While you are travelling on the Downtown Line (DTL) in Singapore, did you know that you may be taking longer than required to travel between stations?
This is because the Downtown Line actually has a looped design between the Rochor and Jalan Besar stations.
If you are travelling between these 2 stations, it’s actually better for you to alight at Rochor and walk to the Jalan Besar station!
Here’s what you need to know about this interesting design on the Downtown Line:
Contents
Why does the Downtown Line (DTL) have a loop?
The Downtown Line has a loop most likely due to changes in the construction plan of this MRT line.
A Medium post wrote about this issue in-depth, where the author talks about how the Rochor station was supposed to be the centre of the Downtown Line, connecting the eastbound and westbound directions of the entire line.
However, due to certain constraints of building an interchange station under the North-South Corridor, the plan was scrapped when the Rochor station had already begun construction.
This may have resulted in the current loop that we now have in the DTL.
How should I transfer between the Rochor and Jalan Besar stations on the Downtown Line?
To reduce the time taken while travelling between the Rochor and Jalan Besar stations on the Downtown Line, it is recommended that you alight at one station and walk to the other, instead of remaining on the train. The total fare that you’ll need to pay is reduced, and it will save you roughly 10 minutes.
When you alight at Rochor station and walk to the Jalan Besar station, it will take you approximately 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, based on the information on the TransitLink website, the journey by staying in the MRT will take 16 minutes.
As such, you will be able to save around 10 minutes of travelling time by alighting and walking between these stations!
The fare is reduced by using this method
While you are cutting down on your travelling time, you will also be able to reduce the travel fare for your trip.
For example, a ride from Little India to Bendeemer will cost 77 cents cheaper by alighting and walking, compared to if you had stayed in the MRT between these stations.
When the Downtown Line was first launched, there was no fare reduction being offered if you walked between these 2 stations. Instead, you will be charged a fare for 2 separate times, which will make this transfer really expensive.
However, it was most likely due to feedback (as seen on Straits Times and CNA) that ultimately led to LTA offering this fare reduction.
You will still be considered to be taking the same trip even after alighting and getting on again, and your travel fare will be reduced!
As such, it is highly recommended that you alight and walk between these 2 stations, instead of staying on the MRT.
You will be able to save both time and money while doing this!
Conclusion
The Downtown Line’s loop was most likely due to changes in the construction plans, where it was no longer viable for Rochor station to be the centre of this MRT line.
However, since the station had already begun construction, it was left as it is, resulting in this loop.
If you are travelling between Rochor and Jalan Besar, it is highly recommended for you to alight at one station, and walk to the other one.
You can check out some of the things that you can or cannot do in the MRT here.
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