More MRT stations to open in the North come August 28

The second stage of the Thomson-East Coast MRT Line (TEL2) will start running on Aug 28, 2021.

The opening date was announced by Transport Minister S. Iswaran in a Facebook live feed, posted on LTA's page.

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This 13km-long second stage will comprise of six stations, namely: Springleaf, Lentor, Mayflower, Bright Hill, Upper Thomson and Caldecott (which connects to the Circle Line). Bright Hill Station will also serve as an interchange station with the Cross Island Line in the future.

The new stations will provide easier access to locations including Mount Alvernia Hospital, Thomson Plaza, Midview City and Mayflower Market and Food Centre.

The LTA estimates that about 100,000 households will be within a 10-minute walk from a station along TEL1 and TEL2 with the opening of the line's second stage. They can expect time savings of up to 50 per cent when travelling via these stations.

The LTA is currently in the final stages of systems testing and commissioning for TEL2. Tests are being conducted to ensure that the new TEL2 stations operate seamlessly with the existing TEL1 stations (Woodlands North, Woodlands and Woodlands South), which opened in January 2020.

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When fully opened, the 43km-long TEL will be Singapore's sixth MRT line, adding 32 new stations to the existing rail network, eight of which are interchange stations. When fully operational, TEL is expected to serve approximately 500,000 commuters daily in the initial years.

This article was first published in sgCarMart.