New MRT stations along Singapore’s Thomson East Coast Line

On June 23, 2024, seven new MRT stations along the Thomson-East Coast Line in Singapore will be opened to passengers.
These stations – Tanjong Rhu (Tanjong Rhu), Katong Park (Tanjong Katong), Marine Parade, Marine Terrace (Siglap) and Bayshore (Stage 4) – make up the TEL’s Stage 4.
Commuters will be able to preview the seven stations and travel free of charge along them during an opening event taking place on June 21, between 10am and 9pm. Nearer the date, more details will be posted on the Land Transport Authority (LTA’s) social media pages.
The Transport Ministry also shared plans to update the regulatory requirements for private-hire vehicles and taxis; and to enhance point-to-point service platforms.
The seven new TEL Stations will allow commuters to save up to 50% on travel time.
TEL will allow a resident of Marine Parade to travel to Shenton Way in 20 minutes, as opposed to the 40-minute trip by train and bus.
Around 235,000 homes will be within 10 minutes of a TEL station from Woodlands North up to Bayshore.
The Punggol coast station, which is part of the North-East Line Extension, should open before the end this year. The station will provide easy access to the Singapore Institute of Technology Punggol Campus, which is set to open in this year, as well as Punggol Digital District.
The Downtown Line (DTL) is expected to open its Hume Station in 2025. This will improve accessibility to the Rail Corridor Central.
In 2026, after the completion of Stage 5 for the TEL/DTL extension project, more stations – Bedok South interchange, Sungei Bedok interchange, and Xilin – will be opened. In 2026, the East Coast Integrated Depot is expected to be completed, with tunnels connecting to TEL and DTL, as well as viaducts for the East-West Line.
had previously announced the opening of these projects in 2025.
In 2026, three new Circle Line stations are also scheduled to open. Keppel Cantonment, Prince Edward and Prince Edward Stations will “close the circle” between HarbourFront and Marina Bay Stations.
To facilitate the integration work, one platform at each of Telok Blangah Station and HarbourFront station will be temporarily closed from now until May.
Bukit Panjang’s LRT will resume its dual loop operation on Mar 16, running Saturdays between 11am and 1pm, and 5pm and 7pm.
Since Dec 1, 2019 it has operated on a single loop in off-peak times to facilitate renovation works.
LTA stated that it would closely monitor the performance of the network before deciding if it should be extended to include more off-peak times. The full dual loop service will be offered during the weekday peak hours of mornings and evenings.
In the third quarter 2024, it is expected that two new trains will be introduced to the Bukit Panjang LRT. The 19 new trains will replace the first generation vehicles, which have been in use since 1999.
The second-generation vehicles, in conjunction with the new communications-based signalling system for train control, are currently being upgraded. The upgrade of more trains is expected to be completed and they will return to passenger service in the second half of this year.
Bukit Panjang LRT will stop at 10.30pm on Saturday, Sunday and Friday nights from March 22 to June 30. This is in order to facilitate the testing of new vehicles and system.
After 10.30pm, commuters may take the bus services 67, 171, 922, 960, 963,972, 972M, 973, 974, and 976. These buses serve Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang areas.

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For the Sengkang – Punggol LRT, work will start this month on improving commuter flow at the Sengkang LRT stations platforms. There will be dedicated stopping places for each of four routes that use the station.
Stations will be equipped with new queue markings and signs, as well as a tactile guide system that makes it easier to board and exit trains.
After undergoing tests, the first of 25 two-car trains will be delivered to Sengkang Punggol LRT by the end the year. They will then gradually be used for passenger service. The new trains will eventually be used to replace existing one-car and some existing two-car train, increasing the passenger capacity.
Eight out of 10 households are within 10 minutes from a station. We’re on track to reach our goal to expand the rail network by 2030 to 360km.
This will be done to update the regulatory requirements for private-hire vehicles and taxis. It will also ensure that the legislation is relevant, since tighter regulations can lead to a decline in taxi supply due to increased operating costs and rental rates.
Taxis less than three-years-old will be inspected once a year instead of once every six month, as per the new inspection frequency.
The inspection frequency for chauffeured cars older than 10 years will be reduced to every six months from the current annual inspection.
Diesel, petrol, and hybrid taxis’ statutory life expectancy will be increased to 10 years from the current 8 years.
The high costs and low usage rate of call booking services will no longer apply to smaller taxi operators.
ComfortDelGro will continue to offer these services.
To minimize the impact of service interruptions, authorities will also introduce baseline standard for P2P services platforms.
Within an hour after confirming that a “systemic event” could affect P2P services, operators must notify the LTA and commuters as well as drivers. The operators must submit a detailed report detailing the steps taken to resolve an incident.
Operators should also create and review their contingency plans regularly to ensure a timely recovery of service and minimize the likelihood of systemic incidents recurring.
Operators who plan to leave the market will also have their notification period doubled, because commuters and motorists may depend on these services for their livelihoods. Operators must inform LTA 120 days in advance of surrendering their license, up from 60 days.
The public must be informed at least 60 calendar days in advance of the suspension.
Authorities will also work closely with operators to improve their booking platforms. This will make it easier for commuters who need to specify if they require a car that has enough boot space for, for example, a folding wheelchair or child seat.
If these services are not available, the booking platform should indicate this so that commuters can cancel their booking and make a fresh one.