CCL tunnel work to finish early; shorter weekend rail service from April 11 to May 17 for Stage 6 tests

SINGAPORE – Regular MRT services on the Circle Line (CCL) will resume on April 10, as tunnel strengthening work is set to conclude earlier than the original April 19 schedule.

But from April 11, passengers will face shorter weekend service hours across the line for just over a month, to allow testing ahead of the CCL’s final stage opening.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on March 26 that work to reinforce the underground tunnels between Mountbatten, Dakota and Paya Lebar stations on the CCL will wrap up earlier, as teams gained familiarity with complex work processes and achieved time savings as a result.

Speaking to reporters at Dakota MRT station on the morning of March 26, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said the work has been progressing very well, which is why regular MRT services can resume earlier.

Four peak-period shuttle bus services plying affected stretches of the line will continue to operate, but at reduced frequency from April 10 to 13. They will stop operations after that.

Final system integration testing work will get under way to prepare for the opening of the sixth and final stage of the CCL. This stage, which will close the loop between HarbourFront and Marina Bay stations, is set to open in the middle of 2026.

To facilitate these works, train services on the entire CCL will end earlier at 11pm on Saturdays and start later at 9am on Sundays from April 11 to May 17. This means services will end about an hour earlier on Saturdays and start up to three hours later on Sundays across those weekends, said Mr Siow.

Based on the website of CCL operator SMRT, the last train currently leaves Dhoby Ghaut at 11.35pm on Saturdays and the first train departs at 6.07am on Sundays.

From HarbourFront station, the last train leaves at 11.18pm on Saturdays, while the first train sets off at 5.47am on Sundays.

Shuttle bus services will be available from 5am to 9am on Sundays. Shuttle 36 will operate between HarbourFront and Bishan stations at intervals of seven to 10 minutes, and shuttle 37 will run between Bishan and Promenade stations every three to five minutes.

Passengers will pay the same fares for the shuttle buses as they would if they took the MRT, said LTA.

They may experience up to 30 minutes of extra travelling time during the service adjustment.

Mr Siow noted that after the testing period, or some time in the middle of the tests, the authorities will be able to give a “fixed date” on when CCL Stage 6 can open.

The early closure and late opening will provide the engineering hours needed for safe and rigorous testing and commissioning of the train systems, added LTA.

The system tests can be carried out only after the tunnel strengthening work between Mountbatten and Paya Lebar stations is completed as they require the entire CCL to be available, noted the authority.

Mr Xu Yao Guang, who lives near Dakota station, said the service adjustment may affect his weekend plans.

He said he may take the bus instead to get around the late openings on Sundays, though he will not be affected by the early closure on Saturdays since his family returns home much earlier than 11pm.

The 39-year-old, who works in marketing, described the adjusted operating hours on Saturdays and Sundays as “reasonable”.

On whether these service adjustments will become the norm in future, Mr Siow said doing maintenance in an extended fashion is fairly normal.

This is because the regular maintenance period of three or four hours every night is insufficient to complete major works.

LTA added that when the CCL Stage 6 extension is completed, it will improve connectivity and result in shorter travels and greater convenience to passengers.

This new stretch comprises three new underground stations – Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward Road.

Since Jan 17, the tunnel strengthening work has led to slightly longer waits between trains along the entire length of the CCL. Trains are running on a single platform at 10-minute intervals connecting Mountbatten, Dakota and Paya Lebar stations – longer than the regular three-minute frequency.

The 20-station stretch between HarbourFront and Paya Lebar is seeing peak-hour intervals rise from two to three minutes. Train intervals between Mountbatten and the Dhoby Ghaut and Marina Bay stations have also increased from six to 10 minutes.

The tunnel reinforcement work needed to be carried out as the stretch of tunnels between the affected stations was built in soft marine clay, making it more prone to deformation.

Minor defects such as water leaks had already surfaced, and more than 300 steel rings are being added to reinforce the circumference of the tunnels.