GEIS-新闻详情

Trainspotting enthusiasts navigate security rules in pursuit of hobby

2024-01-17 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE – Engineering undergraduate Ethan Chia spends most of his free time on MRT platforms, sometimes with a camera in hand, but does not always board the train.

On some days, he plays a little game of hide-and-seek with station officers, whose duties include ensuring commuter safety, and making sure trains run on time.

When officers approach him, Mr Chia – a Nanyang Technological University student – assures them they have no cause for concern.

He, like other train enthusiasts or trainspotters, likes waiting to see or take a snapshot of trains they like.

Trainspotting – which mainly involves watching trains pass through a station – is a hobby with roots in countries like the United States and Britain, with a history of about 200 years.

Trainspotters keep track of train schedules and look out for distinctive rail features, sometimes taking photos and videos to document their findings.

Mr Chia, 25, said one aim of trainspotters in Singapore is to document older train models before they are phased out. They also preserve a record of the experience of riding existing train models.

Catch up on the news that everyone’s talking about

Thank you!

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and T&Cs.

He said: “We can grow up with the same rail asset that operates and ages with us through the years. We develop memories and eras as the years pass, with rail assets being introduced, refurbished or scrapped altogether.

“When a train retires, about 15 to 20 years of your childhood is gone and never to be experienced again first hand. You’ll only have your own bank of memories.”

However, trainspotters have had to make sure they do not flout any rules or raise security concerns in the pursuit of their hobby.

Although taking photos and videos in MRT stations is allowed, station staff have discouraged them from doing so because of security risks.

One incident that sparked a discussion in the trainspotting community recently involved a secondary school student who was filming his MRT ride on the North-South Line.

In a YouTube community post in September 2023, he said he was approached by station staff, who told him he could not film on the premises.

Even after he told them that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) does not prohibit filming in public access areas of MRT stations, the staff escorted him to the passenger service centre in Raffles Place.

He was then questioned by three TransCom officers, who asked why he was filming and if the station workers’ faces were filmed, too.

He was eventually let off after agreeing to blur out images of the employees.

Trainspotting is a hobby with roots in countries like the United States and Britain, with a history of about 200 years. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM LUNARTESTING23/YOUTUBE

In response to queries, an LTA spokesman said taking photos and videos at MRT stations, trains and bus interchanges is not prohibited, but people should “ensure that such activities do not interfere with operations, cause any inconvenience, or violate the privacy of other commuters”.

He added that transit staff may conduct interviews to ensure that photographs and videos taken are not malicious or intended for use in criminal activities.

“Our transit staff reserve the right to stop the activities and may ask for specific or whole photographs and video recordings to be deleted due to operational and security reasons,” he added.

SBS Transit spokeswoman Grace Wu echoed LTA’s concerns.

She said: “For this reason, interested parties are to write in to us with details of their activities for approval.”

SMRT did not respond to queries on what security protocols its front-line staff adhere to and when they decide to involve TransCom officers, but instead directed the paper to its frequently answered questions webpage.

According to the site, photos and videos taken on SMRT premises for personal and non-commercial purposes are allowed, while those who take footage meant for other uses must seek the operator’s written approval.

But some train enthusiasts said seeking prior approval can be difficult because trainspotting is at times a spontaneous activity.

Institute of Technical Education student Dante Huang, 22, has been trainspotting for a decade and said trainspotters are sometimes pleasantly surprised by things like train motor sounds, and want to document them.

The trainspotting community has been around for over a decade, with one group on Facebook boasting 9,600 followers.

While previous generations of trainspotters would camp out to wait for trains, Mr Chia said the trainspotting scene has since evolved.

He said: “Instead, trainspotting is something more integrated within our daily commute to and from home, school, office and play”, which makes it particularly frustrating when station staff treat them as threats.