Retired subway cars are transformed into shared hotels

Rail Transit Exhibition News Transforming a retired subway train into a shared hotel, achieving sustainable development through spatial transformation, and providing customers with a unique accommodation experience, Singaporean start-up Tiny Pod and Jurong Group (JTC) issued a joint statement on Thursday (April 11) announcing that the shared hotel, which was converted from SMRT's retired subway cars, is expected to be officially opened in September this year. The public can also enjoy a free tour of the train's exterior and access to the driver's compartment to see the equipment and systems inside.

The MRT is located in the parking lot next to the 69th office building in Ayer Rajah Crescent in the LaunchPad@one-north of One North.

The new concept metro car sharing hotel was developed by Tiny Pod and designed with the support of Jurong Group. The hotel has eight rooms, each with its own bathroom. The LCD display in the cab also shows a real-life image of the subway train passing through the tunnel when it was commissioned earlier, creating an immersive experience for guests.

The renovation of the Metro Hotel began in March and is expected to be operational in September. Spanning more than 200 square meters, the space outside the hotel will also be developed as a public leisure space, with renovated subway seats as outdoor public benches, as well as food and beverage vending machines and bicycle racks.

The original cockpit is free to visit

Tiny Pod Founder Sheh Leong Cheong said, "This retired train, which was given away free of charge by SMRT, is Singapore's first generation of MRT and has been in operation for about 25 years. The old train had six cars, and the front and rear two were the same cockpit, which is a place that all passengers usually can't enter, so I want to open it to more people for free. ”

He said that most of the passengers can only stay in the carriage and do not see the whole train, which is also a good opportunity for people to understand the subway. "In fact, the train is already one meter tall just by the wheels at the bottom, and the entire train is almost four meters high. I hope it can be a small museum in addition to being a hotel. ”

She Liangchang also pointed out that it is extremely difficult to convert the subway train into a hotel, so the price of the room has not yet been decided. "Our target customer base includes many foreigners who have started their own businesses in the Start-up Valley, so a kitchenette will also be built outside the hotel, including refrigerators, stoves, etc., to facilitate their daily life. ”

The MRT Hotel is an extension of Tiny Pod's launch of the Container Hotel in 2020, with the support of partners JTC, the Land Transport Authority, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Singapore Tourism Board. The hotel has also partnered with start-up igloo Home to install a smart lock system to ensure guests have privacy.

Rail Transit Exhibition Booth Reservation 

Rail Transit Exhibition Free registration for visit