Thomson–East Coast MRT line


Thomson–East Coast Line
Logo of the Thomson-East Coast line
Platforms of Bayshore MRT station, the current eastern terminus of the line
Platforms of Bayshore MRT station, the current eastern terminus of the line
Overview
Native nameMalay: Laluan MRT Thomson-Pantai Timur
Chinese: 汤申-东海岸地铁线
Tamil: தாம்சன் - ஈஸ்ட் கோஸ்ட் எம்ஆர்டி வழி
StatusOperational (Stages 1–4)
Under construction (Stage 5)
Under planning (extension to Changi Airport)
OwnerLand Transport Authority
LocaleSingapore
TerminiWoodlands North
Bayshore
Sungei Bedok (2026)
Tanah Merah (2040)
Stations32 (27 operational, 2 under construction, 3 unopened)
Service
TypeRapid Transit
SystemMass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
Services1
Operator(s)SMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Corporation)
Depot(s)Mandai
East Coast (2026)
Rolling stockKawasaki–CRRC Qingdao Sifang T251
Daily ridership160,000 (February 2023)[1]
History
Planned opening2026 (Stage 5)
2028 (Founders' Memorial MRT station)
2040 (extension to Changi Airport)
Opened31 January 2020; 4 years ago (2020-01-31) (Stage 1)
28 August 2021; 3 years ago (2021-08-28) (Stage 2)
13 November 2022; 23 months ago (2022-11-13) (Stage 3)[a][2]
23 June 2024; 4 months ago (2024-06-23) (Stage 4)
Technical
Line length40.6 km (25.2 mi) (Operational)
2.2 km (1.4 mi) (Under construction)
CharacterFully underground[3]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification750 V DC third rail[4]
Operating speed100 km/h (62 mph)
Route map

Legend
Johor Bahru–Singapore Link
to Bukit Chagar
 RTS 
 TE1 
Woodlands North
 NS9 
■
North–South Line
to Jurong East
 TE2 
Woodlands
 TE3 
Woodlands South
 TE4 
Springleaf
Seletar Expressway
 TE5 
Lentor
 TE6 
Mayflower
Kallang River
 CR13 
■
← to Jurong Lake District
to Aviation Park →
 TE7 
Bright Hill
 TE8 
Upper Thomson
■
Circle Line
to Dhoby Ghaut or Marina Bay
 CC17 
 TE9 
Caldecott
■
Circle Line
to HarbourFront
 TE10 
Mount Pleasant
Pan Island Expressway
 DT10 
■
← to Bukit Panjang
to Expo →
 TE11 
Stevens
 TE12 
Napier
 TE13 
Orchard Boulevard
 TE14 
Orchard
 NS22 
 TE15 
Great World
Singapore River
 TE16 
Havelock
Central Expressway
■
East–West Line
to Tuas Link
 EW16 
 TE17 
Outram Park
 NE3 
■
← to HarbourFront
to Punggol →
 TE18 
Maxwell
 TE19 
Shenton Way
 NS27 
 CE2 
■
← c.w. via Prince Edward Rd
to HarbourFront →
■
North–South Line
to Marina South Pier
 TE20 
Marina Bay
 TE21 
Marina South
 TE22 
Gardens by the Bay
Marina Reservoir
 TE22A 
Founders' Memorial
East Coast Parkway
 TE23 
Tanjong Rhu
 TE24 
Katong Park
 TE25 
Tanjong Katong
 TE26 
Marine Parade
 TE27 
Marine Terrace
Siglap Canal
 TE28 
Siglap
 TE29 
Bayshore
 TE30 
Bedok South
 TE31  DT37 
Sungei Bedok
 CG   EW4 
Tanah Merah
■
East–West Line
to Pasir Ris
Sungei Bedok
E.C. Integrated Depot
 CG1 
Expo
 DT35 
■
Downtown Line
to Bukit Panjang
East Coast Parkway
 CG2 
Changi Airport
Changi Airport T5
This diagram:

The Thomson–East Coast Line (TEL) is a high-capacity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore. Coloured brown on the rail map, it is fully underground. When fully completed, the sixth line on the country's MRT network will serve 32 stations around 43 kilometres (27 mi) in length, becoming one of the world's longest driverless rapid transit lines. It runs along a combined north–south and east–west corridor, starting in the north at Woodlands town, passing through Upper Thomson and the towns of Ang Mo Kio and Bishan, heading south to the city-centre at Orchard Road and Marina Bay, subsequently heading eastwards along the eastern coast of the country through Kallang, Marine Parade and southern Bedok before ending at Upper East Coast.

