Free MRT rides on TEL Stage 4 from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore during June 21 preview

SINGAPORE - The public can ride MRT trains for free along the seven new stations of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) at a preview on June 21 and take part in various activities, ahead of the opening of the fourth stage of the line on June 23.

The seven new stations of TEL Stage 4 are Tanjong Rhu, Katong Park, Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade, Marine Terrace, Siglap and Bayshore.

In a statement on June 10, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the public can access the stations during the preview on June 21 from noon to 9pm, by train or bus. 

If travelling there by train, passengers can take a free shuttle train service from Gardens by the Bay station to Tanjong Rhu station.

Shuttle trains will run at a frequency of about eight minutes.

To get on a shuttle train, passengers must alight at Gardens by the Bay station, go to the concourse level and tap out at the fare gates next to the passenger service centre to end their paid journey.

They will then have to follow signs leading them to the other end of the concourse and the shuttle train platform.

Separately, they can also take the Circle Line and alight at Stadium MRT station, and walk for 10 to 15 minutes via the Tanjong Rhu footbridge to Tanjong Rhu station. 

Alternatively, the public can take bus services, including 11, 30 and 158, that stop near or outside TEL Stage 4 stations.

All seven stations will host various games and activities for passengers during the public preview, said LTA. 

One highlight is the Friends of Land Transport booth at Marine Parade station, where the public can try their hand at being a train driver through a TEL train simulator.

Another activity is a meet-and-greet session with the Thoughtful Bunch.

Launched in 2014, the Thoughtful Bunch are characters that encourage passengers to spread graciousness to make train journeys more pleasant amid the daily rush.

The characters from the Thoughtful Bunch – Stand-Up Stacey, Move-In Martin, Give-Way Glenda, Bag-Down Benny and Hush-Hush Hannah – will be at various stations throughout the preview and will put on a special dance performance at Marine Parade station from 6pm on June 21. 

Meanwhile, at a Caring SG Commuters booth at Marine Terrace station, passengers can learn how to help people with mobility needs through simple acts, and find out more about various initiatives that make public transport more inclusive. 

The public can also buy exclusive merchandise specially curated to mark the opening of TEL Stage 4, such as T-shirts, at a pop-up store at Marine Parade station on June 21. 

The LTA said that from June 23, trains heading from Woodlands North to Bayshore station – across TEL Stage 1 to Stage 4 – will arrive every three minutes during peak hours and every six minutes at off-peak hours. 

The LTA and SMRT, the operator of the line, will “monitor the train loading and make necessary adjustments based on operational needs”, added LTA. 

Investment professional Dawn Tay, 43, who lives near Katong Park station, said her family will “definitely” check out the preview so her children, who study at CHIJ (Katong) Primary near Marine Terrace station, can learn to navigate the line before the new school term starts on June 24.

Educator Juliet Yuen, 36, who frequents Marine Parade and Marine Terrace to visit her family, said she will not attend the preview as it is on a Friday and she would have to take time off from work.

“It would have been better if it was on a Saturday, because it would be easier to head down with my kid,” she added.

The fifth and final stage of the TEL – comprising Bedok South and Sungei Bedok stations – is

slated to open in 2026.

 

The LTA had 

previously said TEL Stage 5 would be ready in 2025,

 a year later than the original 2024 deadline, due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The authority said in March that the delays had been further aggravated by the construction challenges of tunnelling near existing critical infrastructure.