With eleven new MRT stations officially opening along the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) on November 13, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has made a historic step to improve public transport.
These 13.2 km stations span Stevens, Napier, Orchard Boulevard, Orchard, Great World, Havelock, Outram Park, Maxwell, Shenton Way, Marina Bay, and Gardens by the Bay. As the LTA, in a recent media factsheet, emphasises, four of these stations would act as interchange hubs, deftly linking TEL commuters to all current MRT lines.
Orchard Station will link to the North-South Line, and Stevens Station will link to the Downtown Line. Three-line interchanges consisting of Outram Park and Marina Bay stations will link Outram Park to the East-West Line, North-East Line, and Marina Bay to the North-South Line and Circle Line.
Emphasising the value of this achievement, Transport Minister S Iswaran said, “This is an essential addition to our MRT system. Through interconnectivity for commuters in Singapore, the 11 stations feature crucial sites of intersection with current lines, enhancing resilience and convenience.
These eleven stations comprise Stage 3 of the TEL. Two more stations under Stage 3, Mount Pleasant and Marina South, will open later, dependent on the completion of surrounding residential complexes. Starting in August 2021, Stage 2 consists of six stations from Springleaf to Caldecott, following the inauguration of three stations in Woodlands in 2020 as part of Stage 1.
Update: Residents of Hillock Green will be delighted to know that they are 3 minutes walk away from Lentor MRT and just 8 stations ride to Orchard Road.
Thanks to the new stations, more than 180,000 homes will now be within a 10-minute walk of one of the 18 TEL stations, which span Woodlands North to Gardens by the Bay. The LTA pointed out that travel times would be much reduced. For example, a homeowner of Bright Hill heading to Gardens by the Bay will find their trip time dropped from 65 minutes to just 40 minutes using the TEL.
Furthermore, sections of the TEL run parallel to the North-South Line, reducing the commuter burden on the NSL and improving general network effectiveness.
Originally, the TEL—consisting of thirty-two stations with eight interchange stations—was scheduled to fully run by 2024. However, the COVID-19 epidemic and a later system assessment following a signalling fault disturbance in December 2020 caused delays in Stage 2’s opening.
Stage 4, planned to open in 2024, comprises eight stations, including Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade, and Siglap. The final Stage 5, which comprises Bedok South and Sungei Bedok stations, should be operational by 2025.
Looking back, Mr Iswaran said, “We started with five stations in one line 35 years ago. We have 190 stations today and keep building. Improving our MRT system is a component of an overall plan to make public transit a handy, accessible, and greener choice for every Singaporean, hence improving the liveability of our city.
This MRT network extension marks a major step towards a more linked, effective, and robust public transport system in Singapore. Apart from reducing travel times, the new TEL stations will strengthen the city’s overall resilience to transport disruptions.
