Singapore MRT
Metro · Singapore · Land Transport Authority / SMRT / SBS Transit
6 lines · 143 stations · 42 interchanges
Every line drawn through its stations. Tap a line in the legend to hide or show it.
Lines
CCL
Quick facts
- Operator
- SMRT Trains and SBS Transit operate the MRT/LRT lines under Singapore's LTA-regulated network.
- Payment
- Use SimplyGo with a contactless bank card or phone wallet, or use an EZ-Link stored-value card.
- Use the same card/device in and out. Foreign cards may carry small admin fees, but the convenience usually wins.
- SimplyGoContactlessEZ-Link
- Airport
- Changi is on the MRT, but you normally change at Tanah Merah from the Changi branch onto the East-West Line.
- It is cheap and easy with light luggage. Grab/taxi wins when you are arriving late or carrying too much.
- Airport link
- Network type
- A modern, air-conditioned rapid-transit network with automated lines, deep city stations, and strong mall/walkway connections.
- MetroAutomated metroAirport link
- Heat strategy
- Use MRT stations, malls, and covered walkways as part of the route, not only as transport.
- Covered walkwayRideshare fallback
Mike’s notes
Singapore is the Southeast Asian city where public transport feels most frictionless for a visitor. The MRT is clean, air-conditioned, readable, and usually the right default when the station is close.
How to pay
Use SimplyGo: tap in and out with the same contactless bank card or phone wallet. An EZ-Link card still works and can be useful if you like having transit stored value separate from your bank card, but most short visits can skip the extra card.
The only rule that matters is sameness. If you tap in with your phone, tap out with the phone. If you tap in with the physical card, tap out with that physical card.
Changi
Changi is on the MRT, but it is not an airport express. You ride from the airport branch to Tanah Merah, change to the main East-West Line, then continue toward City Hall, Bugis, Tanjong Pagar, or wherever your hotel sits.
That is great if you are traveling light. If you have bags, arrive late, or are staying somewhere not station-adjacent, Grab/taxi costs a few dollars more and drops you at the door instead of the nearest station.
Network character
Singapore's transit is part of the built environment. Stations connect to malls, underground passages, covered walkways, and air-conditioned interiors. In a city this hot and humid, those links become part of the route.
Use the MRT for most cross-town movement, then plan outdoor walking for morning, evening, or short links between cooled spaces.
Short history
1987
MRT opens
Singapore begins MRT service, turning a bus-and-road city into one of Asia's easiest rail cities for visitors.
2003
North East Line
The fully automated North East Line opens, a major marker in Singapore's driverless-metro buildout.
2020s
Thomson-East Coast buildout
Newer MRT expansion keeps filling the gaps, especially around the central, east-coast, and north-south movements.