carries more than 2.5 million passengers a day, it is even more important to undertake regular health checks. SMRT and SBS do undertake regular rail infrastructure upgrades, although often as a result of deterioration and service disruptions. Earlier this year, 120km of the Circle Line's power cables were replaced following power outages in 2011 and 2012. In February 2013, 1,600 U-bolts holding up the North-East Line's power lines were also swapped after corrosion resulted in disruptions in early and mid-2012 and early 2013. But it is encouraging to see that operators are starting to proactively monitor the network's pulse to detect issues before they arise. Implementing a Big Analog Data™ system - which enables physical data such as train speed, vibration and heat levels to be remotely collected, analysed and converted into digital data - will allow operators to identify and fix issues before they even occur. The cost savings from such adaptive learning techniques will also be much more significant compared to post-breakdown maintenance. Plans are in place to upgrade the network to develop a fully integrated, multifunctional monitoring system, which will enable early detection of issues and reduce the risk of outages, with some trains on the North-South and East-West lines already equipped to collect real-time measurements and statistics and identify problems as they run. Real-time data detection devices could greatly support network functionality and maintenance as part of a broader system covering all lines, but like preventative measures to improve personal health will take time to implement and take effect. Issue-specific monitoring In France, the Régie Autonome de Transports Parisiens (RATP) recently renewed its maintenance monitoring process. RATP operates the city metro and the regional express network (RER) which transport around three billion passengers a year, making it one of the most widely used public transport networks in the world. One of the key issues facing the RATP is rail movement, with environmental factors such as changes in temperature impacting the position of the rails. This means that RATP needs to constantly monitor rail position, a cumbersome process which was carried out manually until 2011. Three years later Railshift, a completely autonomous system for acquiring, processing, analysing and reporting data was implemented on a segment of the RER to monitor rail movement. Twelve measuring stations were set up to capture rail positions and monitor movement, using image processing and analytical technology. Track position measurements are analysed and e-mail alerts are distributed when a critical threshold is reached, enabling service crews to attend to issues before they become larger problems that could disrupt services. Automating track position reading has not only made data analysis more regular, but has also made the process safer for operators, as manual interaction with the track is no longer required, particularly when the trains are running. Image processing is also available through the application to take instantaneous measurements of larger areas of infrastructure, saving time and money. The implementation of the measuring stations has proved to be so successful that RATP has planned to install another eight new measuring stations. Holistic condition monitoring Another example of the benefits of using integrated remote access monitoring systems is in Holland where VolkerRail carries out maintenance work across the country's rail network, during which it is required to maintain a minimum railway operating time, or face hefty fines. To deliver the required up-time, VolkerRail installed an online condition monitoring system at the most critical points across the network, including tracks and level crossings. The system has now been running for over two years. A server stores all the data in a database. On this server, queries run constantly to detect event failure patterns, show trends and send text message alarms to surveillance teams. By taking multiple measurements and monitoring them over time, VolkerRail is able to track the current "health" of the infrastructure. Automatic analysis of trends enables VolkerRail to detect potential problems and have the maintenance crew attend to them before they cause service disruptions. Being able to pinpoint the location and time an issue occurs also help in ascertaining the likely cause, decreasing downtime during repair. Within a year, more than 200 complex monitoring systems were installed across Holland's rail network to track the status of rail infrastructure. Singapore's rail network will continue to expand in line with the Land Transport Authority's plan to double the length of the national rail network to 360kms by 2030. We simply cannot miss the train when it comes to service reliability and commuter safety. With proactive planning and investment in equipment that allow SMRT and SBS to monitor its pulse, we too can have a fully integrated, real-time monitoring system to help keep the network's health on track. -- PHOTO: BLOOMBERG by Chandran Nair The writer is managing director, South-east Asia, National Instruments. Since 1976, National Instruments (www.ni.com) has equipped engineers and scientists with tools that accelerate productivity, innovation and discovery

