Free Morning Off-Peak Train Rides to be Offered in Northeast Singapore from Dec 27

Beginning on December 27, commuters in Singapore’s northeast who begin their weekday trips at specific train stations before 7.30 am or between 9 and 9.45 am during off-peak hours will not be charged.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Saturday, October 18, that the train stations participating in this one-year pilot are any of the six North East Line (NEL) stations between Punggol Coast and Kovan, as well as any Sengkang-Punggol Light Rapid Transit (LRT) station.

For the second time this year, an existing program that enables commuters in the northeast to receive fare discounts will be enhanced starting on December 27 with a more straightforward enrollment procedure and additional incentives.

According to the LTA, these actions will enhance the commuter experience for all commuters and “moderate travel demand” during the region’s morning rush hour.

The Sengkang-Punggol LRT and the stations along NEL were selected because they comprised “the busiest segment” of the train network during the morning rush hour, the authority added in response to questions from CNA.

The adjustments take effect on December 27 and coincide with a 5% increase in public transportation fares. The Public Transport Council made this announcement earlier this week, citing factors like the rising cost of maintaining and operating the public transportation system.

As long as commuters use the same fare card or payment method to tap in and out of the stations, there is no registration required for the free train ride program.

Only the first train ride of a commuter’s journey is eligible for free travel.

In the past, authorities have tried providing free or heavily discounted public transportation rides during off-peak hours.

In 2013, commuters who tapped out at specific train stations in the city center before 7.45am were eligible for a free pre-peak travel program.

Additionally, a monthly off-peak pass program that permitted unlimited travel on bus and train networks during specified hours was introduced in 2015.

These two programs were discontinued at the end of 2017 and replaced by the current one, which offers commuters a fare reduction of up to S$0.50 (US$0.39) if they arrive at any MRT or LRT station before 7.45 am on weekdays.

“Through this scheme, we hope to even out travel demand and optimise the efficiency of our public transport network,” an LTA spokesperson told CNA on Saturday.

Before making any decisions about future changes, including possible changes to the eligibility cut-off time or extensions to other rail lines, he added, authorities will assess the new program’s efficacy.

LTA stated that it would choose the latter using a data-driven methodology.

This involves researching how the Sengkang-Punggol LRT line and NEL’s passenger load are affected.

Hourly ridership on the NEL before 7.30am on weekdays was approximately 45% lower than that between 7.30 am and 9.00 am from January to September. About 40% fewer people rode after 9 am than between 7.30 and 9.00 am.

The NEL’s peak-hour passenger load is currently “not close” to LTA’s operating performance standards, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said on Saturday.

The authority uses these to evaluate the standards necessary for train operators’ safety, service quality, and dependability of critical equipment.

“But we do know that commuters on the North East Line sometimes are unable to get onto the first train or the second train … it doesn’t make for (a) fantastic experience,” said the minister, who was speaking to the media at the opening ceremony of Punggol Coast bus interchange.

According to Siow, 7% more rail trips were made outside of morning peak hours in 2013 thanks to the free pre-peak travel program.

“If we can achieve a similar shift this time, we would be able to result in a more comfortable commuter experience for those on the NEL,” Siow added.

The Travel Smart Journeys program, which was initially introduced as a trial in 2020 to encourage passengers to use specific express bus services in place of trains during peak hours on NEL, is also undergoing changes.

More buses that run express routes between housing estates and the city were added in 2023, and in January, it was improved with higher transportation fare discounts of up to 80%.

Passengers must currently tap in at any NEL station between Punggol Coast and Kovan, or at any station along the Punggol and Sengkang LRT lines, in order to be eligible for the program. In the last 30 calendar days, they must have done so at least six working weekdays between 7.15 and 8.45 am.

On December 27, these requirements will be eliminated. After registering through the SimplyGo app, all commuters will be qualified.

According to LTA, more information will be released in November.