MRT service from Bedok to Tampines and Tanah Merah to Expo will resume ahead of schedule on Dec 8
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The Land Transport Authority said it has completed comprehensive testing, including safety and ultrasonic checks on the tracks, power supply and train signalling systems.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
- East-West Line MRT services between Bedok and Tampines, as well as Tanah Merah and Expo, will resume on Dec 8, ahead of the initial Dec 9 schedule.
- The early resumption follows the completion of testing, including safety and ultrasonic checks, after a nine-day suspension for East Coast Integrated Depot connection works.
- Passengers using eastbound EWL at Tanah Merah towards Expo/Changi Airport must now change platforms via the concourse; a third, final suspension is planned for 2026.
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SINGAPORE – MRT service between Bedok and Tampines stations, and Tanah Merah and Expo, on the East-West Line (EWL) will resume on Dec 8 – a day ahead of schedule – after track work and testing were completed early.
Regular operations were initially slated to resume on Dec 9, as part of a 10-day service suspension to connect the line to a new rail depot. Work was also carried out on a new platform at Tanah Merah station.
In a Facebook post on the evening of Dec 7, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it had completed comprehensive testing, including safety and ultrasonic checks on the tracks, power supply and train signalling systems.
From Dec 8, passengers on the eastbound EWL service travelling from Tanah Merah towards Expo and Changi Airport should alight at Platform A, head down to the station concourse area – the level of the passenger service centre – and then ascend to get to Platform D.
This is a change from the previous set-up, where they could simply cross to the other side of the platform to board trains to Changi Airport.
Those heading towards Pasir Ris from Expo or Changi Airport should alight at Platform D, proceed down to the station concourse, and then ascend to Platform A to board the train.
Service at the affected stations, including Tanah Merah and Simei, was suspended from Nov 29 for work to connect the EWL to the new East Coast Integrated Depot, which is slated to begin operations in the second half of 2026.
Shuttle buses plied between affected stations during the suspension of train service.
EWL trains can now travel directly to and from the depot, allowing operators to better adjust service patterns and respond faster to incidents, said LTA.
Construction on the depot began in 2016. Once completed, the facility will house train depots serving the East-West, Thomson-East Coast and Downtown MRT lines, as well as a bus depot
On Dec 5, LTA said the wait for trains at Kembangan and Bedok stations on the EWL would be lengthened to about 17 minutes, as works entered the final stage.
This was because one platform was used for the live testing of trains and other systems.
Testing on the new tracks, as well as the third rail supplying power to trains, signalling and other systems, began on Dec 4.
About 880 people were involved in the round-the-clock works since they started at 1am on Nov 29, including engineers and contractors from LTA and EWL operator SMRT.
Around 280 employees from LTA, SMRT and SBS Transit, the other rail operator here, have been involved daily to help direct passengers.
In its post, LTA expressed gratitude to the teams for their work in replacing and testing the tracks, as well as assisting passengers during the scheduled shutdown.
The latest service suspension is the second of three planned, with the third and final one scheduled for the first half of 2026.
The first suspension, in December 2024, saw train service shut down between Tanah Merah and Tampines stations for similar work a day earlier
The new platform at Tanah Merah will eventually allow the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) to operate on two tracks. The 14km stretch between Tanah Merah and Changi Airport stations will become part of a new TEL extension, which will pass through the future Changi Airport Terminal 5.
The TEL extension is expected to be completed in the mid-2030s, when the new airport terminal opens.
