No MRT service between Tanah Merah, Expo from March 14-17 due to upgrading works
Vanessa Paige Chelvan
The Straits Times
Feb 20, 2026
There will be no train service on the East-West Line (EWL) between Tanah Merah and Expo stations from March 14 to 17, so that works to disconnect train tracks linking the EWL to Changi Depot can take place.
Commuters can take a shuttle bus between Tanah Merah and Expo, which will operate at intervals of about five to eight minutes during the affected period, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operator SMRT in a joint statement on Feb 20.
Passengers may also use existing bus services to connect to other MRT lines, such as the Downtown Line, they said. Expo station is also on the Downtown Line.
LTA added that train services between Expo and Changi Airport will run at seven-minute intervals during peak hours. Services between Tuas Link and Pasir Ris will continue to operate as normal.
This will be the third and final planned suspension to link the EWL to the new East Coast Integrated Depot.
The first, from Dec 7 to 10, 2024, halted services between Tanah Merah and Tampines.
The second, from Nov 29 to Dec 8, 2025, suspended services between Bedok and Tampines, as well as between Tanah Merah and Expo, to complete the remaining track connections to the depot and connect a new platform at Tanah Merah station.
Construction on the depot began in 2016. The facility, which is set to open in the second half of 2026, will house train depots serving the East-West, Thomson-East Coast and Downtown MRT lines, as well as a bus depot.
Sengkang West LRT to run on single loop for 7 months
In the statement, LTA also said train services on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) will be adjusted for seven months, from April 19 to Oct 18. During this period, the Sengkang West Inner Loop - via Cheng Lim station from Sengkang station - will be closed.
LTA said extended engineering hours are needed to carry out major modifications to existing tracks, connect new tracks, and install and test signalling systems and equipment.
During the closure, passengers can use regular bus services or the Sengkang West Outer Loop via Renjong station. To boost capacity, the Outer Loop will run entirely with two-car Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) for the duration of the adjustment.
A dedicated shuttle bus service will also operate from Sengkang Bus Interchange during weekday peak hours — from 6am to 10am and 5.30pm to 9.30pm — to supplement LRT capacity. The shuttle will ply different routes in the morning and evening to better match travel patterns. It will run at intervals of about three to five minutes and charge the same fares as LRT journeys.
LTA also announced that the SPLRT fleet is being expanded to meet growing demand. The fleet will increase from 25 one-car LRVs and 16 two-car LRVs to 33 two-car LRVs.
Since July 2025, new two-car LRVs have been progressively introduced to replace the first-generation fleet. By end-February, seven new two-car LRVs will be in passenger service. The remaining 18 will be deployed progressively after depot expansion works are completed in 2027.
To support the larger fleet, the SPLRT depot is being expanded from 3.5ha to 11.1ha.
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