By Tony Ng

SMRT train services will be boosted to meet demand in the week leading up to and during the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, which will be held from September 26 to 28.

SMRT has anticipated an increase in ridership due to road closures before and after the F1 race.

From September 23 to 25, there will be an additional 36 train trips in the evenings, according to a press statement.

Commuters can also expect shorter waiting time of up to 1.5 minutes on selected timings. For instance, Northbound trains will arrive at a service interval of 4 minutes, compared to the current 5.5 minutes.

On race days, the number of trips will be increased by another 960 trips, thus shortening commuters' waiting time. To cater to nightowls, SMRT has also extended its train operating hours till 1.30 am.

Looking ahead, SMRT will add 83 extra train trips per week on the North-South and East-West lines in February 2008. This is to ease the peak hour crowds.