The line was first announced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on 15 August 2014, merging the previously planned and distinct Thomson (TSL) and Eastern Region (ERL) lines. By then, construction of the TSL had already begun in January 2014. The line is being opened in stages, beginning with Stage 1[b] on 31 January 2020. Stage 2[c] opened on 28 August 2021 and Stage 3[d] opened on 13 November 2022. Stage 4[e] opened on 23 June 2024 while Stage 5[f] is scheduled to open sometime in 2026. Meanwhile, Mount Pleasant and Marina South stations, which were structurally completed as part of Stage 3, remains non-operational due to the perceived lack of developments in the area at this given time.

In January 2019, an infill station known as Founders' Memorial was announced to complement its namesake, with the LTA additionally considering to integrate the Changi Airport Branch that is currently a part of the East West Line (EWL) into the TEL. When fully opened, it is expected to serve about 500,000 commuters daily in the initial years before rising to one million in the long-term. It is the fourth MRT line to be operated by SMRT Trains Ltd and also the fourth to be completely automated and driverless. The line is currently served by Mandai Depot, with the East Coast Integrated Depot opening in 2026, and services are operated by the T251 electric multiple unit (EMU) rolling stock manufuactured by Kawasaki–CRRC.[5]

New and improved signage was introduced to alI stations along the TEL, which saw less text and wordiness in place of more illustrations and visualisations. Moreover, ever since the TEL began operations, all the other MRT lines on the wider network have since been represented by their initials in addition to the exits being represented numerically rather than alphabetically.[6]

History

[edit]

Thomson Line

[edit]
Construction of [[Woodlands MRT station]] of the TEL in 2017.
Construction of TEL's Woodlands station in 2017

The Thomson Line (TSL) was first announced on 25 January 2008. Several architectural and engineering consultancy packages were released in 2010 which indicated an increase in the number of stations from 18 in the initial announcement to the current 22 and length of the line from 27 to 30 km (17 to 19 mi).[7]

On 16 June 2011, LTA announced the location of the depot for the line, which was due to begin construction at the end of 2012. It also announced Woodlands as an interchange with the existing North South Line and an additional station located near to Republic Polytechnic.[8]

On 29 August 2012, it was announced that the completion of the TSL was pushed back to 2019 onwards instead of the indicative timeline of 2018 announced in the Land Transport Masterplan.[9]

Construction of the TSL began in January 2014.[10] The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 27 June that year at Woodlands. All the working station names were confirmed as the final names except for Sin Ming station which was changed to Bright Hill.[11]

Eastern Region Line

[edit]
Construction site of Marine Parade station on the TEL in 2022
Construction site of Marine Parade station in 2022

The Eastern Region Line (ERL) was first announced on 23 October 2001.[12] In its preliminary plans, ERL was to have been a 40 kilometre rectangular loop that would complement the existing East West line and enhance inter- and intra-town travelling in the eastern region. It would have looped around the Jalan Besar and East Coast areas, intersecting the Circle Line and other lines along the way, benefiting residents in Tampines, Bedok, Marine Parade, MacPherson and Kaki Bukit.[13] The northern part of the Eastern Region Line became the third stage of the Downtown Line. The southern part of the Eastern Region Line became the East Coast stretch of the Thomson-East Coast line. Sungei Bedok would become an interchange between the Downtown and the Thomson-East Coast lines.

On 11 July 2012, Josephine Teo, Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport, announced that the Land Transport Authority is starting architectural and engineering consultancy studies for the Eastern Region Line, which will eventually connect to the Thomson Line.[14]

The director of rail services from LTA, Melvyn Thong, said on 29 May 2013 at the Modern Railways conference that there are plans to extend the Eastern Region Line to the future Changi Airport Terminal 4 which was at that time, set to be ready by 2017[15] but on 1 June that year, the Land Transport Authority clarified that the Eastern Region Line will not provide an MRT link to the planned Terminal 4.[16] On 30 August that year, Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo unveiled plans that it will be linked to the future Changi Airport Terminal 5, a mega terminal, which will be the largest terminal in Singapore upon completion in the 2030s.[17]

Merging of Eastern Region Line and Thomson Line

[edit]

The Eastern Region Line was merged with the Thomson Line on 15 August 2014 to form the Thomson–East Coast Line, extending the project from three to five stages, with nine more stations.[18]

The groundbreaking ceremony for the East Coast stretch took place at Marine Parade on 21 July 2016. All the working station names, including Xilin on the Downtown Line extension, were confirmed as the final names except for Amber station which was changed to Tanjong Katong. The authorities are also considering extending the Thomson–East Coast line to all terminals at Changi Airport, including the upcoming Terminal 5, announced Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.[19][20]

