I visited Singapore earlier this year and I can confirm that the MRT is absolutely phenomenal. It’s sooooo easy to get around Singapore by train, taxi, and bus.
Say that to people who don't live close to downtown. If Singapore wants car free country they need to build at least 3-4 more subway lines. Also check Madrid subway. Same population but It has longer subway 290km(Singapore 240), more lines 13(Singapore 8), more stations 276(Singapore just 187). On top of that in Madrid every person can have a car cause they don't cost a fortune.
Thats the good thing about singapore, the government and its people are always determined for a better standard of living a better more secured prosperous future. Very few countries in the world have the same determination to better public services and better one’s economic prospects i truly believe we are fortunate and I’m grateful. Today we could have still been a squatter settlement like we were in the past, but look at how much progress has been made! Very few countries are able to go from rags to riches in the 20th century without natural resources.
Imagine Singapore's excellence and multiply that by 1000. That's China. 75% Singaporrans are ethnically Chinese. 🙄🙄🙄 Now you know why the imperialists are rattled.
As a Singaporean who lived abroad like London, Glasgow, Paris and Surabaya etc. Nothing beats the efficiency of Singapore’s public transport system. I think Singaporeans should try taking the London tube, a smaller train than MRT and packed with passengers + no aircon during the summer and walking up and down the stairs at the station. You’ll learn to be grateful and appreciate that MRT isn’t as bad as you think it is.
i am an Architect in Singapore and Have worked on some MRT stations in the Past. In Singapore MRT projects are Engineer LED, Means The Civil Engineers on the stations they are responsible of designing + constructing make the final decision even if it affects the Architectural facade design. So this is really an Engineers nightmare
@@SturmZebra13Nonsense. Speaking as an engineer, I prefer it if architects give me equally spaced large columns with large beams supporting a building with the most banal and boring of building plans, i.e. a squarish or rectangular one.
Singapore loves building new metro lines. I have a friend who visits every few years, and there's always a new metro line or extension built when he goes. The ground must resemble swiss cheese.
@@amazingstarzzisn't a car licence/registration like 80,000$ over there? And cars themselves are like 4x the price compared to countries like The US, obviously this isn't bad if true because you really need to maximise space efficiency with such little land
Surprisingly there are few overlaps of the metro lines, so the issue of vertical separation for train lines hasn't come up often. IIRC the different strata of soil is reserved for each utility (open drains, then electric/comms and closed drains, then metro).
I worked in the Singapore Bus Service in the 80s. I remember there was a nationwide debate on whether we should have an all-bus system, which is less costly or decide on a mass transit system (MRT), which we must borrow a few billion dollars from the World Bank. Thankfully the government decided on the latter and the North-South MRT line was born.
Just a correction, ex-president Ong Teng Cheong was the one who pushed super hard for the SMRT system while the government and Tony Tan's lackeys opposed it. If it was not for Mr Ong we would not have had this MRT system.
As a Singaporean, there is always a construction at every other street. The North South Corridor and Cross Island Line crosses and even stacks ontop of each other in Ang Mo Kio. That itself is another enginnering feat.
If anyone can do it, Singapore can. I’ve lived here for 10 years and I’ve seen first hand how meticulously they plan and execute infrastructure projects. The government holds itself accountable and that is why they still in power.
Loved this video! I'm Singaporean and I'm surprised the area I stay in (Pasir Ris) got such in-depth discussion. Never thought Pasir Ris would ever be mentioned by an international channel!
I'm from Singapore, and I'm not trying to be patriotic, but objectively, I love how Singapore acts as a role model for how every city in the world should strive towards. Imagine what the world would be like with such priority over the well being of the people.
