No train service for 10 days between Bedok and Tampines, Tanah Merah and Expo from Nov 29 due to track work

There will be no train service between Bedok and Tampines stations, as well as between Tanah Merah and Expo stations due to track work on the East-West Line (EWL) from Nov 29 to Dec 8.

Train frequencies between Paya Lebar and Bedok stations, Tampines and Pasir Ris stations, and Expo and Changi Airport stations will also be reduced, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and EWL operator SMRT on Friday (Oct 3).

This 10-day-long service adjustment is required so that work to connect EWL to the new East Coast Integrated Depot and operationalise a new platform at Tanah Merah station can be carried out.

And while the work spanning 4.8km of train tracks at 12 locations near Simei and Tanah Merah stations are ongoing, the two MRT stations will be closed to the public.

An estimated 180,000 commuters daily may be impacted by the station closures, said an LTA spokesperson.

To facilitate travel between the closed stretches of the EWL, about 79 shuttle buses will be deployed across the two routes.

Commuters travelling between Bedok and Tampines stations can take Shuttle 7 which is expected to arrive every three to five minutes, while Shuttle 8 will ply between Bedok and Expo stations at 10-minute intervals.

There will be no change in fares.

The LTA spokesperson added that the authority will monitor the demand for shuttle buses and, if needed, adjust the frequencies accordingly. Alternatively, commuters can use existing regular bus services between the closed stations.

LTA and SMRT said in the joint statement that the construction work will limit the trains turning around from eastbound to westbound EWL tracks and vice versa.

Hence, regular train service will not be available between Paya Lebar and Bedok stations, between Tampines and Pasir Ris stations, and between Expo and Changi Airport stations.

During the morning and evening peak hours, shuttle trains between Tampines and Pasir Ris stations as well as between Expo and Changi Airport stations will run every five minutes.

Meanwhile, shuttle trains between Paya Lebar and Bedok stations will run at a frequency of eight minutes.

When testing and commissioning works begin in the later part of the adjustment period, the eastbound platform at Bedok station will be used for test trains.

One platform will be available for passenger service. To deconflict train movement during this period, shuttle train headways at Bedok will be up to about 17 minutes during non-peak periods, said the LTA spokesperson.

Commuters heading to and from the city centre, or Changi Airport, are advised to use alternative routes such as the Downtown Line (DTL), with the Tampines and Expo stations being interchange stations.

To meet the projected increase in ridership on the DTL during the service adjustments, four more trains will be added during peak hours which is expected to reduce frequency on the DTL to just over two minutes.

Paya Lebar, Bedok, Tampines and MacPherson MRT stations and affected bus stops are expected to be crowded, and commuters could face longer travel times of up to additional 30 minutes.

LTA and SMRT urged the public to plan their journeys in advance and check the MyTransport.SG app for updates.

Posters on the service adjustments will be put up at MRT stations and a brochure on recommended alternative travel options will be available at passenger service centres. More SMRT staff will also be at affected stations to assist commuters.

New EWL eastbound platform at Tanah Merah station

When regular service resumes from Dec 9, EWL trains at Tanah Merah station heading towards Pasir Ris will operate from a new platform.

This means that passengers transferring to/from Changi Airport at Tanah Merah, who are travelling on the east-bound train towards Pasir Ris, must change platforms via the concourse.

This is because the existing platform currently used by eastbound trains will be modified to allow the extended Thomson-East Coast Line to operate from two tracks at Tanah Merah station.

Westbound commuters going towards Tuas Link from Tanah Merah will not be affected.

From Dec 9, trains will also be able to depart from the new East Coast Integrated Depot to the EWL, allowing for greater flexibility in adjusting service patterns and quicker response to incidents.

The transport authority and rail operator said preparatory work including supporting works for connecting of tracks as well as construction of viaduct structures have been completed to minimise the EWL closure duration.

They added that there will be a final round of train service adjustments in the first half of 2026 to fully decommission the Changi Depot, after train services are fully transferred to the East Coast Integrated Depot.

"We will continue to plan our works carefully to minimise inconvenience to commuters and will provide timely updates should further service adjustments be required," they said.

"We thank commuters for their understanding and patience during this train service adjustment period, as we continue to improve the resilience of our rail network and infrastructure."

Chia Choon Poh, group director of rail (electrical & mechanical) at LTA, said the construction work require extended service adjustments for safety reasons, and that the scale is "extensive".

"This complex undertaking is comparable to rewiring major road junctions such as introducing a cross junction into a straight road where work of this magnitude cannot be completed during short overnight windows."

Chia highlighted that it will benefit commuters in the long run.

"The additional platform at Tanah Merah will ease congestion and enable future operations that will provide seamless connectivity between airport terminals and the upcoming RTS Link to Johor Bahru," he added.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com