Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) — Map, Lines, Route, Hours, Tickets

Singapore Mass Rapid Transit Information

The Singapore Mass Rapid Transit, or MRT as it is popularly known, started out as a small metro network. It began operations in 1987, making it the second oldest metro network in the world compared to its neighbours. The city places great emphasis on developing a solid public transport network, and the MRT is a major contributor to this. It currently runs on 5 lines, with 1 additional line under construction. If all goes according to plan, 2 more lines will be added to these 6. These 5 lines, run over a length of 170.7 km, while serving 102 stations along the way. SMRT Trains and SBS Transit are the two companies responsible for operating this massive network. Their dual involvement in its operation makes it easy to integrate the metro with the other modes of public transport available. As a result of their continuous efforts, the MRT will have a daily ridership of over 2 million passengers by 2015.

The Singapore Metro, also known as the MRT, is a vital part of Singapore’s transport infrastructure and carries around 2,879,000 passengers daily. It operates from 5:30am to 1:00am and doesn’t offer 24-hour service.

This metro system offers air conditioning for passenger comfort. The design also allows passengers to walk between platforms. There are also driverless trains on several lines, including the North-East Line, Circle Line and the three rubber-tyred LRT lines.

Stations on the Singapore Metro are equipped with screen doors for security purposes. The system is operated by SMRT Corporation and SBS Transit. Fares vary from SGD 1 to SGD 3 depending on the route.

Singapore Mass Rapid Transit Map

Map of Singapore Mass Rapid Transit System showing different lines and stations. Click on the map to enlarge it or download the Singapore MRT map in PDF format.

MRT Lines and Stations

Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system consists of five main lines. The North-South Line, the first to be built, commenced operations in 1987, while the most recent addition, the Downtown Line, commenced operations in 2013. The extensive MRT network, with a total length of 178.2 km, provides critical connectivity to key urban and commercial areas of the city, positioning it as the backbone of Singapore’s public transport system. In addition, the MRT system provides connections to bus services, further extending transport options to areas without direct MRT access. The main MRT lines include

North-South MRT Line: The North South Line (NSL), the first line of the country’s metro system, stretches from Jurong East MRT Station to Marina South Pier MRT Station in the Straits View area. Spanning 44km, the NSL has 27 stations, of which 11 are underground and the rest are elevated via viaducts. The line is shown in red on metro maps, helping the millions of tourists who visit each year. A full journey on the line takes about an hour, with trains consisting of six cars each.
East-West MRT Line: Inaugurated on 4 November 1989, the East West Line is the second line to be added to the metro system. With a total length of 57.2 km, it is the longest line in the MRT system. Starting at Pasir Ris MRT Station and ending at Tuas Link MRT Station, this line has 35 stations. A direct link to Singapore Changi Airport is available from Tanah Merah station. The average journey time from one end of the line to the other is approximately 78 minutes. The East West Line is shown in green on Metro maps.
North East MRT Line: Inaugurated on 20 June 2003, the North East Line was the first fully automated, driverless line in the system. The 20 kilometre line starts at HarbourFront Station and ends at Punggol MRT/LRT Station. It has 16 stations, which are shown in purple on Metro maps. A full journey on this line takes about 33 minutes.
Circle MRT Line: Opened on 28 May 2009, the Circle Line, which is entirely underground, starts at Dhoby Ghaut Terminal and ends at HarbourFront MRT Station. It is 35.5 km long and has 30 stations. Like the North East MRT Line, it is fully automated, making it one of the longest driverless lines in the world. Although most trains have six carriages, the trains on this line have three carriages each. The total journey time from one end to the other is approximately one hour. This line is shown in orange on metro maps.
Downtown MRT Line: The Downtown Line (DTL), the newest addition to the system, is currently under construction. It is 20.9 km long and has 18 stations. This line starts at Bukit Panjang Terminal and ends at Chinatown MRT Station. When fully operational, the line will extend to 44 kilometres with a total of 36 stations, carrying over half a million people daily. The total journey time will be approximately 70 minutes. The DTL line is shown in blue on metro maps.

