Service to be adjusted for weeks on Thomson-East Coast & Downtown lines due to rail expansion
Commuters who take both the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and Downtown Line (DTL) should take note that they will end early and start late on several upcoming weekends this year.
The service adjustments are to facilitate rail expansion works as both lines are set to add new stations soon, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in a news release on Tuesday (28 April).
7 weekends affected by TEL service adjustments
For the TEL, the service adjustments will occur over seven weekends from 22 May to 4 July.
On the following dates, trains will stop running at 11.30pm on Fridays and only commence operations at 8.30am on Saturdays.
Source: Land Transport Authority
Commuters should plan their journeys in advance and check the various transport apps and social media channels for updates.
Shuttle buses provided along TEL on Saturday mornings
On these Saturday mornings, alternative travel options will be provided in the form of shuttle buses to minimise inconvenience to commuters.
The three shuttle routes will operate between 5am and 8.30am and stop at key interchanges along the TEL, including Caldecott and Marina Bay stations, so commuters may switch to other lines.
Source: Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook
The fares for the shuttle buses will follow the same structure as the trains.
9 weekends affected along the DTL
On the DTL, nine weekends from 10 July to 5 Sept will be affected.
Similarly, service will end at 11.30pm on Fridays and begin at 8.30am on Saturdays.
Source: Land Transport Authority
Shuttle buses provided along DTL on Saturday mornings
Three shuttle bus services will also be provided along the DTL during the affected periods.
Operating between 5am and 8.30am on Saturday, the routes will stop at DTL interchanges including Bugis and MacPherson stations.
Source: Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook
Besides the shuttle buses, LTA encouraged commuters to use existing public bus services and alternative MRT lines to complete their journeys.
Service adjustments necessary before TEL & DTL rail expansion
The service adjustments are necessary before TEL Stage 5 (TEL5) and the DTL extension (DTLe) both open sometime in the second half of this year, LTA said.
TEL5 involves the addition of two stations at the end of the line — Bedok South and Sungei Bedok.
Source: Land Transport Authority
DTLe will also have two stations — Xilin and Sungei Bedok.
Source: Land Transport Authority
Sungei Bedok will connect the TEL and DTL, providing those in the east an alternative route to get to the city via MRT.
Source: Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook
Longer engineering hours needed for full tests
However, to facilitate the integration of new line segments into the existing network, a series of final systems integration tests must be conducted on both lines.
This means trains must be run across the entire length of both lines to the new stations, as well as launched and withdrawn from the new East Coast Integrated Depot (ECID).
To carry out full test runs, longer engineering hours are needed beyond what is already available each night, LTA explained.
LTA thanked commuters for their “patience and understanding” as it works to expand Singapore’s rail network.
Also read: New Changi Airport T5 MRT Interchange will connect TEL & CRL, with direct route to GBTB & Marina Bay
New Changi Airport T5 MRT Interchange will connect TEL & CRL, with direct route to GBTB & Marina Bay
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Featured image from MS News.
