No MRT service between Tanah Merah and Expo from March 14 to 17 due to upgrading works

SINGAPORE – There will be no train service on the East-West Line (EWL) between Tanah Merah and Expo stations from March 14 to 17, to facilitate works to

disconnect train tracks linking the EWL to Changi Depot

.

Commuters can take a shuttle bus between Tanah Merah and Expo, which will operate at intervals of about five to eight minutes during the affected period, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operator SMRT in a joint statement on Feb 20.

Passengers may also use existing bus services to connect to other MRT lines, such as the Downtown Line, they said. Expo station is also on the Downtown Line.

LTA added that train service between Expo and Changi Airport will run at seven-minute intervals during peak hours. Train service between Tuas Link and Pasir Ris will continue to operate as normal.

This will be the third and final planned service suspension to link the EWL to the new East Coast Integrated Depot.

The first suspension, from Dec 7 to Dec 10, 2024, halted train service between Tanah Merah and Tampines to begin connecting the EWL to the new depot.

The second, from Nov 29 to Dec 8, 2025,

suspended service between Bedok and Tampines,

as well as between Tanah Merah and Expo, to complete the remaining track connections to the depot and connect a new platform at Tanah Merah station.

Construction on the

depot began in 2016

. The facility, which is set to open 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.

Ms Mya Thu San, who works as a bartender at Changi Airport, takes the Tanah Merah-Expo route for her daily commute to work from Jurong East. “It will be quite inconvenient,” said the 22-year-old, who added that she will explore alternatives via the Downtown Line or relevant bus services for the four-day period.

Student Haylee Tan, 17, and her family live in the Tanah Merah area and use the route frequently to get to the airport for food and shopping. While she thinks the service suspension will not be a major inconvenience since she can take the bus, her family prefers the train route since it is faster.

She points out that the train service disruption might inconvenience tourists more, given how bus routes are typically more difficult to navigate than the train lines.

Ms Carolyn Seng, who is in her late 40s, takes the Tanah Merah-Expo route approximately once a month, to go to Changi Airport or the Expo.

Ms Seng, who works in urban planning, said the disruption would not impact her severely since it would “only be for four days”.

“As long as (the authorities) share the information upfront with the public in advance, it shouldn’t be a big problem,” she added.

Sengkang West LRT to operate on single loop for 6 months

Meanwhile, train service on the Sengkang West LRT line will operate on a single loop for six months, from April 19 to Oct 18.

This means there will be no service on the Sengkang West Inner Loop – via Cheng Lim station from Sengkang station – during this period, said LTA and Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) operator SBS Transit.

Commuters can use regular bus services or the Sengkang West Outer Loop via Renjong station, which will run entirely with two-car light rail vehicles (LRVs) to boost capacity, said LTA and SBS Transit.

A shuttle bus will also operate from Sengkang Bus Interchange on weekdays during peak hours – from 6am to 10am, and from 5.30pm to 9.30pm – to supplement LRT capacity. The shuttle will ply different routes in the morning and evening to better match travel patterns, LTA and SBS Transit said. It will run at intervals of about three to five minutes and charge the same fares as LRT journeys.

LTA and SBS Transit said extended engineering hours are needed to carry out major modifications to existing tracks, connect new tracks, and install and test signalling systems and equipment.

Commuters who board the shuttle buses before 7.30am or between 9am and 9.45am will continue to be eligible for the Travel Smart Journeys programme, which rewards those who travel outside peak hours.

The shuttle service will start on April 13, one week before the service adjustment begins. This will give commuters time to familiarise themselves with the service, said LTA and SBS Transit. Crowd marshals will also be on hand to assist commuters.

Junior college student Jian Yiya said that the seven-month closure of the Sengkang West LRT Inner Loop will cause her significant inconvenience. She takes the LRT loop when she is in a rush, or when it is raining, as it is the fastest and only sheltered route from her home to the MRT station.

“I don’t like taking the bus because I get motion sickness and it’s quite crowded,” added Yiya, who said a 20-minute walk will be another option for her during the seven-month period.

To meet growing demand on the SPLRT,

its fleet is being progressively expanded

. There are currently 25 one-car LRVs and 16 two-car LRVs.

Works are ongoing to

expand the SPLRT depot

to accommodate a larger fleet, which will eventually comprise 33 two-car LRVs.

Since July 2025, new two-car LRVs have been progressively introduced to replace the first-generation fleet. By end-February, seven new two-car LRVs will be in passenger service, said LTA and SBS Transit. The remaining 18 new LRVs will be deployed progressively after depot expansion works are completed in 2027.

To support the larger fleet, the SPLRT depot is being expanded from 3.5ha to 11.1ha.

Sengkang LRT, which opened in 2003, has 14 stations across two loops. It connects residents in the area to the town centre, Sengkang MRT station on the North East Line, and Sengkang Bus Interchange.