Operating Hours and Transfers

The MRT system operates from 5:50am to 1:00am. For special occasions such as New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year, Diwali, Eid al-Fitr, Christmas and others, the service is extended to 24 hours. Several social organisations work together to modify MRT schedules to accommodate these ethnic celebrations, resulting in the postponement of maintenance and engineering works.

The MRT system also offers seamless transfers between its own lines and other modes of transport, improving connectivity for commuters.

North-South MRT Line: This line connects to the East West Line from Jurong East Station. At Choa Chu Kang MRT/LRT Station, passengers can transfer to the Bukit Panjang LRT Line, an 8km monorail. Woodlands Station provides access to the Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange, which provides bus services to all parts of the city. Finally, Bishan Station provides access to the Circle Line.
East West MRT Line: Starting from Pasir Ris Station, this line connects at Tanah Merah MRT Station to Changi Airport MRT Station and the Downtown Line. Other transfer points are Paya Lebar Terminal (to Circle Line), Bugis MRT Station (to Downtown Line), City Hall MRT Station (to North South Line and Circle Line), Outram Park Station (to North East Line) and Buona Vista and Jurong East Stations (to Circle Line and North South Line respectively).
North East MRT Line: From HarbourFront Station, this line provides connections to the Circle Line and then to the East West Line at Outram Park MRT Station, the Downtown Line at Chinatown MRT Station and both the North South Line and the Circle Line at Dhoby Ghaut Station. The Sengkang and Punggol terminals provide connections to the Sengkang LRT Line, a 10.7km elevated light rail system.
Circle MRT Line: From Dhoby Ghaut station, this line connects to the North South Line and the North East Line. Connections to the Downtown Line are available at Promenade, MacPherson, Botanic Gardens and Bayfront MRT Stations. East West Line connections are available at Esplanade MRT, Paya Lebar and Buona Vista stations. At Bishan Terminal, you can transfer to the North South Line and Marina Bay Station, while on the North East Line, you can transfer to Serangoon and HarbourFront Stations.
Downtown MRT Line: This line starts at Bukit Panjang Terminal and connects to the Bukit Panjang LRT Line monorail. Other connections to the Circle Line are at Botanic Gardens MRT Station, Promenade and Bayfront stations. The North-South Line can be accessed from Newton MRT Station, while the North-East MRT Line provides connections to Little India and Chinatown stations. Finally, you can change to the East West Line at Bugis MRT Station.

Ticket Pricing and Purchase Options

The fare structure for the Singapore Metro is distance-based, i.e. the longer the distance travelled, the higher the fare. Payment options include standard tickets and prepaid cards, which are priced as follows:

Standard ticket: These tickets can be purchased from vending machines at all Singapore Metro stations. The ticket price, which is displayed when you enter your destination station, includes a surcharge of 0.10 Singapore dollars (SGD) (0.07 USD). These tickets can be used up to six times within 30 days of purchase, with the additional SGD 0.10 being refunded on the third and sixth trips, effectively encouraging repeat use of the same ticket.

Prepaid Cards: EZ-Link cards can be purchased from MRT Customer Service Offices or TransitLink Customer Service Booths, which are located inside MRT stations and open during office hours. A minimum initial deposit of SGD 3 (USD 2.19) is required, which is sufficient for the longest possible metro journey. Unlike the standard ticket, the card’s validity is limited only by its physical condition. A range of pricing options are available to suit different customer needs, including discounts for students and senior citizens. For example

Adult Monthly Travel Card (AMTC): Priced at SGD 120 (USD 87.78) per month, this card gives adult customers unlimited travel on trains and buses for 30 days. The initial purchase price is SGD 128, which includes the regular price of SGD 120, a card fee of SGD 5 and a mandatory minimum deposit of SGD 3.