Line operations

[edit]

SMRT Trains Ltd was appointed as the operator of the line on 15 September 2017.[21]

On 28 August 2019, the Land Transport Authority awarded several non-fare businesses along the line, with Asiaray Connect awarded an advertising contract and a consortium, made up of SMRT Experience, JR Business Development SEA and Alphaplus Investments appointed to run retail space. This is the first time the LTA outsourced these non-fare businesses.[22]

On 19 September 2019, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan revealed that the opening of the first stage of the Thomson–East Coast Line from Woodlands North to Woodlands South stations was delayed to January 2020 from the indicative time of 2019 announced earlier,[23] subsequently confirmed as 31 January 2020. Self-assistance kiosks were installed at all TEL MRT stations and will be rolled out to all stations.[24][25]

On 11 January 2020, SMRT and LTA hosted an open house for the first stage of the line, with the stage opening for revenue service on 31 January 2020.[26]

The opening of the second stage was initially delayed to the first quarter of 2021 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic circuit breaker period; the project was subsequently further delayed to the third quarter of 2021.[27][28][29]

On 30 April 2021, LTA handed over Stage 2 stations along the line to SMRT to get the section ready for operations.[30] On 30 June 2021, Transport Minister S. Iswaran announced that Stage 2 will open on 28 August 2021.[31] LTA announced on 13 August 2021 that there would be a virtual open house held from 23 to 27 August 2021 since all physical open houses were disallowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[32]

On 28 August 2021, Stage 2 of the line opened, extending the line from Woodlands South to Caldecott.[33]

On 23 November 2021, LTA announced that Mount Pleasant and Marina South stations will only open when housing developments in these areas are ready, instead of opening as part of Stage 3.[34] On 9 March 2022, Transport Minister S Iswaran announced in Parliament that TEL 3 would open in the 2nd half of 2022.[35]

On 17 August 2022, LTA handed over Stage 3 stations along the line to SMRT to get the section ready for operations by the end of 2022.[36][37]

On 7 October 2022, during a visit to the Outram Park and Maxwell TEL stations, Transport Minister S. Iswaran announced that the third stage of the line will commence operations on 13 November 2022.[38][39][40]

On 13 December 2023, LTA announced that it would hand over Stage 4 stations along the line to SMRT in early 2024, in preparation for the opening of the stations.[41] Acting Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat said in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao that the authorities hope to open the sector in the first half of that year.[42] The Stage 4 stations were handed over to SMRT on 6 February 2024.[43][44]

On 5 March 2024, LTA announced that Stage 4 would open on 23 June that year.[45] A preview of Stage 4 was held on 21 June, with free rides for all 7 stations, with a free shuttle train running from Gardens by the Bay to Tanjong Rhu to ferry riders to the Stage 4 stations.[46]

On 23 June 2024, the fourth stage of the line opened, extending from Gardens by the Bay to Bayshore.[47]

Airport extension

[edit]

Platform of Tanah Merah MRT station which will be the future terminus of the line when the branch to Changi Airport station is converted to be part of the Thomson-East Coast Line.
Tanah Merah station will be the future terminus of the line when the branch to Changi Airport station is converted to be part of the Thomson-East Coast Line.

On 25 May 2019, LTA confirmed that it will extend the Thomson–East Coast Line from Sungei Bedok to Changi Airport Terminal 5. Construction works to extend the TEL to the existing Changi Airport MRT station, which is a terminal station of the East West MRT line commenced in 2020. The stretch of East West MRT line between Tanah Merah and Changi Airport will be converted to form part of the Thomson–East Coast Line extension.[48][49][50] The extension is expected to begin construction after 2022,[51] with train services commencing by 2040. In May 2024, LTA confirmed modification works for existing stations will start from 2025 after the contract for addition and alteration works is awarded.[52]

Route

[edit]
Geographically accurate map of the Thomson–East Coast MRT line, coloured in brown.
Geographically accurate map of the Thomson–East Coast MRT line.

