Circle Line tunnel works set to finish early by April 10, final prep for stage 6 opening begins

Regular train services on the Circle Line will resume on April 10, nine days earlier than planned, as reinforcement works on a stretch of twin tunnels can be completed ahead of schedule.

A massive, round-the-clock project to install steel plates along a segment of tunnels between Paya Lebar and Stadium MRT stations has been ongoing since Jan 17.

"As the teams involved gained familiarity with the complex work processes, they achieved some time savings, especially during the latter phases of works," said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and train operator SMRT on Thursday (March 26).

With the help of robotics, workers have finished installing all the steel plates needed to strengthen the stretch of tunnels that are most affected by an issue called tunnel squatting.

This refers to when underground tunnels built in soft soil, such as marine clay, become deformed when the soil above compresses.

Finishing works, including welding works and testing of trains, are currently in progress.

When full train services resume on April 10, the four weekday peak period shuttle buses will continue running, but at reduced frequency. 

Shuttle bus services will stop after April 13.

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Weekend service adjustments to prepare for CCL6

Speaking to the media at Dakota MRT station on Thursday, Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow said Circle Line Stage six (CCL6) is on track to open in the middle of 2026.

"What we have to do before then is to complete one final round of systems testing,
and this is for the whole physical line," he explained.

Circle Line Stage 6 comprises of three new stations between HarbourFront and Marina Bay stations — Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward Road stations.

To facilitate the testing and commissioning works, which will integrate the CCL6 systems with the existing network, the start and end time of train services will be adjusted on the weekends.

From April 11 to May 17, train service for the entire line will end earlier at 11pm on Saturday nights, and begin later on Sunday mornings at 9am.

On Sundays, two shuttle bus services will ply the roads between all stations from 5am to 9am, said LTA and SMRT.

Shuttle 36 will operate between HarbourFront and Bishan stations at intervals of
seven to 10 minutes, while Shuttle 37 will run between Bishan and Promenade stations at intervals of three to five minutes.

Commuters may experience additional travel time of up to 30 minutes, and are advised to plan their journeys in advance and consider alternative routes.

"Once [the testing works] is completed, the whole of the CCL will be complete, and commuters will be able to enjoy service as planned. This is something that we're all looking forward to," Siow said.

The opening date of CCL6 will be revealed at a later date.

@asiaone Early closures on Saturdays and late starts on Sundays will begin on April 11 to May 17 for the final preparations of CCL6 opening. #SMRT #LTA #MRT #publictransport ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com