Skip to main content
Hack for Public Good
  1. Home
  2. 2025 projects
  3. OnTrack
Transport

OnTrack

10 February 2025

Keeping Commuters OnTrack with alternative route planning when trains go off track

🚆 Get back OnTrack—even when trains go off track! Try our prototype and share your feedback! 🔗

Problem Statement

Singapore’s MRT system, the backbone of daily commutes, faced its worst disruption in its 37-year history in 2024: a 6-day shutdown of stations on the East-West Line (EWL) that affected 2.6 million passengers, and exposed critical gaps in crisis response during times of confusion.

While train operators provide updates, these are often delayed or lack alternative route suggestions, leaving commuters scrambling for solutions. Information is also scattered across multiple sources including various social media platforms and news sites.

Current public transport apps focus on static route planning rather than real-time disruption handling, making it difficult for users to proactively adjust their commutes. We saw an opportunity to bridge this gap with OnTrack—a web app that reroutes commuters in real-time when disruptions occur.

Product Goals

OnTrack was built to keep Singapore moving during MRT disruptions by:

🚆 Delivering instant disruption alerts to keep commuters informed in real time.

🔀 Providing smart alternative routes using buses, unaffected train lines, and walkable connections.

⏳ Reducing delays with live updates, dynamically adjusting routes based on real-time transport data.

Research and Approach

To build OnTrack, we conducted surveys and interviews to understand three key areas:

  1. Commuters’ pain points during MRT disruptions

  2. LTA and Public Transport Operators’ (PTOs) communication workflows

  3. Gaps in existing solutions for real-time disruption updates and alternative route planning


Key Findings

🚆 Commuters’ Experience During Disruptions

  • Surveyed MRT commuters to gauge their satisfaction with current disruption updates

    • Satisfaction with existing communication during train disruptions was 3.65/6, with most commuters relying on news sources but were frustrated by the time-lag and text-heavy updates

    • They wanted a centralised platform to:

      • Check for disruptions before heading out

      • Confirm when disruptions are resolved

      • Find alternative travel routes

  • Interviewed commuters affected by the Sep 2024 East-West Line (EWL) disruption

    • Finding alternative routes was the biggest pain point, especially for those traveling to unfamiliar locations

    • Crowd levels matter—commuters want to know which routes are least congested

🎤 Insights from MRT Station Staff

  • Interviewed staff across 5 disrupted stations to identify common commuter queries:

    • “Is the train really disrupted?” – Many commuters asked staff to confirm service status, even after services resumed

    • “How do I get to…?” – Commuters sought directions to their destinations, bridging buses, and taxi stands

    • Who asks for help? – While some stations saw more elderly commuters asking questions, others reported inquiries across all age groups

🏛️ Understanding LTA’s Approach

  • Spoke with LTA Land Transport Operations Centre to identify communication gaps and explore solutions:

    • Current communication sent out by operator is text-heavy and not intuitive for commuters

    • Many commuters need assistance with finding alternative routes at affected stations, and additional LTA and PTO staff need to be deployed to address these bottlenecks

    • LTA explored integrating real-time trip planning with Google Maps, but costs and feasibility were barriers

Solution

OnTrack is a web app that helps commuters navigate MRT disruptions smoothly in real-time. 

Add your alt text here

Key features include:

  • Centralised crisis communication into one platform, replacing fragmented alerts. Displays disruptions in a clear, easy-to-read format with minimal text clutter.

Add your alt text here

  • Alternative Route Suggestions: Provides dynamic real-time alternative routes using unaffected train lines, buses, and walkable connections.

Add your alt text here

Outcomes and Impact

We conducted user testing and obtained user feedback with 90 users (across Demo Day and Interviews). Broadly, we received the following results:

🚆 80 users tested the prototype, with 100% saying they would use it during train breakdown.

💡 Users particularly valued the alternative route planning function, which helped them to plan the journey to their intended destination while avoiding affected stations entirely.

Next Steps and Future Vision

Our key next step is to partner with LTA and transport operators to test OnTrack during a live disruption to gather authentic commuter feedback and refine the user experience.

We are also exploring with users the demand for enhanced features including:

  • Bridging Services: Include information on bridging services (crowd levels and where to board)

  • Live Crowd Insights: Avoid crowded buses or transfer points by seeing real-time congestion levels.

  • Smart Notifications: Commuters can opt to be notified on their usual route and OnTrack will send notification to commuters before they start their journey if an issue is detected..

🚆 Get back OnTrack—even when trains go off track! Try our prototype and share your feedback! 🔗

Meet the Team

Hsu Zhong Jun | Kaylynn Lim | Pan Yumo | Zhong Liang Ou Yang

Back to top