Thomson-East Coast Line Trains To Arrive Every 6 Mins During Off-Peak Hours Once TEL3 Opens

TEL3 Train Intervals During Off-Peak Hours Cut From 9 Minutes To 6

Come 13 Nov, 11 new Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) MRT stations will finally commence service.

And with these new stations, commuters will be glad to know that the off-peak train intervals will be cut down to six minutes for the entire line.

Here’s a summary of the latest updates we can look forward to once the new stations officially open.

Train intervals to be reviewed as TEL3 ridership increases

According to The Straits Times (ST), the off-peak hour train interval will be cut from nine to six minutes as phase three of TEL opens.

Train frequencies during peak hours – from 7am to 9am – will remain at five minutes.

For other MRT lines, trains usually arrive every two to three minutes during peak hours.

Train intervals during off-peak times are typically five to seven minutes.

As ridership on the TEL increases, LTA will be reviewing train frequencies.

Extensive testing on operating procedures & processes

Eleven new TEL stations from Stevens to Gardens by the Bay are set to open on 13 Nov, bringing the total number of stations available on the line to 20.

LTA and operator SMRT have been conducting extensive testing in anticipation of the increased train frequency and ridership.

To ensure the systems can cope, tests have been conducted using higher train frequencies than those used for passenger service.

A two-day stress test of TEL3 was also conducted in August using 180 workers, reported ST.

Mr Shahrin Abdol Salam, SMRT’s TEL managing director, said the line’s operating procedures and processes had been validated ahead of its opening.

TEL’s loud train noises being managed

During testing, issues like loud train noise have also been ironed out by smoothening uneven train tracks.

The louder-than-usual train noise was brought up by commuters who used the line after TEL2 opened in Aug 2021.

One Redditor even shared a photo of their Apple watch warning them about the loud noise, reaching 97 decibels between Mayflower and Lentor.

LTA director for rail (electrical and mechanical) Mr Yee Boon Cheow said noise measurements are conducted during tests.

But this is typically measured as an average reading rather than in specific instants.

For newer lines, they will take this feedback into consideration, reported ST.

Mr Yee shared that the noise issue on TEL1 and TEL2 stations is now being managed. They have since slowed down the train in certain stretches of the line.

Extensive testing for TEL3 began in August 2021 and has met various challenges, including Covid-19 restrictions.

But despite all the tests and simulations run, kinks might still emerge due to the various changes made to TEL3, said Mr Yee.

After all, railways are complex and unexpected things might crop up.

Nonetheless, LTA and SMRT are putting in the work and testing on TEL4, which is slated to open years away, has also started.

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Featured image by MS News.