Circle Line tunnel works: Jeffrey Siow urges commuters to use alternative routes or shuttle buses

Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow has urged Circle Line commuters to consider taking other train lines or weekday shuttle bus services to get to their destination, as planned tunnel works on the line begin this Saturday (Jan 17) for three months.

While trains will continue to service the Circle Line, commuters at Paya Lebar, Dakota and Mountbatten stations may face longer journeys of up to 30 minutes more during weekday peak hours, he noted.

From Jan 17 to April 19, only one platform at these three stations will be in use as a segment of tunnels will be partially closed. Shuttle trains connecting the three stations will run at 10-minute intervals.

"If you can avoid taking this route, I suggest you do so. If there are alternative pathways along the train network, please try to take them," said Siow during a visit to Serangoon Circle Line station on Tuesday (Jan 13).

He raised an example of how commuters travelling from the northeast to the west could take the North East Line to Outram Park interchange station and then switch to the East-West Line instead of stopping at Serangoon station to take the Circle Line.

The wait for trains between Mountbatten and Marina Bay/Dhoby Ghaut will also increase to 10 minutes, while peak hour service frequency between HarbourFront and Paya Lebar stations will reduce slightly to three minutes.

Major interchanges on the Circle Line such as Bishan, Serangoon and Buona Vista stations are expected to be more crowded than usual.

To allow commuters to familiarise themselves with alternative routes, weekday shuttle bus services have been deployed since Jan 5, covering areas including Serangoon, Tai Seng and Paya Lebar.

SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai told members of the media on Jan 13 that an estimated 6,000 people have taken the shuttle services.

The train operator has also installed posters and banners at various locations around stations to alert commuters of the adjustments to train services. Queue poles have also been positioned at high human traffic areas.

About 500 staff will be stationed on the ground to assist travellers throughout the works period, said Lam, with slightly more staff deployed in the first week to ease the transition.

Wayfinding signage directing commuters to shuttle services have been put up at affected stations including Serangoon, which has a designated sheltered queue area for shuttle bus passengers.

Siow encouraged commuters to try out the shuttle bus services before the planned works begin to determine which route would be most suitable for them, and plan ahead for any additional travel time.

"I want to thank commuters for their understanding, because I know it is not easy for them to change their daily routines, but these works are necessary," added the acting transport minister.

"We will try to complete them as soon as possible with the least amount of inconvenience to our commuters."

A Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesperson said in December that 480,000 commuters on average are expected to be affected by the tunnel works.

The works will see steel plates installed at a stretch of tunnels between Paya Lebar and Stadium stations that are most affected by an issue called tunnel squatting, which occurs when underground tunnels built in soft soil become deformed when the soil above compresses.

The spokesperson said then that the affected areas had "minor defects" such as signs of water leakage.

"While we have addressed these issues, we decided to carry out precautionary strengthening works, to reduce the risk of affecting rail services if left unaddressed," they explained.

Experts have assessed that the tunnels between Paya Lebar and Stadium stations remain safe for operations.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com