EXCITEMENT is high over the proposed Malaysia-Singapore high- speed railway (HSR). But first, significant hurdles need to be overcome. The two countries must decide on pressing fundamentals. These include the ownership, financing and operating models, as well as the project structure. Then come decisions such as route alignment, number and location of stations along the way, form and location of checkpoint, and finally, location of depot and terminal stations. Terminal stations should ideally be in the two city centres, as it would provide the best accessibility to travellers. But this may not be technically feasible or cost-effective, as both city centres are highly built up. Already, Malaysia has identified Sungai Besi, a location 15km from the Petronas Twin Towers, as a site. That would be about the same distance that Jurong East (a location that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong seems to favour) is from Singapore's Central Business District. If the two terminals are in Sungai Besi and Jurong East, a door-to-door commute by HSR is projected to be 190 minutes - still considerably faster than 255 minutes by air. But these are details to be ironed out further down the line. First and foremost, the two governments must be convinced that an HSR will be equally beneficial to both Singaporeans and Malaysians for generations to come. And they must have the political will to see the project through. Indeed, besides financial capability, it is political will that is powering China's HSR programme. For cross-border projects, it was the political will of the Margaret Thatcher and Francois Mitterrand administrations that paved the way for the London-Paris HSR. If Thatcher and Mitterrand could get the English and French to work together, despite the two countries' legacy of bitter rivalry, there is Hope yet for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR. It is a project the two sides have been mulling for 20 years now. If it gets off the ground, it could potentially form the first leg of a South-east Asian network that links all the way up to China. A look at the history of HSRs across the globe shows that worldwide, they do not seem to have a strong or clear proposition for many countries. Ever since the first line started running in Japan 50 years ago, only 15 other countries have followed suit with their own systems. In comparison, 126 metro systems were built in 50 countries over the same period. But once overcome, the benefits are many. Initial obstacles ONE of the main impediments to HSR projects is cost. And because of the protracted nature of such projects, and their long gestation, cost overruns are also common. For instance, the London-Paris line was projected to cost £1 billion when the two countries agreed to build it in 1986. By the time it was fully opened in 2007, the bill had escalated to £11 billion, according to a report by The Telegraph. Land acquisition and environmental concerns (mainly noise pollution) are two other hurdles to HSR projects. Often, the latter cannot be overcome by going underground because of prohibitive cost. But even if a line does go underground - as in the case of the proposed Tokyo-Nagoya maglev project, through a mountain range - it will still raise the ire of environmentalists. The fringe benefits of an HSR project are not as apparent as those of a metro line, either. Property prices along the line seldom appreciate. In fact, they are liable to do the opposite. Reports by British realtors indicate that home prices near a new line from London to Manchester have already fallen by 40 per cent - even though the first trains are not expected to run till 2026. Yet, whenever a HSR line is finally built, it proves its worth fairly quickly. Faster, green commute HSR provides a fast, smooth, safe and clean commute. In a study of fatalities per billion passenger-km operated, the National Society of French Railways found HSR to be significantly safer than travel by air, road and conventional rail. It is also the greenest. The study found that HSRs in Europe emit only 12g of CO2 per passenger, versus 30g for buses, 115g for cars and 153g for airlines. (France's HSR system supposedly emits only 2.2g of carbon per passenger - because electricity there is largely nuclear.) Train tickets are also generally cheaper than airfares, and often, trains are faster door-to-door than planes. The Chinese example AND there is no better place to witness the rising popularity of HSR than in China, which has the largest HSR network at 10,000km - nearly half of the world's combined network. And it is an impressive network, too. When I took an HSR from Guangzhou to Wuhan in mid-2011, I was surprised by how luxurious it was. The seats and legroom were comparable to Business Class on a premium carrier. And even at 330kmh (this was just before the speed curbs following a fatal accident later in the year), it was as quiet and vibration-free as an A-380 plane. In fact, I found it to be slightly more comfortable than Japan's Shinkansen, and far better than France's TGV. I had commented to China Railway Corp officials how expansive the Guangzhou South train station was (bigger than some international airport terminals), and how sparsely occupied the trains were. But I was assured that both would be filled soon. Indeed, HSR is hot in China today. So much so that airlines are feeling the heat. According to a World Bank report in 2012, within three years of operation, China's HSR had adversely