That's so cool, and I agree australia and singapore need to sign a treaty for the "bang for buck" foreign labour pool you guys are so efficient at sourcing. Definitely helps with the overall costs.😂
@@zonaresng The MRT generated billions of dollars for the government. The land prices have shot up. And also it attracted investment. MRT built for the welfare of Singaporeans? I am not sure
Mrt 100% helps locals. Not needing cars at all is a huge thing. It also promotes having walking towns which helps with health (areas to walk), ease of accessibility and reaching essential goods. @steventay5834
Well being of people ? Singapore is not even a Democracy. Malaysia is further along in social development than Singapore. Malaysia will become a developed country long before Singapore does
@@gtempo4673 I have to admit our foreign labour pool may have some controversy too as they're mostly under the Work Permit scheme, which has some similarities with the controversial _kafala_ system in the Middle East e.g. they are mostly banned from marrying here & could be deported if they contract STDs, & you can't easily change your job. Lots of careers here that'd be unionized are also done by foreigners, who're legally banned from unions (maybe as that'd constitute foreign interference in the country's politics)
@@Mobiltelekomnet I’ll been using them for a couple o’ years now, can’t say theirs much they can’t cook to perfection, theirs only a few things I wouldn’t use them for such as cooking Minced Beef that’s best in a slow cooker or deep pan
Singaporean here. The place where I used to live 5 years ago has had construction works going on for close to 10 years now because our government can't seem to stop building new MRT lines, lol.
You're complaining about this because? Singaporean here too. The entire island is one giant construction site. If it's not an MRT, it's a new mall or government housing project (read BTO for locals). All, improves the quality of life and nearby land value.
It's true. The government cannot stop building because the demands of the people keep increasing. But this means the government has not stopped listening to the needs of the people. I hope we can take heart in that fact. Perfection is unattainable but the pursuit of perfection must remain endless.
IIRC this the 1st time in history that Singapore also did an EIA (to evaluate the environmental impact of tunnelling under the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR)), which might mean that laws here might be more relaxed than other countries in this regard
The MRT was pretty clutch when we pulled in for port call last year. Super easy to use. Loved that i only needed my credit card, instead of downloading an app and all the other bs other countries make you do
Yeah, I hate that too. Same for pretty much every website you visit now. They want you to log in, register, have an account. Miss the old days in the early 2000's when you could go to any site anonymously (anon).
heh. sometimes the machine doesn't register the tap properly and you'll be deducted the maximum fare (which isn't much tbh). then you'll have to download the app and press some buttons to get some money back.
Ridiculously cheap too. When i studied as a secondary school student in Singapore, my morning commute was absolutely free due to the morning + student discount. In the afternoons/evenings it was just around 40 cents. Surprising for an expensive city.
Hey, Singaporean here, I live in Pasir Ris. Just fyi, to build a station, they will have to blockade a road for 7 years. SEVEN years. Kinda annoying especially when you exit the expressway and have to endure like 9 red lights instead of 2. But like honestly, I’m looking forward to the new station :)
i’m currently schooling at a station on the new line. the construction is crazy inside our school as they’ve made major adjustments to our back gate. it’s not uncommon to smell the foul smell of the construction works during lesson time as they are digging up areas of the school, while students are studying. there’s barricades all over the school and we have more construction workers in the compound than teachers. also on the top floor, they tend to do drilling/hammering works and the vibration can be felt through the ceilings into the classrooms.
But you didn't mention the new mixed development on top of the site. The Pasir Ris mall has been opened to shoppers and diners for 3 months now. The residential blocks are still under construction. White Sands Mall is more than 20 years old at this point. Anyway this is where I live. It's the chill central of Singapore. Cyclists are everywhere and many people visit the beach for BBQ & camping. We're glad that the new line finally link us to Punggol, which is another chillax town.
the impact of additional lines and stations cannot be understated. for me, the routes available means greater choice in where u live, work, and meet with friends. it provides so much freedom and convenience esp when u don't drive (many times its even more convenient than driving imo)
As a Malaysian, kudos to the Singaporean government for their visionary and thoughtful planning of public transport infrastructure, coexisting with nature for a competitive price. They build to make it last for half a century at least. Sadly over here, our original MRT planning by Najib gov got downgraded by the PH gov to make it seem like they're "revealing" the true price by making it cheaper but at a cost of severely less facilities, fewer MRT stations and interconnection. In the end, the people lose out over petty politics. Even more so, nature has no place at all. If nature is in the way, they will be demolished for it without a second thought.
@@zariefziqri Tell me again what National Car Brand singapore have? None. Whereas malaysia i can name such as Proton and Perodua. Also emerging chip and semiconductor industry. I think in every sense imaginable Malaysia is better than Singapore.
