SINGAPORE - From Thursday (Dec 29), commuters on the Punggol LRT will be able to enjoy a more comfortable commute during peak hours with the introduction of two-car trains.

The two-car operations, which double the capacity of the trains to 204, will be employed on the east loop of the LRT line.

Two-car trains have been tested during off-peak hours since Dec 5. They will now run between 6.45am and 8.45am, and from 6.15pm to 8.15pm, during the morning and evening peak periods, and will be introduced on the west loop of the Punggol LRT line at a later date.

SBS Transit staff will be on-board the trains for the next few weeks to handle any potential technical problems.

"In the coming months when school re-opens, I think the capacity that is now afforded to residents will be very welcome," said Minister for Education (Schools) and Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng.

He was speaking at an event on Thursday which also marked the opening of the Punggol Point LRT station, the fifth station to open on the west loop of the line.

The station serves the nearby Ponggol Seventeenth Avenue residential estate, as well as upcoming Housing Board developments which are scheduled to be ready by 2021.

It also provides easier access to eateries at the nearby Punggol Settlement, as well as the Coney Island nature park.

There are two stations on the west loop of the LRT line which have not opened. The Samudera LRT station will open in March next year, while the Teck Lee station will open "in tandem with developments in the area", said SBS Transit and the Land Transport Authority in a joint statement issued on Thursday.

Mr Ng, a Member of Parliament for Punggol-Pasir Ris GRC, added that with the "increased vibrancy" of the Punggol area, the new stations will help improve connectivity for visitors and residents.