The 43-kilometer (26.7 mi) Thomson-East Coast line runs in a north-south direction between Woodlands North and Gardens by the Bay stations and west-east direction between Gardens by the Bay and Sungei Bedok stations.[23] Beginning at Woodlands North, the line runs south passing the neighbourhood of Woodlands. Between Woodlands South and Springleaf, a branch has been implied for trains going to Mandai depot.[53] It continues heading south-east, bypassing Ang Mo Kio, towards Lentor before curving south towards Mayflower station.[31]

After Bright Hill station, the line curves south towards Caldecott station before curving west passing the unopened Mount Pleasant towards Stevens station, which it has an interchange with the Downtown line. From Napier station, the line heads east towards Orchard station, also interchanging with the North-South line. It continues heading south between Orchard and Havelock stations, cutting underneath the Singapore River before heading south-east towards Outram Park station, which has an interchange with the East-West and North-East lines.[40]

It then enters the Downtown Core, by heading in a south-east direction towards Marina Bay station, which has an interchange with the North-South and Circle lines. The line then heads north-east towards Gardens by the Bay, passing underneath the Kallang Basin, before heading north passing Founders’ Memorial station, which is scheduled to be opened in 2028. It then curves eastwards between Tanjong Rhu and Bayshore station, paralleling Marine Parade Road. In 2026, the line will continue east towards Sungei Bedok, the future terminus with which it will have an interchange with the Downtown line.[19]

Stations

[edit]

Station codes for the line are brown, corresponding to the line's colour on the system map. Most stations are island stations, with the exception of Napier, Maxwell, Shenton Way, Marina Bay, Katong Park and Tanjong Katong, which have stacked side platforms[54] whilst Tanjong Rhu station has side platforms.[55][56]

A station box is located in between Springleaf and Lentor station provisionally named "Tagore".[57]

Thomson-East Coast Line stations timeline
Date Opened Project Description
31 January 2020 Stage 1 Woodlands North – Woodlands South
28 August 2021 Stage 2 Springleaf – Caldecott
13 November 2022 Stage 3 Stevens – Gardens By The Bay
23 June 2024 Stage 4 Tanjong Rhu – Bayshore
2026 Stage 5 Bedok South – Sungei Bedok
In tandem with Founders' Memorial (2028) Founders' Memorial station Founders' Memorial station between Gardens by the Bay and Tanjong Rhu
In tandem with Mount Pleasant Housing Estate Mount Pleasant station Mount Pleasant station between Caldecott and Stevens
In tandem with Marina South developments Marina South station Marina South station between Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay
By the 2040s Thomson-East Coast Line Extension Sungei Bedok – Changi Airport
Changi Airport – Tanah Merah (Conversion from East-West Line to Thomson-East Coast Line)

Legend


Elevated		  
Line terminus
Transfer outside paid area

Ground-level
Wheelchair accessible
Bus interchange

Underground
Civil Defence Shelter 		     
Other transportation modes

List

Station code Station name Images Interchange;
Adjacent transportation 		Opening Cost

 TE1 – RTS 
 		 Woodlands North   Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS    (2026)
31 January 2020;
4 years ago
 S$337 million[g]
 TE2  NS9 
  		 Woodlands   North–South Line 
―
 Woodlands
 Woodlands Temporary		 S$292 million[h]
 TE3 
 		 Woodlands South — S$143.7 million[i]
S$421.6 million[j]
 TE4 
 		 Springleaf
28 August 2021;
3 years ago
 S$189.8 million[k]
S$383.3 million[l]
 TE5 
  		 Lentor S$247.2 million[m]
 TE6 
  		 Mayflower S$174.3 million[n]
 TE7  CR13 
  		 Bright Hill   Cross Island Line  (2030) S$454.4 million[o]
 TE8 
 		 Upper Thomson — S$374.0 million[p]
 TE9  CC17 
  		 Caldecott   Circle Line  S$284.8 million[q]
 TE10 
  		 Mount Pleasant To be opened in tandem with future developments[34][58][59][60] TBA S$207.3 million[r]
 TE11  DT10 
 		 Stevens   Downtown Line 
13 November 2022;
2 years ago
 S$441.0 million[s]
 TE12 
 		 Napier — S$188.8 million[t]
 TE13 
 		 Orchard Boulevard S$142.5 million[u]
 TE14  NS22 
 		 Orchard   North–South Line  S$498.3 million[v]
 TE15 
 		 Great World — S$315.8 million[w]
 TE16 
 		 Havelock S$210.3 million[x]
 TE17  EW16  NE3 
  		 Outram Park   East–West Line 
  North East Line 		 S$300.8 million[y]
 TE18 
 		 Maxwell — S$221.8 million[z]
 TE19 
 		 Shenton Way S$368 million[aa]

