Singapore – To facilitate the construction work, there will be no train service on the East West Line (EWL) between Tanah Merah and Expo stations from March 14 to 17.

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The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operator SMRT said in a joint statement on February 20 that commuters can take advantage of shuttle buses between Tanah Merah and Expo, which will run approximately every five to eight minutes during the affected period.

Passengers can also use existing bus services to connect to other MRT lines, such as the Downtown Line. Expo Station is also on the Downtown Line.

LTA added that train services between Expo and Changi Airport will run every seven minutes during peak hours. Train services between Tuaslink and Pasir Ris will operate as normal.

This is the third and final planning service suspension Link EWL to the new East Coast unified warehouse.

The first suspension will be from December 7 to December 10, 2024, with train services between Tanah Merah and Tampines suspended. Initiate the connection between EWL and the new depot.

The second time will be from November 29th to December 8th, 2025.

This includes completing the remaining track connections to the depot as well as between Tanah Merah and Expo stations and connecting the new platform at Tanah Merah station.

construction of

. Scheduled to open in late 2026, the facility will include a train stop and bus stop serving the East-West Line, Thomson East Coast Line, and Downtown Line.

Mya Tu SanShe works as a bartender at Changi Airport and uses the Tanah Merah-Expo route for her daily commute from Jurong East. “It will be so very It’s inconvenient,” the 22-year-old said, adding that she would consider alternatives to using the Downtown Line or related bus services for four days.

Student Hayley Tan, 17, and her family live in the Tanah Merah area and often use this route to get to the airport for food and shopping. She doesn’t think the suspension is a big inconvenience because she can take the bus, but her family prefers the train because it’s faster.

She pointed out that the disruption of rail services could cause further inconvenience to tourists, given that bus lines are generally more difficult to navigate than rail lines.

Carolyn Sen, who is in her late 40s, uses the Tanah Merah-Expo route about once a month to go to Changi Airport and Expo.

Sen, who works in urban planning, said there would be no serious impact as the disruption lasted for “only four days”.

“As long as (authorities) share information with the public in advance, it shouldn’t be a big problem.” she added.

Meanwhile, train service on the Sengkang West LRT Line will operate in a single ring for six months from April 19 to October 18.

This means that there will be no service on the Sengkang West Inner Ring Line from Sengkang Station via Chiang Lim Station during this period, according to LTA and Sengkang Punggol LRT (SPLRT) operator SBS Transit.

LTA and SBS Transit said commuters can take either regular bus services or the Sengkang West Outer Ring Line via Renjong Station, which will be operated entirely by two-car light rail vehicles (LRVs) to increase capacity.

To supplement LRT capacity, shuttle buses will also operate from Sengkang Bus Interchange during peak hours on weekdays (6am to 10am and 5:30pm to 9:30pm). According to LTA and SBS Transit, the shuttles will operate different routes in the morning and evening to match travel patterns. It runs approximately every 3 to 5 minutes, and the fare is the same as LRT.

LTA and SBS Transit said extended engineering time is required for major renovations to existing lines, connections to new lines, and installation and testing of signaling systems and equipment.

Commuters who board shuttle buses before 7:30 a.m. or between 9 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. will be eligible for the Travel Smart Journeys program, which rewards those who travel during off-peak hours.

Shuttle bus service will begin on April 13, one week before the start of service adjustments. LTA and SBS Transit say this will give commuters time to familiarize themselves with the service. Traffic control personnel will also be on hand to assist commuters.

Jian Yiya, a junior college student, said the seven-month closure of the Xiankang West LRT Inner Ring Line would cause great inconvenience. When she’s in a hurry or when it’s raining, she takes the LRT loop line. This is because it is the fastest and only safe route from your home to the MRT station.

“I don’t like taking the bus because I get motion sickness and it’s quite crowded,” Iya added, adding that a 20-minute walk would be an option during the seven-month period.

To meet the growing demand for SPLRT,

. Currently, there are 25 one-car LRVs and 16 two-car LRVs.

construction is in progress

This is to accommodate a larger fleet, which will eventually consist of 33 two-car LRVs.

From July 2025 onwards, new two-car LRVs are being phased in to replace the first generation vehicles. According to LTA and SBS Transit, seven new two-car LRVs will be put into passenger service by the end of February. rest 18 The new LRVs will be deployed in phases after the depot expansion is completed in 2027.

To support larger vehicles, SPLRT’s depot is expanding from 3.5 hectares to 11.1 hectares.

The Sengkang LRT, which opened in 2003, has 14 stations across two ring lines. It connects residents in the area to the town centre, Sengkang MRT North East Line Station and Sengkang Bus Interchange.