If people only ever did easy things, we would not have the modern conveniences we have today. Buildings, a sewer system, fresh water from the tap, lights at the flip of a switch, computers, phones, cars, airplanes, ships, and an abundance of food. All of these things were hard to create, and they are still hard to create and maintain. It took a lot of smart people and a lot of elbow grease to make all these things a reality. I applaud the Singaporean government for their willingness to tackle this large and difficult project that will ultimately benefit the Singaporean people in the long run.
Every time the B1M vids becomes strange suddenly, clearly deviating from the path, you know you are in for a sponsor with actually no connection to the content but that is forced in for the sake of that juicy sponsor money.
If this feat was ever attempted in Australia, it would cost $400b, and they would have squandered $10b on just feasibility studies and canned the project thereafter..
Singapore's transport construction costs are one of the most expensive in the world, in the same league as HK, NYC, Toronto and Melbourne. Perth builds for less than a third the cost of those cities.
@@illiiilli24601 you must be joking, go compare Melbourne's metro tunnel vs SG circle line. 30+km and 30 stations vs 9km and 5 stations and cost almost the same.. You saying they are the same? 😂
If anyone can do it they can! I’ve been to Singapore and was amazed at both the cleanliness, friendly and crime free place it is. It’s so safe your can walk around at night with little fear of being robbed. As for buildings they were amazing.
Sweet memories!! Around 1990 I was responsible (with a team of ten engineers) for building the computer control system for Singapore's first tunnel, the CTE running north-south under the city center. This was not a metro, but a six-lane tunnel for cars. One of the best projects during my career.
they pretty much listen to their people and also make it happen. like they said they want people to take public transport more instead of driving and that made people want them to make faster ways to get them to place A to place B for work so they made it happen with this new metro line.
Really? How do you know? Do they have a choice? The Singapore Government is also not open and transparent. The ruling party has also been steadily losing the support of voters.
@@franciscody9622 Yes they have a choice and I know because I live in Singapore. You would think if a large number of people were dissatisfied with the government it would be noticeable
1:56 "These places are so different." refering to Pasir Ris and Central Nature Reserve. Except the left image is the area around Bencoolen/Dhouby Ghaut/Raffles in the middle of the city and not Pasir Ris at all. I'm surpised the video isn't called "the INSANE construction of Singapore MRT". My dude, all the MRT construction is tricky. Downtown line was tricky, TEL was tricky, Circle line was tricky. It's not new news, it's normal.
Is the same in Mumbai right now. I lose count of how many tunnels, viaducts, metro lines, bridges, parks, skyscrapers, etc they are building right now. All at the same time.
@@__-pz4hc Mumbai has a giant slum (which is now being redeveloped into a bunch of skyscrapers) and although it has a load of problems and is nowhere near as well planned as Singapore, it is not a "$hit city." A $hit city does not have the level of infrastructure Mumbai currently has and is building up.
@@SeanHogan_frijole What do you mean don't talk bollocks. He is completely telling the truth. We LITERALLY have this project currently going on and guess what. it has cost BILLIONS over and half the leg got cancelled. If you haven't worked it out yet, I'm on about HS2.
@@Thomas-cp1fw HS2 really is a disaster lol. Tale of two HSR projects: HS2 vs MAHSR *Countries:* UK vs India *Length:* 230 km vs 508 km *Cost:* $125 Billion vs $21 Billion (after cost overruns) *Operating Speed:* 155 mph vs 200 mph *Rolling Stock:* Class 390 (Italy/France) vs Shinkansen E5 (Japan) *Construction:* At grade (i.e. on level ground) vs Elevated on viaduct all throughout the length *Build time:* 2017-2033 vs 2020-2030
There's little reason to buy a car in Singapore unless you're looking for luxury. We have one of the best public transportation systems in the world. My home is just a three-minute walk from the nearest bus stop, and with bus apps on my phone, I can precisely time when to catch my bus. From there, it's only one stop to the MRT station, which connects two major lines. From this station, I can take a train to virtually anywhere in Singapore for less than S$1, thanks to senior citizen discounts. Few countries can match Singapore in terms of having a clean, safe, and efficient public transportation system.
@@baronvonjo1929 You’re being contradictory. It sounds like you’re saying Singapore has no public transportation-no buses, no trains, just cars. Three hours to walk to work? Who actually walks to work in humid Singapore? Lol.
