If you're travelling on the SMRT rail network, you might have heard something new lately.

The rail operator has partnered local not-for-profit arts company, The TENG Company, to trial new melodic chimes in selected trains and station platforms.

The chimes indicate when trains are arriving and departing.

Aside from providing a refreshed sound for rail commuters, the new chimes also serve to provide aural cues for commuters who are visually-impaired.

Different melodic chimes

TikTok user @adiel_rusyaidi managed to catch these new chimes in action.

Here are a couple recorded at Somerset MRT Station for the arrival of the southbound train to Marina South Pier MRT Station and northbound train to Jurong East MRT Station:

@adiel_rusyaidiThe vibe these two melodies give off are so different! Probably to distinguish between the two train service directions♬ original sound - Adiel

And here's a chime that plays at Changi Airport MRT Station:

@adiel_rusyaidiHappy vibes when arriving in Singapore, but sad vibes when leaving♬ original sound - Adiel

And here are two different chimes that are played in the train. The first plays before the next station is announced while the second plays just as the train arrives at the station:

@adiel_rusyaidiIt's been a long time since SMRT tried out new chimes for their announcements 🤩♬ original sound - Adiel

Arranged from three local tunes

A lot of thought went into the composing of the new melodies.

According to co-founder of The TENG Company, Samuel Wong, the chimes were inspired by three local tunes: The Chinese children’s ditty 《三轮车》 (The Tricycle), the Malay folk song "Chan Mali Chan" and "Singai Naadu", the Tamil national day work composed and arranged by Shabir Sulthan.

"The pieces were chosen to reflect Singapore’s multiracial identity and are used to distinguish the various different lines (North-South, Circle and East-West respectively)," Wong wrote in a LinkedIn post.

If you're interested in what else went into the crafting of these melodies, Wong's LinkedIn post provides more insights into the research that The TENG Company did.

Enhancing inclusive travel experience

As you can hear, all the melodies are different. Some folks online have commented that they sound like the chimes played on trains overseas.

President of SMRT Trains, Lam Sheau Kai told Mothership that this initiative is meant to enhance the travelling experience of commuters, especially those who are visually impaired.

"We hope this initiative will enhance the inclusive travel experience of our commuters who rely on auditory senses for a safer and smoother travel within our public transport network," said Lam.

This pilot started on Oct. 29 and will run for three months.

The chimes will be played within selected trains and MRT station platforms when trains arrive and depart along the North-South, East-West and Circle Lines.

If you would like to hear these new chimes for yourself, here are the places where the trial is being implemented:

Cover image: @adiel_rusyaidi/TikTok