Behind the scenes with the people who keep our trains moving

Who are the MRT workers we don't see? What goes into ensuring your daily commute is smooth?  Watch more: https://www.asiaone.com/video

Transcript

00:00Attention please. There is no more train service. We are closing the station. Good night.

00:30Hi, my name is Shasni and I'm the manager for Track Renewal SMRT. My job is to oversee

00:40the worn rail or defective rail replacements all over our network and to make sure our

00:46tracks are always safe and reliable. What we carried out today was 1 x 18m rail replacement.

00:51We unloaded the rails and then we cut the old rails. We replaced the old rails with

00:57the new rail that has been dropped by the engineering train. And then we followed up

01:02by welding the gaps. After the termite well has been completed, we'll grind it off. The

01:07rail will be safe for train service the following day. I've always been interested in engineering

01:13and infrastructure that impacts people's daily lives. SMRT is part of the Singapore's transport

01:19network that directly involves millions of people in our country. To be a part of, be

01:24the behind-the-scenes that makes sure everyone goes to school, goes to work and back home

01:29safely made me want to pursue this line of work.

01:49My name is Munira. I've been working with SMRT for almost 1.5 years. So when we entered

01:54the train right, what we need to check, the most important thing is to check if there's

01:58no target disk over at my side and also that side. When we confirm there is no target disk

02:04right, we can actually insert the key, turn the key and also aux on the key for 2 seconds.

02:11Once we aux on the train, there will be an in-train self-test for 7 minutes. While waiting

02:16for that self-test to be completed, I can radio check with DC. Okay, so here you go.

02:24Good morning, DC Bishan, train 801, EMU 8902 at 390 Whiskey, radio check over. So DC Bishan

02:30will reply to me, then I'll just say, DC Bishan, train 801 at 390 Whiskey, radio check loud

02:38and clear out. So once we already do the radio check, we will check the circuit breaker to

02:43make sure that all is in normal position and also the seal switches. There's a case that

02:51sometimes the seal switches is broken or the circuit breaker is not in normal position

02:55outside the horn, we will need to inform the depot controller regarding it and wait for

03:00his further instructions.

03:21Hi, my name is Chung Fiong. I'm currently working in SMRT as an engineer. My job scope

03:30mainly entails maintenance on the rolling stock or if not, typically it's called the

03:34trains itself. Rolling stock maintenance essentially is about upkeeping the train's performance

03:40to deliver the service level that's required for the commuters. But on top of that, more

03:45importantly is also to ensure that the train ride is a safe and a comfortable one for commuters.

03:53The life of a maintenance staff in SMRT is tough. Not just the work itself, it's also

03:58the working environment. We are always contesting with natural elements, so we have to work

04:02within the constraints of the environment, doing the tasks at hand as well as being competent

04:07in handling the various machinery so that we can carry out our tasks efficiently. One

04:12of the very important attributes for all staff in SMRT is this thing called resilience.

04:17Regardless of rank and file and in any appointments, resilience is a very important factor for

04:21us. Besides having to contend with the day-to-day, the kind of train defects that we need to

04:25grapple with, there are also a lot of other challenges that we need to work on. So with

04:30this, resilience is the enabling force for all of us to push on and be able to deliver

04:35the kind of service for all the commuters.