Student Cards

The student cards, all of which range in price from SGD 0.37 to SGD 0.58, are divided into three categories: Student SmartCard, Diploma Student Card and Undergraduate Card.

Student SmartCard: Aimed at full-time students in Singapore, this card is currently only available to students under the age of 13 enrolled in private institutions and students under the age of 21 in non-subsidised technical schools with high academic performance.

Diploma Student Card: This card is for full-time graduate students enrolled in public or subsidised schools and provides access to train and bus services.

Undergraduate card: This card is for students enrolled in public or subsidised universities.

Workfare Transport Card: This card offers a 15% discount on fares for people under the age of 60 who are receiving social security benefits or are enrolled in a financial assistance programme.

Child Card: Similar to the adult monthly travel card, this card allows adults to bring their children under the age of 7 with them free of charge on the Metro.

Senior Citizen Card: This card is for Singaporeans or resident foreigners aged 60 and over and can be used on both trains and buses, with prices ranging from SGD 0.54 to SGD 0.87.

Disabled Persons Card: This card allows persons with disabilities to purchase Monthly Concession Passes (MCP), priced at SGD 60 (USD 43.89) per month. These passes allow unlimited travel on the city’s trains and buses.

Metro Usage Guidelines

Eating and drinking on trains is prohibited. Failure to comply will result in a warning and a fine of up to SGD 500.
Drinking, including water, is not allowed on trains to prevent spillage onto seats, floors or other passengers.
Breastfeeding is allowed only after prior consultation with Metro staff.
Access to metro facilities under the influence of alcohol or narcotics is strictly prohibited.
It is forbidden to carry illegal substances in the metro.
Attempting to forcibly open train doors during a journey is punishable by a fine.
Obstructing other passengers from boarding a train is not permitted.
Physical or verbal assault on other passengers may result in a fine or imprisonment.
Photographing or filming inside the Metro is permitted for non-commercial purposes.
Only folding bicycles are allowed on trains.
Ordinary bicycles can be parked in bike racks provided in some stations.
Smoking is not allowed in stations or on trains.

Useful Tips

Chewing gum is banned in Singapore, so avoid chewing gum on the metro.
Pets and other animals are not allowed on the Metro. Use alternative means of transport if you’re travelling with pets.
Student fares on the metro are different from those on buses. Be sure to check the student fares for buses in advance.
Ticket machines use advanced technology and accept Samsung Pay and Apple Pay for ticket transactions.

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Airport Connectivity

Travelling to Singapore International Airport is fairly straightforward by metro, as it provides direct access to the airport. Passengers should first board a train on the East West MRT Line, heading east, and alight at Tanah Merah MRT Station. After changing trains, they can go directly to Changi Airport MRT Station, which is conveniently located inside the airport.

Similarly, if you arrive by plane and want to take the metro to the city centre, you must first go to the airport metro station. Buy a ticket from a machine by stating your destination and paying the required fare. Then board a train on the East-West MRT line and change trains as necessary to reach downtown Singapore.

Tourist Attractions

At Marina Bay Station, served by the North-South MRT Line and the Circle Line, tourists can access the famous Singapore Supertree Grove. These iconic structures, located in the Gardens by the Bay park, are one of the most visually stunning engineering marvels in the city. The Supertree Grove features giant tree-like metal structures covered with growing plants. Tourists can climb these structures to enjoy beautiful panoramic views. The park also hosts night shows with music and light displays that many tourists find enjoyable.

Close to Promenade Station, which is served by the Circle Line and Downtown Line, is the famous Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel. At 165 metres, it is the tallest Ferris wheel in the world and offers breathtaking panoramic views from its apex. Each cabin, which is the size of a bus, can be hired for S$1,000 (US$731.90) on weekdays and S$1,500 (US$1,097.85) on evenings and weekends. A ride on this wheel is a truly unique experience.