MRT service from Tanah Merah to Expo to resume a day early on March 17
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LTA said the early resumption was made possible by good weather and effective coordination of teams on the ground.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
- East-West Line train service between Tanah Merah and Expo resumes on March 17, a day early due to good weather and effective coordination.
- This suspension was the last of three to connect the EWL to the East Coast Integrated Depot.
- The completed works enable the TEL to operate on two tracks, with a new extension to Changi Airport Terminal 5 planned.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Train services between Tanah Merah and Expo stations on the East-West Line (EWL) will resume a day ahead of schedule on March 17, after track work was completed early.
In a Facebook post on March 16, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said this was made possible by good weather and effective coordination of teams on the ground.
MRT service was supposed to be reinstated on March 18, after services between both stations were suspended from March 14 to facilitate works to disconnect train tracks linking the EWL to Changi Depot.
LTA said shuttle bus service S8, which is plying the route between Tanah Merah and Expo stations during the service adjustment, will continue running on the morning of March 17, but will stop operating in the afternoon.
It added that it has done comprehensive tests to ensure safe rail operations, including safety and ultrasonic checks on the tracks, power supply and signalling systems.
When The Straits Times visited the affected stations on the first day of the service changes on March 14, passengers seemed unfazed and were queueing in an orderly manner for the shuttle bus service.
This was the third and final planned service suspension to link the SMRT-operated EWL to the new East Coast Integrated Depot.
More than 600 LTA and SMRT engineers and contractors, as well as 250 ground staff members, helped to complete the works and assist passengers during the service adjustment.
The first suspension, from Dec 7 to 10, 2024, saw train services shut down between Tanah Merah and Tampines stations to start connecting the EWL to the new depot. Services were restored a day earlier than planned.
The second suspension, from Nov 29 to Dec 8, 2025, affected train services between Bedok and Tampines, as well as between Tanah Merah and Expo. This was to complete the remaining track connections to the depot and connect a new platform at Tanah Merah station. Work was also finished a day earlier than scheduled.
Shuttle bus service S8, which runs between Tanah Merah and Expo stations, will continue to operate on the morning of March 17 after train services are restored. It will be discontinued in the afternoon.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
The new platform will 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 an upcoming TEL extension that will pass through the future Changi Airport Terminal 5.
This extension is expected to be completed in the mid-2030s, when the new airport terminal opens.
The EWL is now linked to the new East Coast Integrated Depot, and completely disconnected from the older Changi Depot following the completion of the third round of works.
Construction on the new depot began in 2016. The facility, which is set to be fully operational in the second half of 2026, will house train depots serving the East-West, Thomson-East Coast and Downtown lines, as well as a bus depot, making it Singapore’s largest integrated rail and bus depot.
