SINGAPORE — Seven new Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) MRT stations will start passenger service on June 23 this year, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat in Parliament on Tuesday (March 5).

The stations are — Tanjong Rhu, Katong Park, Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade, Marine Terrace, Siglap and Bayshore. 

"The (new stations) will improve connectivity and shorten travel times for residents in the east, such as those staying in Marine Parade and East Coast. Travelling from Marine Parade to Shenton Way will take 20 minutes via TEL, compared to about 40 minutes today," said Mr Chee during a debate on his ministry's budget.

Mr Chee added that the stations, which span 10.8km, are undergoing rigorous testing to ensure system resilience and reliability before commencing operations.

Once the stations have opened, around 235,000 households will be within a 10-minute walk from an existing TEL station, from Woodlands North to Bayshore. 

In a separate factsheet shared with the media, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said commuters will be able to travel along the new stations for free during an opening event on June 21. 

On the Punggol Coast Station, which is part of the North East Line extension project, Mr Chee said the station is on track to open by the end of this year. 

LTA said civil and structure works have been completed, and fitting-out works are progressing according to plan. Testing and commissioning activities are also ongoing.

Additionally, three other stations are expected to open in 2026, Mr Chee said.

These are Bedok South on the TEL, and Sungei Bedok and Xilin on the Downtown Line (DTL). Sungei Bedok, an interchange station, will link the TEL and DTL.

BUKIT PANJANG LRT UPDATES

The Bukit Panjang LRT, now undergoing major renewal works, will see two new trains being put into service once the works are completed in 2026. 

Mr Chee said early closures on Fridays and weekends, from late March to June, will be implemented to facilitate the testing of these new trains. 

He also announced that double-loop service on the network will resume from end-March during more time periods. Since December 2019, the LRT has operated on one counter-clockwise loop via Petir Station during off-peak hours.

In its factsheet, LTA said the dual-loop operations will commence on Saturdays at selected hours — 11am to 1pm and 5pm to 7pm. 

It added that the LRT's performance will be monitored closely after resumption "before deciding on further extensions to more off-peak hours, while continuing to run full dual loop services during peak hours on weekday mornings and evenings".

To help commuters adjust to the LRT service's early closures, LTA said commuters can take existing bus services that serve Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang to continue their journeys after 10.30pm. 

These include Services 67, 171, 920, 922, 960, 963, 972, 972M, 973, 974 and 976.

SENGKANG-PUNGGOL LRT ENHANCEMENTS

In its factsheet, LTA said works for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT enhancements will commence this month. 

Under this project, first announced in LTA's 2023 Rail Report last December, the platforms of Sengkang LRT Station will be upgraded to improve commuter flow.

Some of these enhancements include dedicated stopping locations for each of the four routes plying the station, a new tactile guiding system, as well as new signs and queue markings. 

The first of the 25 new two-car trains for the LRT network are expected to arrive in Singapore by the end of the year, said the authority. 

These new trains will replace the existing one-car trains and some of the two-car ones, increasing overall passenger capacity, LTA added.