Commuters are reminded that from 29 November to 8 December 2025, LTA and SMRT are undertaking construction works to connect the tracks from the existing East-West Line (EWL) to the East Coast Integrated Depot (ECID) and to connect a new platform at Tanah Merah station. During this period, train services on the East-West Line between Bedok and Tampines stations and between Tanah Merah to Expo stations will be affected.

With the closure of Simei and Tanah Merah MRT stations from 29 November to 8 December, there will be no train service between Bedok and Tampines stations, and between Tanah Merah and Expo stations. Commuters travelling out of the East may wish to use existing public bus services to connect to alternative MRT lines like the Downtown Line (DTL). Commuters travelling between the affected stations can take the provided shuttle bus services:

• Shuttle 7 will ply between Bedok and Tampines stations at a frequency of 3 to 5 minutes; and
• Shuttle 8 will ply between Bedok and Expo stations at a frequency of about 10 minutes.

Please refer to Annex A for details of the shuttle trains and bus services.
 

Due to the works, trains will also run at reduced frequencies of five minutes between Tampines and Pasir Ris EWL stations[1], and eight minutes between Paya Lebar and Bedok EWL stations. Train frequencies between Expo and Changi Airport stations will run every 5 minutes at peak. During the closure, the affected MRT stations and bus stops are expected to be crowded, and journey times may take up to an additional 30 minutes. Commuters are advised to plan their journeys in advance and check LTA’s MyTransport.SG mobile app, as well as LTA’s and SMRT’s social media channels for the latest updates. SMRT staff will be stationed at affected stations to assist commuters during the train service adjustment period.

Commuters can also refer to station posters at all MRT stations or pick up a brochure on recommended alternative travel options from the passenger service centres. Where possible, commuters passing through the affected EWL stations are strongly encouraged to consider alternative MRT routes, which may offer shorter travel times.

After works are completed, eastbound EWL service will be shifted to operate from a new Platform A at Tanah Merah station from 9 December 2025. Commuters heading eastbound to Pasir Ris from Tanah Merah must board trains from Platform A. Consequently, passengers transferring between Platform A (towards Pasir Ris) and the shuttle train to/from Changi Airport will need to make the transfer via the station concourse. Westbound commuters from Tanah Merah will not be affected. Please refer to Figure 1 for the change in platform configuration.


 

Figure 1: Configuration of Tanah Merah station platforms

We will continue to plan our works carefully to minimise inconvenience to commuters and will provide timely updates should further service adjustments be required. We thank commuters for their understanding and patience during this train service adjustment period, as we continue to improve the resilience of our rail network and infrastructure.