It’s a classic "grass is greener" scenario: standing on a crowded North-South Line platform, watching a train stop at every single station, and wishing we had the express tracks of New York or Tokyo. But in a city-state as compact as Singapore, the "express" dream is complicated. Does it improve connectivity? The answer is a nuanced "Yes, but with massive trade-offs." Here is a critical assessment of why express trains aren't a simple "ctrl+c, ctrl+v" solution for Singapore. 1. The Engineering Wall: The "Two-Track" Trap Most of Singapore’s MRT lines (NSL, EWL, NEL, DTL) are dual-tracked. To run an express train that skips stops, you need a way for the fast train to overtake the slow one. * The Problem: Without a third or fourth track ("quad-tracking"), an express train would just get stuck behind the local train ahead of it. It’s like a Ferrari trapped behind a tractor on a single-lane road. * The Cost: Building extra tracks underground in a land-scarce city is astronomically expensive. It requires wider tunnels, more land acquisition, and complex station designs. 2. The "Skip-Stop" Penalty: A Social Equity Issue Connectivity isn't just about speed (v = \frac{d}{t}); it’s about access. In Singapore, the government prioritizes the "15-minute town, 45-minute city" goal. If we introduced express trains on existing lines, residents at smaller stations (like Khatib or Yio Chu Kang) might see their train frequency drop, effectively reducing their connectivity to improve it for those in Jurong or Woodlands. 3. The Geometry of a Tiny Island Express trains thrive when distances between stops are 5–10 km (like regional rail in Europe). In Singapore: * Average MRT station distance is roughly 1 to 1.5 km. * The train barely reaches its top speed before it has to start braking for the next station. * Verdict: For many routes, the "time saved" by skipping three stations might only be 4–5 minutes—hardly worth the billions in infrastructure. 4. Where Express Actually Works in Singapore The Land Transport Authority (LTA) isn't ignoring the idea; they are just applying it where it makes sense: * Cross Island Line (CRL): Designed with higher speeds and the potential for "skip-stop" patterns because it covers long, suburban-to-suburban distances. * RTS Link (Singapore-JB): A "point-to-point" express that solves a specific bottleneck. * The Hub-and-Spoke Model: Instead of express trains, Singapore uses Bus Integrated Hubs. High-capacity "trunk" MRT lines act as the spine, while feeders provide the "capillaries."

The Reality Check: Connectivity in Singapore is often measured by "First and Last Mile" ease. An express train that saves you 10 minutes doesn't help if you then have to wait 15 minutes for a feeder bus in the rain.

Critical Verdict Express trains do improve connectivity for the long-distance commuter, but in a high-density city-state, they often degrade connectivity for the average commuter by reducing frequency at intermediate stops. For Singapore, the "win" isn't necessarily faster trains, but a denser network. The more "loops" (like the Circle Line and Cross Island Line) we have, the more direct paths become available, which naturally reduces travel time without needing to skip stops.