‘Cannot hear news via earphones’: Commuter concerned about noise on Thomson-East Coast Line
A Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) commuter says the train can get so loud during his daily journeys that he struggles to hear his earphones or have a conversation with fellow passengers.
Stomper JK told Stomp on Aug 14 that he takes the TEL to and from work every day, and sometimes uses the line on weekends.
He said noise levels along the stretch between Upper Thomson and Orchard can consistently reach about 85 to 90 decibels (dB), based on his own measurements.
He shared a screen recording of one such measurement taken about two months ago that shows the noise levels going up to at least 89dB.
“For me, it’s easily 15 to 20 minutes inside the train,” he said.
“It is so loud that I cannot hear my news via my earphones! And we cannot hear each other talking in TEL.”
JK said colleagues and friends who use other parts of the TEL share similar sentiments about the noise.
He questioned why the TEL appears to be louder than some of Singapore’s older MRT lines, as well as rail systems in big cities such as Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
“Can there be any rectification done to reduce the noise level?” he asked.
JK said he hoped the authorities could find a solution for commuters who are regularly exposed to the noise. He also wondered if earplugs could be provided to TEL commuters if the noise cannot be reduced.
Based on an email thread seen by Stomp, SMRT told JK on Aug 17 that it understood his concerns and had forwarded his feedback to its maintenance team for further review and assessment.
The operator also thanked him for highlighting the issue, “particularly as you have been experiencing the issue over an extended period”.
Higher noise levels due to track curvature
In a written reply to a parliamentary question on the health impacts of long-term MRT noise exposure, Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) closely monitors noise levels within MRT systems.
“The MRT system is designed to maintain average noise levels within the train cabin to below 85dB,” Fu said.
In a media reply in 2023, LTA said it is aware that this threshold may be exceeded in some areas along the TEL, including between Springleaf and Lentor stations, Stevens and Napier stations, and Bright Hill and Upper Thomson stations.
According to LTA, the higher noise levels are due to the curvature of the tracks in these areas that were necessary to minimise land acquisition from local residents and shorten commuting times.
The authority said several measures have been implemented to reduce noise, including slowing trains down in the affected areas and grinding the tracks’ surfaces to smooth contact between the tracks and wheels.
LTA also said it is trialling tuned mass dampers to further reduce noise along the noisiest stretches.
For now, JK said he has changed his daily commute to one on the North-South Line, which is also operated by SMRT — though he pointed out that the stretch between Orchard and Somerset MRT stations can be loud too.
“No more using TEL unless absolutely necessary,” the Stomper said.
He hopes the feedback will prompt further action to make journeys on the TEL quieter for commuters.
Stomp has reached out to SMRT for comment.
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