@@nelsonsim No? I'm saying what I do. Im comparing how my transportation goes. I guess I should have said I don't live in Singapore. Was just saying how cars are my only option and will be for my entire life. No amount of public transportation will fix the physical layout of all the homes, businesses, and everything else. A car will always be more practical than any theoretically bus or train for the foreseeable future. Guess what country I live in lol
There will also be a new line in the west called the Jurong Region line. It will basically run from Choa Chu Kang to Pandan, Tengah, Jurong Hill and Boon Lay
Moved to Singapore about 10 days ago. So far, an amazing city, and puts public transport in the western world to shame. So glad to be out of the shithole that is the UK.
@@DavidTay-wi7wv well, a group of 12-14 year olds stabbed an 80 year old dog walker to death yesterday not far from where my wife is from. The economy is in the toilet, the new government is overstepping their authority and acting more and more dictatorial.
Thank you for this informative video. Singapore never ceases to amaze me. Their MRT is one of the most efficient (and cleanest) subway systems in the world.
Its wild to watch a B1M episode about something I can see being built from my house Also, was the delivery on "Welcome to Singapore" a POTC reference 😂
Additional Notes： The total area of Malaysia is approximately 330,803 square kilometers, and the total area of Singapore is only about 728.6 square kilometers.
@@Chickangrill Nothing to do with wealth but mainly on the prioritisation. Malaysia prioritises on roads while Singapore prioritises on public transport.
Call me ungrateful or whatever, I don’t care, but as a person who grew up in Pasir Ris and is still there, I certainly didn’t ask for more MRT stations there and I absolutely hate all the changes that ah gong has brought at the expense of my neighbourhood physically. It hurts to watch beautiful greenery and forested area get destroyed, and I can still remember vividly how eg the little hill right by Pasir Ris station, the great field along the train tracks and where TPJC is at now, the pet farm areas etc. and of course I feel even more sad that I can no longer remember how certain parts look like, they seemed to have slipped off my mind alr. 😢 give up conveniences to keep our once-serene zone, I’ll choose that any day
As a resident of Pasir Ris, thanks B1M for shedding light on how big of a feat this Cross Island station construction is! It's proper awesome stuff and can't wait for it to be done!
Migrate! Migrate! A Singaporean friend once migrated to the UK a decade ago because he deemed too many Indian expat workers working here. Haven't heard from him since then, must be doing OK in the UK. Please follow him out
Sometimes it's selective e.g. environmentalists were also disappointed that Dover Forest is now being replaced by new public housing. I predict that next time, environmentalists may also also oppose the White Paper planning to raise the country's population to near 7 million (probably to keep the economy humming amid an ageing population)
2:15 random minor correction, the line won’t run from Punggol to Jurong Lake District (JLD), tho the phases may open together. The main line will run from Aviation Park to JLD, while the Punggol side will be a shuttle running between Pasir Ris and Punggol as a functionally separate line
How exactly is this "construction hell"? It's an interesting and challenging project, they are taking their time, doing things right, surely this is an engineers dream, rather heaven, not hell?
If we had the government of Singapore for space exploration, we'd already have a huge human base on the Moon and rockets going to Mars. Sadly we have a stuck crew capsule that NASA can't even get rid of.
You give us too much credit. We are not innovative pioneers, but credit where credit is due, we are good at following and improving on pre-existing examples.
Fun fact, the original was such a big topic of discussion when it was first announced that it was heavily discussed and used as a case study during our Social Studies lessons backin my school days
The government has a goal to raise the population in Singapore to 7M from the current 5.8M to rival Hong Kong. The non-stop construction of MRT lines helps to alleviate existing infrastructure pressure on roads. It would be a nightmare for city planners if inhabitants are stuck in constant gridlock. Increasing the number of MRT lines goes hand-in-hand with population growth. What is remarkable is the deep focus on conservation efforts and nature!
What is the reason of Hong Kong population competition? Hong Kong real estate is nightmarish hell for almost half of it's citizens. Why would Singapore wants to compete with that. When even in the 4 million citizens + 1 million tourists on average, Singapore already feeling too crowded compared to a decade ago.
