An average 2.5 million MRT rides are made daily. For passengers who take the MRT frequently, the rail system maps and signage may not be noticeable, as they do not need to refer to them. However, the system map plays an important role in guiding tourists who are unfamiliar with our MRT system, as well as passengers who are travelling to a destination for the first time and may need help in moving around the MRT system.

System maps should display a complex range of information in a simple, brief and consistent manner, whilst allowing flexibility for future expansion of the rail network. Repetition or too much information can be confusing. Our rail system map and the accompanying locality maps are designed to cater for future additions, such as Circle Line, using the same principles of simplicity, brevity and consistency.

In Singapore, each rail line is represented by one colour. For example, the North South Line is represented by the colour red, East West Line represented by green and all LRT lines by grey. We use an alphanumeric code comprising two letters - representing the name of the line, and a number to identify each station. For example, "EW" represents the East West Line and "NS" represents the North South Line. So Orchard station, which is located on the North South Line, has been assigned the code NS22.

By assigning a unique alphanumeric code that is displayed alongside the English station name in all system maps and station signage, this helps non-English-speaking passengers identify the stations.

Finding their way around the rail system will also be made easier when multi-lingual signs are added to stations by 2005. Names of stations will be displayed in three languages at various parts of the station and on the system maps. Commuters who are conversant in Mandarin and Tamil will be able to read the signs at the entrances to stations and along the platforms. Fare charts on the concourse will also display station names in these languages.

The principles of designing rail system maps are universal. For example, the various rail lines in system maps in Paris and Tokyo are identified by name and colour. However, minor differences do exist, e.g. information in Tokyo's system map is presented in both Japanese and English, while information in Paris' system map is in French only.

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