 TE20  NS27  CE2 
  		 Marina Bay   North–South Line 
  Circle Line Extension 		 S$425 million[ab]
 TE21 
 		 Marina South To be opened in tandem with future developments[61] TBA S$488.0 million[ac]
 TE22 
  		 Gardens by the Bay —
13 November 2022;
2 years ago
 S$331.0 million[ad]
 TE22A 
 		 Founders' Memorial To be opened in tandem with Founders' Memorial[62]
2028;
4 years' time
 $242.4 million[ae]
 TE23 
  		 Tanjong Rhu —
23 June 2024;
5 months ago
 S$293.9 million[af]
 TE24 
 		 Katong Park S$293.5 million[ag]
 TE25 
 		 Tanjong Katong S$145.6 million[ah]
 TE26 
  		 Marine Parade S$555.3 million[ai]
 TE27 
  		 Marine Terrace S$360.6 million[aj]
 TE28 
  		 Siglap S$175.76 million[ak]
 TE29 
  		 Bayshore S$295.9 million[al]
Stage 5 (under construction, to be ready by 2026)
 TE30 
  		 Bedok South  Bedok South
2026;
2 years' time
 S$188.3 million[am]
 
 TE31  DT37 
  		 Sungei Bedok   Downtown Line  (2026) S$417.5 million[an]
Thomson-East Coast Line extension (future)
TBA   Cross Island Line 
 Changi Airport Terminal 5 
2040;
16 years' time
 TBA
TBA Changi Airport  Changi Airport Terminals 1-4 
―
 Changi Airport
Expo   Downtown Line 
Tanah Merah   East–West Line 

Depots

[edit]
Number Depot name;
Lines 		Location Image Line-specific
stabling capacity 		Cost Opening
1
   Mandai  Mandai 90 trains S$329 million[53][63][64]
31 January 2020;
4 years ago
2
   East Coast 
  EWL 
  DTL 		 Changi 62 trains S$1.99 billion[65][66][67]
2026;
2 years' time

Train control

[edit]
The Thomson East-Coast line runs under ATO GoA 4 and does not require an attendant on board.

The Thomson–East Coast Line is equipped with Alstom Urbalis 400 Communications-based train control (CBTC) moving block signalling system with Automatic train control (ATC) under Automatic train operation (ATO) GoA 4 (UTO).[68][69][70] The subsystems consist of Automatic train protection (ATP) to govern train speed, Iconis Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) to track and schedule trains and Smartlock Computer-based interlocking (CBI) system that prevents incorrect signal and track points to be set.

Alstom supplies the platform screen doors for the Thomson–East Coast Line.[70]

Rolling stock

[edit]
Kawasaki–CRRC Qingdao Sifang T251 at Woodlands station.

The first generation of rolling stock being introduced onto the Thomson–East Coast Line is the T251, built by Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries and China's CRRC Qingdao Sifang in Qingdao, China. The trains are built with 5 doors per side per car, which is the very first in Singapore to have this configuration. They are also completely automated and driverless. The trains are housed at the Mandai Depot and the future East Coast Integrated Depot (shared with the Downtown and the East West lines).[71]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Excluding Mount Pleasant and Marina South.
  2. ^ From Woodlands North to Woodlands South.
  3. ^ From Springleaf to Caldecott.
  4. ^ From Stevens to Gardens by the Bay.
  5. ^ From Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore.
  6. ^ Bedok South and Sungei Bedok.
  7. ^ Contract T202
  8. ^ Contract T203
  9. ^ Contract T205
  10. ^ Contract T206
  11. ^ Contract T207
  12. ^ Contract T208
  13. ^ Contract T209
  14. ^ Contract T210
  15. ^ Contract T211
  16. ^ Contract T212
  17. ^ Contract T213
  18. ^ Contract T215
  19. ^ Contract T216
  20. ^ Contract T217
  21. ^ Contract T218
  22. ^ Contract T219
  23. ^ Contract T220
  24. ^ Contract T221
  25. ^ Contract T222
  26. ^ Contract T223
  27. ^ Contract T225
  28. ^ Contract T226
  29. ^ Contract T227
  30. ^ Contract T228
  31. ^ Contract T302
  32. ^ Contract T303
  33. ^ Contract T305
  34. ^ Contract T306
  35. ^ Contract T307
  36. ^ Contract T308
  37. ^ Contract T309
  38. ^ Contract T310
  39. ^ Contract T311
  40. ^ Contract T312

References

[edit]
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  19. ^ a b "Names of MRT stations on Thomson–East Coast Line (East Coast stretch) announced". Today Online. 21 July 2016. Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  20. ^ Valerie Koh (21 July 2016). "Upcoming Thomson–East Coast Line may link to all terminals at Changi Airport". Today Online. Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
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