@@manchesterunitedno7 Well increasing the population in Singapore generates higher economic growth. More people = bigger economy. Singapore and Hong Kong are financial hubs with very similar characteristics. What one city does better, the other aspires to emulate and outdo another. The MRT system in Hong Kong is slightly better than that in Singapore. Comparing real estate in both cities is a different story. I think we can have a real estate discussion on a separate note. Yes, indeed, Singapore is crowded more than it was a decade ago. That's why more MRT lines are being built to decentralize the neighborhoods.
@@wtIUpITp1E0wMsydV19c0FUmIXvCU You can read the white paper written by the Prime Minister Office: A Sustainable Population for a Dynamic Singapore: Population White Paper.
Singapore is the most developed country in the world, it's a world apart from our world, simply amazing in all aspects. The constructions projects in this tiny island state are amazing. And I forgot to tell, they are expanding their territory while building artifical islands
There’s a route where I like to walk and a section of that route is now inaccessible because they’re building a station there I probably won’t even still be living here by the time it’s finished
if you are a CE, the worst things on a project are politics and BS. engineering challenges are quite easy by comparison. Have used the MRT many times and it is just great.
there is also phase 3 that goes all the way to the west end of singapore. although not officially announced yet, they accidentally uploaded a map showing the stations for phase 3 previously
Best thing about Singapore train network is that almost every station has a place of interest, e.g. schools, offices, government building, shopping centers. So all these stations become a destination throughout the day, and it also help spread out direction of travel. This is unlike many urban train networks around the world, where morning is where everyone board from suburbs stations to go city stations, and evening is when everyone go from city to surburbs. Many of these suburb stations are nearly empty thoughout the day, which also makes it inefficient and expensive to run trains more regularly through the day.
not to mention many of those stations particularly in western countries are completely surrounded by nothing but parking lots for half a mile radius of the actual station itself. Very inefficient land use.
as a singaporean and reading some of these comments… singaporean’s really love to complain.. people from other countries would be so grateful if their government is doing their best to upgrade their countries infrastructure but here we are complaining about the slight inconvenience of ongoing construction…
To be fair, the NSL is already realistically the best way to connect the north to the rest of singapore given the central catchment area. The TEL has done some work in relieving strain on the NSL in terms of its north-central connections. The north just doesnt have the real estate to justify more projects given that the reach of the NSL is sufficient in serving the north. Maybe LTA can look into extending the CRLs CP offshoot to serve seletar airport and the more eastern portions of the north, maybe following yishun ave 8 or 6 and admiralty rd E and W to serve the industrial areas? But overall, the existing northern lines do well enough to connect the population centres of the north and the rest of singapore. The CRL will bring shorter travel times from east to west for those in the AMK and bukit batok and bukit panjang areas where they're not really very north and do lose alot of time having to go north/south to travel around the catchment which was one of the big flaws of the current transit system. Those high up north in the woodlands/kranji area are just generally very far away from everywhere else and the existing NSL is sufficient in bringing them south to connect to East-West running lines to their final destinations. Ultimately, the CRL was made to serve the more southern parts of the north that are really feeling the impact of going around the central catchment area where they lose 10+ mins travelling north/south just to go east/west. No amount of MRT connectivity to the upper north will solve the fact that the north is just further away from the CBD and activity areas of singapore in the south and will take longer to travel there.
@@phrog2579 the nsl is too heavily utilized.... The government should not stop vehicle car growth unless they have ensured every single plot of HDB has been served by MRT/LRT station within 10minutes walk. The working class in the North has always been forgotten. For example the TEL line serve those rich people living in Thomson, Springleaf, Mayflower but these people have cars, they don't drive. And seletar line? How long? 20 years later? We need the MRT line now, not 20 years later
I am living here....and I have never heard of the new MRT line :-). Very interesting. They are also building a new one in the west of SG, and still completing the circle line (to a full circle). And as a daily user of the SMRT......more parallel lines will keep especially the East-West line less crowded (also when its operating every 2 minutes)
Construction projects in America are way worse because each screw cost $100, and hammers cost $500 each. And you would be lucky if the construction site actually progresses. Seems like they set up fencing and cones but then leave the site for 10 years before cancelling the project.
I dont doubt that protecting the whatever little rainforest SG has left is important. But I think people underestimate the jungle's ability to heal itself. Tree grows incredible fast in that hot-humid climate. As long as the construction time is limited and the ground-water system not completely destroyed and all the soil erroded, the rain forest will grow back quickly as soon as the construction machines are gone.
