Tanah Merah, Simei MRT stations to shut for 10 days as East-West Line connects to new depot
Shuttle buses will run between the affected stations during the closures, which are expected to impact about 180,000 commuters.
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SINGAPORE: Commuters in the east can expect longer travel times between Nov 29 and Dec 8, as Simei and Tanah Merah MRT stations will be closed to facilitate track connection works to a new train depot.
During this 10-day period, trains will not run between Bedok and Tampines stations, and between Tanah Merah and Expo stations.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Friday (Oct 3) that about 180,000 commuters will be affected.
To maintain connectivity, shuttle bus services will operate between the stations.
Shuttle bus 7 will ply between Bedok and Tampines stations at a frequency of three to five minutes, stopping at Tanah Merah and Simei stations en route.
Shuttle bus 8 will run between Bedok and Expo stations, stopping at Tanah Merah station en route, and operate at a 10-minute interval.
Commuters will pay the same fares for the shuttle bus as they would on trains.
“Commuters may wish to use existing public bus services to connect to alternative MRT lines like the Downtown Line (DTL) as an alternative,” LTA said.
Crowds are expected at affected MRT stations and bus stops, with journey times taking up to an additional 30 minutes, it added.
Normal services are scheduled to resume on Dec 9. At Tanah Merah station, a new platform will open for eastbound trains heading towards Pasir Ris, as the station undergoes works to become an interchange with the Thomson-East Coast Line.
This means that commuters travelling from Expo or Changi Airport and transferring at Tanah Merah towards Pasir Ris or vice versa will have to go down to the station concourse and then go up to the new platform – a change from the previous cross-platform transfer.
Westbound commuters heading towards Tuas Link will not be affected.
TRAINS TO RUN AT REDUCED FREQUENCIES
Other stations along the line will see reduced train frequencies during the 10-day period.
Between Paya Lebar and Bedok, trains will run every eight minutes during peak hours and for Bedok station, up to 17 minutes off-peak. Between Tampines and Pasir Ris, as well as Expo and Changi Airport stations, trains will run every five minutes.
Train frequencies at these stations have to be reduced because the track works prevent trains from turning around between eastbound and westbound tracks, LTA said.
Shuttle trains will operate back and forth along the same track between affected stations. This usually means longer waiting times, as trains cannot loop along the line as they normally do.
LTA advised commuters to plan their journeys in advance and check the MyTransport.SG mobile app, as well as LTA and SMRT’s social media channels, for the latest service updates.
SMRT staff will also be deployed at affected stations to assist commuters during the closures.
Commuters passing through the affected stretch of the East-West Line (EWL) are strongly encouraged to consider alternative MRT routes, which may offer shorter travel times, LTA added.
Alternative travel routes
From Pasir Ris to City:
- Take EWL to Tampines station and transfer to DTL.
- Take to Bugis station and transfer to the EWL to the city
- About 22 minutes more travel time
From Pasir Ris to Changi Airport:
- Take EWL to Tampines station and transfer to DTL
- Take to Expo station for transfer on EWL to Changi Airport
- About eight to 10 minutes more travel time
From Simei to city:
- Take shuttle bus 7 to Tampines station
- Take DTL to Bugis station for transfer to EWL to the city
- About 35 minutes more travel time
From Tanah Merah to city:
- Take shuttle bus 7 or 8 to Bedok station
- Take EWL to the city
- About 25 minutes more travel time
From Simei to Changi Airport:
- Take shuttle bus 7 to Tampines station
- Take DTL to Expo station for transfer on EWL to Changi Airport station
- About 20 minutes more travel time
From Tanah Merah to Changi Airport:
- Take shuttle bus 8 to Expo station
- Take the EWL to Changi Airport station
- About 10 minutes more travel time
Between Tampines, Simei, Tanah Merah and Bedok:
- Take shuttle bus 7 between the stations
- About 10 to 30 minutes more travel time, depending on the station
DEPOT CONNECTION TO IMPROVE RELIABILITY
The closure is part of ongoing works to connect the EWL to the East Coast Integrated Depot. This second phase involves 12 worksites, compared with just one during the first phase in December last year, which saw a three-day suspension of services.
“Given the greater extent of works compared to last year, a longer period of service adjustment is needed,” said LTA.
Works include connecting new tracks to existing ones, removing and shortening tracks, and installing a buffer stop to prevent railway vehicles from moving past the end of the line.
The 4.8km stretch requires uninterrupted closure to ensure safe installation.
To minimise the closure duration, LTA said it has completed preparatory works, such as viaduct structures and supporting works for the connection.
Connecting the EWL to the depot will contribute to the overall reliability of the rail network by providing an alternative launch point for trains, LTA said. This will allow greater flexibility in adjusting services and responding to incidents, it added.
Once completed, the depot will serve the EWL, Thomson-East Coast Line and Downtown Line, integrating three train depots and one bus depot.
Changi Depot, which currently serves the EWL, will be fully decommissioned in the final phase of works in the first half of next year, with operations fully shifted to the East Coast Integrated Depot.
