Beyond Singapore: Peek into subway trains from around the world

Yahoo! Singapore
Commuters stands at the doorway of a crowded train on the Singapore subway on February 13, 2013

The first of 45 new trains for Singapore transport operator SMRT Corp have reportedly arrived.

They will under “rigorous testing” before they are introduced for passenger service in the first quarter next year, SMRT said. They are mainly meant to beef up the heavily used North-South and East-West lines.

People might not see much of a difference when they ride the new trains, because the new model, called C151B, is essentially the same as the C151A trains that have been in service since 2011.

In comparison to other subways in other cities around the world though, how does Singapore’s metro system stack up?

Let’s take a look.

FILE - In this June 17, 2014 file photo, Dashawn Martin, center, a member with the dance troupe W.A.F.F.L.E., which stands for We Are Family For Life Entertainment, performs on a subway, in New York. Subway acrobats, dancers and musicians on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2014 decried what they said was heavy-handed policing, gathering outside City Hall to join critics of a police clampdown on minor offenses. Transit rules generally allow performing for tips in parts of subway stations, but not in trains or with amplifiers, unless artists have permits. More than 240 subway performers have been arrested so far this year, about four times as many as during the same period last year, according to police statistics. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

1. New York

The Big Apple’s subway has a gritty feel that reflects its over-a-century age. The cars are several decades old and known for their tin-can siding. Operating 24 hours a day, the 373-kilometer subway carries 1.75 billion riders annually, the seventh highest in the world.

A dog sits on its owner's lap as commuters travel on an Underground train under central London, Wednesday, May 28, 2014. The London Underground (also known as the Tube to Londoners) is the public metro system serving a large part of Greater London. According to the Transport of London, the authority running it, 1.229 billion journeys were made in 2012-2013. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

2. London

Opened more than 150 years ago, the “Tube” is the world’s oldest metro system. It’s slowly getting air-conditioned trains, but the awesome buskers at some stations are what makes this subway stand out. It also carries 1.2 billion passengers every year.

People rest on a MTR underground train in Hong Kong on February 1, 2014 on the second day of the Lunar New Year. AFP PHOTO / Alex Ogle
People rest on a MTR underground train in Hong Kong on February 1, 2014 on the second day of the Lunar New Year. AFP PHOTO / Alex Ogle

3. Hong Kong

Famously efficient, Hong Kong ‘s MTR (Mass Transit Railway) was built in 1979. The trains have a reported 99.9 per cent punctuality rate, and employees strive to resolve every issue within two minutes. It carries 1.6 billion people annually, even though at 218 kilometers it has far less track than New York’s metro.

Clockwork precision on the Tokyo subway
Clockwork precision on the Tokyo subway

4. Tokyo

When one thinks of the Tokyo subway system, an image of people being pushed inside packed trains by men in white gloves during rush hour comes to mind. Fast and punctual, the subway carries 3.2 billion passengers a year, the second-highest next to Beijing.

Passengers take in a subway on line 3 as information screens (top) are seen in Seoul on January 24, 2010. AFP PHOTO/JUNG YEON-JE
Passengers take in a subway on line 3 as information screens (top) are seen in Seoul on January 24, 2010. AFP PHOTO/JUNG YEON-JE

5. Seoul

A system reorganized in the mid-2000s, Seoul’s subway trains have seats that have heated seats, wi-fi, screens and lots of leg room. You can even put your bag atop one any of the overhead racks. It is the world’s third-busiest subway with 2.56 billion passengers a year.

 

 

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