affected domestic airlines. "Some short-distance air services have been completely withdrawn... routes from Zhengzhou to Xian and from Wuhan to Nanjing both survived only a few months after the opening of HSR," it read. Air travel demand between Changsha and Guangzhou, a distance of about 600km, has fallen from about 90,000 passengers a month to 30,000. Airline profits have also plunged, even in cases when actual passenger volume has increased. China Air for instance, posted a 32 per cent drop in earnings last year to 3.26 billion yuan (S$656 million) - despite a 0.4-point improvement in load factor to 80.8 per cent. HSR ridership is still growing, with the state adding more trains and building new lines. According to a forecast reported in The New York Times, China's HSR network will carry more passengers per annum than the 54 million carried by US domestic airliners by this year. The only question mark hanging over China's HSR success story is profitability, and how long it will take to recoup the hundreds of billions in sunk cost. In fact, this was one reason why the World Bank said it was "cautiously optimistic" about the future of HSR in China. But the Chinese do not seem overly concerned. To the government, it is too early to talk about financial payback. Instead, it is pushing ahead with expansion plans, both in terms of increasing the capacity of its current system to cater to growing demand, and expanding the network. Changsha station for instance, will soon have 32 platforms - double today's 16. And it is all of four years old. It is also said to be aiming to build another 15,000km of lines by 2020 - some to join up with lines in neighbouring countries such as Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. China to Singapore by rail? LAST October , Chinese Premier Li Keqiang opened an exhibition in Bangkok with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra promoting a high-speed railway that would link China, Thailand and Singapore. The proposed line would be able to carry passengers from Kunming in China to Singapore in less than 12 hours, reported China Central Television. If this comes about, the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR that PM Lee and his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, aim to build by 2020 may become the first leg of a South-east Asian network. The story does not stop there. Professor Wang Mengshu, a rail expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was quoted in 2010 as saying that China was exploring HSR links all the way to Europe. If so, a traveller here could reach London by rail in under two days. That is, going by today's HSR capabilities. China is working on much higher speeds. It is home to the world's only commercial magnetic-levitation (maglev) system. The 30km line takes passengers from downtown Shanghai to Pudong International Airport (30km) in seven minutes, reaching a top speed of 431kmh. (I took a ride on it in 2005, and it was like flying at ground level.) Japan has conducted test runs of its new maglev trains, reaching close to 500kmh. And China is said to be testing a "Vactrain" - a maglev in an enclosed vacuum tunnel - capable of 1,000kmh. If these come about, one could commute from Singapore to London by train in 15-16 hours (including stops) - faster than a door-to-door commute by air (17-18 hours) today. That is unlikely to happen in the near future. But 400-500kmh trains are conceivable, even without maglev technology. It is therefore wise for builders of new lines to take this into consideration - to ensure that the tracks, power lines and signalling systems are capable of handling such speeds, or can be scaled up to do so. But even before Singapore and Malaysia get to discuss such technical issues, they have to overcome the initial hump: Get over the barriers of high cost and environmental concerns, manage public expectations, and demonstrate clear political will to turn the Malaysia-Singapore HSR from rhetoric into reality.

Between the unfortunate saga of flight MH370 and the recent Grand Prix, Malaysia has been on the radar more than usual lately. And now our neighbour has popped up again, once more related to transportation issues, as Kuala Lumpur is working on a new subway system. Which isn't something we'd normally care about, but this subway just happens to have been designed by BMW. Or one of its divisions, anyway. While BMW makes all manner of automobiles and motorcycles and even has a background in aviation, its subterranean transportation business is handled by DesignworksUSA, a network of design studios that fall under the BMW Group umbrella. The California studio recently designed a refresh for San Francisco's BART trains, and has now turned its focus on the Malaysian capital. The trains penned by BMW DesignworksUSA are based on the Metro Inspiro system engineered by Siemens and will be built in Malaysia by domestic constructor Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd. The 58 driverless, four-car trains feature LED lighting, handicapped access and contrasting-color doors for easy embarking and disembarking. Larger wheels make it ride quieter and after their planned 30-year life-cycle, they'll be 95 percent recyclable. But our favorite part (whether it makes it onto the finished product or not) is the signature BMW racing stripes flanking the stainless steel coachwork... you know, because racing.

