Punggol Coast MRT station on North East Line to open for passenger service on Dec 10

SINGAPORE – Punggol Coast MRT station, an extension from the existing Punggol station on the North East Line, will open for passenger service on Dec 10 at 3pm, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Oct 10.

With this addition, Punggol Coast station will be the terminal station of the 22km North East Line, taking its total number of stations to 17.

Located in the

Punggol Digital District,

the new station will improve transport connectivity for more than 28,000 employees in the JTC Business Park.

It will also benefit some 12,000 students from the Singapore Institute of Technology’s (SIT) Punggol campus as well as those visiting the upcoming Punggol Coast Mall, which is being completed in phases from September.

The SIT campus will have access to one of Punggol Coast station’s exits at its doorstep, while the other exit will be located along New Punggol Road.

LTA added that the station, situated beneath the district’s Nexus community plaza, is within walking distance of the Punggol Coast bus interchange, and will house more than 300 bicycle parking spots.

Punggol Coast station will be opened officially on the morning of Dec 10, before passenger service starts at 3pm.

Construction of the station started in 2018,

and it was handed over to rail operator SBS Transit in August.

SBS Transit, which runs the North East Line, has since been carrying out operational tests to prepare for the station’s opening.

The operator is testing new train timetables as Punggol Coast station will be the line’s new terminal station, said SBS Transit spokeswoman Grace Wu.

The other tests include ensuring that core systems and equipment, such as the passenger information display screens, public announcement system, fare gates, lifts and escalators, are in good condition.

In November, the operator will carry out an exercise with parties such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force at the new station, which will simulate disembarking passengers onto the tracks to ensure readiness in an emergency, said Mrs Wu.

With the new station, more than 200,000 households will be within a 10-minute walk from a station along the North East Line.

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post on Oct 10 that the new station will benefit Punggol residents who travel to the central region.

For example, passengers will take about 45 minutes to get from Punggol North to Outram Park on the North East Line, compared with the current 60-minute journey that includes a bus ride from Punggol North to Punggol station.

Initially slated for completion in 2023, the new station was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was later announced that it would be operational by the end of 2024.

Passengers The Straits Times interviewed are looking forward to the shorter commutes.

Mr Jeryl Teo, a third-year SIT student, welcomed the station’s upcoming opening, which could significantly shorten the journey from his home in Woodlands to his university campus in Punggol.

It takes the 25-year-old, who studies computer science in interactive media and game development, around an hour and 40 minutes to get to school now. The journey includes a bus ride from te Punggol Temporary Interchange in Punggol Central to the campus, but this bus service is often too crowded to board, he said.

He added that it would be more convenient with the opening of Punggol Coast station as trains arrive at more frequent intervals and can help lessen the load on the bus service.

Mr Sutheshnaidu Supramaniam, a third-year SIT engineering student who travels to the campus in Punggol twice-weekly for co-curricular activities, was happy to hear about the opening of Punggol Coast station. He said it was earlier than expected.

On days when he has lessons at SIT’s Singapore Polytechnic campus, the 22-year-old said he plans to take the East-West Line from Dover station, before transferring to the Circle Line, and then the North East Line, to get to the Punggol campus via the new MRT station.

But on other days when he heads to the Punggol campus from his home in Pasir Ris, Mr Sutheshnaidu said he would still cycle for 30 minutes from his home.

SIT’s move to Punggol, which started in 2024, is expected to be completed in early 2025.