First six MRT stations of Downtown Line open; free rides until Jan 1

Commuters will be able to ride the first six stations of Singapore's newest rail network — the Downtown Line — for free until 1 January, after it started operations on Sunday.

Operated by SBS Transit, these consist of Bugis, Promenade, Bayfront, Downtown, Telok Ayer and Chinatown, adding up to some 4.3km of rail that is aimed at easing congestion at interchange stations like Dhoby Ghaut and Raffles Place.

In order to enjoy a free ride, commuters will have to tap in and out of a Downtown Line station.

Officiating its opening on Saturday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong asked for patience and support from the public as the government continues working to improve the country's MRT service.

Highlighting a new feature of brightly-coloured "Reserved" seats, PM Lee said this should urge commuters to give their seats up to passengers who may need them more as well.

"Once in a while, you find a young man pretending to be asleep when a pregnant lady is standing by or an old gentleman," he was quoted as saying in The Straits Times. "So, just to remind them before they fall asleep not to use that chair, the trains on the Downtown Line have now got special chairs. There is no reason you won't notice when you sit down there."

Located about 26m below ground level, the Downtown Line Bugis station is linked to the existing East-West Line Bugis station and is also connected by subway links between North Bridge Road and Victoria Street.

Promenade station connects to the Circle Line while Bayfront station has two platform levels — one  goes to Marina Bay and Downtown stations, and the other goes to Promenade station.

Meanwhile, Downtown station lies underneath Central Boulevard, adjacent to Marina Bay Financial Centre and links commuters to Marina Bay Link Mall, the MBFC towers, the Marina Bay Suites and The Lawn @ Marina Bay.

Telok Ayer Station is located near the PriceWaterhouse Coopers building, Cecil Street, Cross Street and Amoy Street. It stands between Downtown and Chinatown station, the latter of which links the Downtown Line up with the North East Line.

According to the LTA, the Downtown Line will operate with six trains, with each trip between all six stations taking between nine and 10 minutes, at frequencies of four minutes during peak hours, and five during off-peak hours. It promises to run at shorter frequencies when the line is fully operational, with more trains added to its network.

Subsequent parts of the Downtown Line are scheduled to open by 2016 and 2017.