Events in recent years have underscored the need for Singapore to ramp up its transport infrastructure, as well as to rejuvenate what has already been built. Overcrowded trains and buses, long and unpredictable waiting times, and glitches in the rail system have been top grouses since as early as 2004. It did not help that Singapore's population grew by more than 30 per cent in the last decade to hit 5.4 million last year. Public transport ridership soared by more than 50 per cent over the same period to 6.36 million trips a day. Meanwhile, two major rail breakdowns in December 2011 brought into sharp focus the need for infrastructural upkeep on the back of fast-rising usage demand. The Government has responded fairly swiftly. But experts say a sustainable solution to managing public transport demand also needs measures such as increasing flexi-work arrangements, telecommuting or decentralised office hubs. On the capacity front, the Government is setting aside an estimated $2 billion to replace ageing parts in all the major rail lines together with rail operators. It is also in the process of rolling out a bus service enhancement programme - likely to cost in excess of $1.1 billion - which will boost fleet size by 20 per cent. And in January last year, it announced a slew of new lines that will grow Singapore's rail network to 360km - double its current length. This is on top of $60 billion of investments in place for ongoing projects such as the Downtown and Thomson lines. In all, transport-related projects may cost more than $150 billion. This is more than 40 per cent of Singapore's total foreign reserves last year, and seven times the 20-year transport infrastructure spending envisioned by a White Paper released in 1996. By any measure, it is a highly ambitious programme. The question is, will it be economically sustainable to go on ramping up capacity this way? This is especially when capacity is often designed to cater to peak demand, which is usually less than two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. Hence such a network tends to be "underutilised" for the rest of the day. Average bus occupation, for instance, is only 20 per cent. Transport experts have thus called for other measures such as promoting flexible working hours and telecommuting. Attempts to stagger working hours were made back in the early 1970s to ease traffic congestion. But the campaign never did gain much traction. According to a study published by the Manpower Ministry in 2001, flexi-time was practised by only 0.3 per cent of all private-sector employees. Telecommuting was even more uncommon, with a participation rate of merely 0.1 per cent. And those who work entirely from home accounted for just 0.01 per cent of employees. While more current figures are not readily available, there are signs that flexi-time is still not widely accepted. Last June, the Transport Ministry launched a year-long free-tra-vel initiative to encourage commuters to travel just before the morning peak, following a Travel Smart initiative rolled out in October 2012 to persuade people to shift their peak-hour travel time by 15 minutes. Response was encouraging initially, with around 9 per cent of peak-hour commuters travelling earlier. But this has since fallen to 6 to 7 per cent. Certainly, the scheme has potential for improvement - perhaps even without additional tax spending (the year-long free tra-vel initiative costs $10 million). In 2004, a study by the UK Strategic Rail Authority found that train overcrowding can be eased substantially by widening the differential between peak and off-peak fares. This means giving off-peak fare discounts or wai-vers, as well as raising peak-pe-riod fares. Not only does this help the operator maintain financial viability, but the shift of peak demand also reduces the financial burden of having to run additional trains during peak hour. Analysts suggest the savings here would more than cover the cost of providing free fares. However, adjunct Professor Paul Barter, who teaches transport policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, says there are limits to what flexi-time arrangements can do to flatten peak travel volumes. This is because there is "dynamic tension" between two things that people want: a regular schedule that gives them fixed times at home or with friends, and more comfortable travel. Because of this tension, people will modify travel patterns "even without the Government doing anything". And if there is less overcrowding during the peak period because some commuters have altered their travelling time, others will move in to fill the space freed up. Prof Barter, however, notes that flexi-time can contribute to shorter peaks, which range from "five to 10 minutes in Canberra to three to four hours in Jakarta". Also, if people were free to adjust their travelling time, "they would complain less", he said. He feels that many employers in Singapore "are more rigid than they need to be" in this respect. Indeed, a survey by the Land Transport Authority in 2012 found that the top reason for workers not telecommuting was that employers rarely allow it. And about 80 per cent of 1,500 people polled said they would take up flexi-work arrangements if these were made available. Finally, experts say a decentralised city is key to improving accessibility without increasing mobility. Even though Singapore had a decentralisation strategy since the 1980s, it has not gained much traction - until now. "There was a time when it was felt that having a big CBD (Central Business District) was good for the economy," recalls Prof Barter. "But I think it is better to have many sub-centres across the island." Now, several sub-centres are in the works, including Jurong Lake District, Woodlands and the Kallang Riverside. All these will allow more people to live near where they work, and work near where they play. Meanwhile, cities the world over are increasingly looking to "soft" demand management measures to spread out peak loads on transport systems. In 2008, Melbourne started offering free travel to commuters who arrive at the CBD before 7am. It led 23 per cent of commuters to travel out of peak hours. Monetary measures are not the only way to temper peak demand. In the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, London embarked on a public education and awareness campaign to prepare for the foreseeable surge in travel demand. The programme included reducing the need to travel, spacing out journeys, shifting to walking or cycling, as well as re-routing to less busy routes. The result was encouraging. Despite record ridership - London Underground, for instance, carried 4.52 million passengers on Aug 9, the highest in its history - the transport network coped well. Elsewhere, Abu Dhabi has spelt out a transport mobility management strategy as it prepares for a possible trebling of its population by 2030. It includes park-and-ride, car-sharing, flexible working hours, and telecommuting plans. All these are in place in Singapore, even if they lack scale. But things may be changing. Last year, the Urban Redevelopment Authority unveiled plans for a 700km cycling path network by 2030 - thrice the length of the current network. And URA chief planner Lim Eng Hwee leads by example: He cycles to work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rtxm30NULU and how they do it. No wonder they never have a breakdown