This is a contribution piece by Branson Lee, Kalam Rihan and Nicholas Kho Yieh Xian, students from Swiss Cottage Secondary School Class 3S1, on their thoughts and experience to the Singapore Rail Discovery Centre.

Group photo at Singapore Rail Discovery Centre
Source: SMRT

The trip to the Singapore Rail Discovery Centre was a unique and fruitful experience for our class. Our guides were welcoming and approachable which made our experience more enriching. The tour consisted of three main segments: past, current and future, immersing us in an entertaining and interactive experience.

Guided tour at Singapore Rail Discovery Centre
Source: SMRT

The first segment, which touched on the past, walked us down memory lane and the history of railways in Singapore. As history students, this no doubt piqued our interest.

The second segment, which is on the current state of railways in Singapore, provided us with valuable knowledge about key SMRT staff, their roles, and how hard they work late into the night to ensure our smooth commute. We were given an insight as to how the staff executed crisis management at the stations.

The third segment, on the future of SMRT, brought us to the future of the railway industry through an interactive heuristic programme, employing virtual reality (VR) technology. The experience was well received by the class.

Our thoughts for the tour was that it was incredibly interactive and very easy to understand due to the helpful guides. It was a relatively fun experience for us and we had learnt many things from this segment.

Learning how to assist wheelchair user on public transport during Caring Commuter Workshop
Source: SMRT

On the Caring Commuter Workshop, it served as a helpful and informative crash course on how we can assist commuters in need. Examples include people who were physically disabled, visually impaired and those who suffer from dementia. The course not only taught us to be altruistic and selfless, but also equipped us with the necessary skills to do so. The experience gave us knowledge to become gracious citizens who are able to care for others.

There was also a display of technology that aids commuters in need. An example was an app called NaviLens, which is a simple and easy to use app to provide audio guidance to allow those who are visually impaired to navigate safely through public transport nodes. Another way to help is to proactively guide those who might be physically disabled to their destinations, such as those in wheelchairs or with walking sticks. This is where we can exercise the knowledge learnt from the workshop to care and aid those in need. These initiatives came as a surprise to us as we were oblivious about these kinds of ways in which we could have been of help.

In a nutshell, the activity was memorable.