the mass rapid transit system, commonly known as the mrt, is a rapid transit system that makes up the railways in singapore, covering most of the city-state. following two decades of planning, the system began operations in november 1987 with 5 stations spread over of track. the network has since grown quickly in accordance with singapore's aim of developing a complex rail network as the core of the country's public transportation system, averaging a daily ridership of 3.384 million in 2019.