SINGAPORE: Those who travel regularly on the East-West Line (EWL) are advised to factor in crowds and added journey time with the upcoming closure of Simei and Tanah Merah MRT stations.
In a reminder on Saturday (Nov 22), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the closures from Nov 29 to Dec 8 mean there will be no train service between Bedok and Tampines stations, and between Tanah Merah and Expo stations.
Affected MRT stations and bus stops are expected to be crowded, and journey times may take up to an additional 30 minutes.
LTA had in October said that the move is to allow works to connect the tracks from the existing EWL to the East Coast Integrated Depot and to connect a new platform at Tanah Merah station.
An estimated 180,000 passengers could be affected daily over the 10 days of service adjustments, LTA said then.
During the works, trains will also run at reduced frequencies of five minutes between Tampines and Pasir Ris stations, and eight minutes between Paya Lebar and Bedok stations. Trains between Expo and Changi Airport stations will run every five minutes at peak.
Passengers travelling from the east may wish to use existing public bus services to connect to alternative MRT lines like the Downtown Line, said LTA.
Those travelling between the affected stations can take the provided shuttle bus services: Shuttle 7, which will ply between Bedok and Tampines stations at a frequency of three to five minutes, and Shuttle 8, which will ply between Bedok and Expo stations at a frequency of about 10 minutes.
Passengers are also advised to plan their journeys in advance and check LTA’s MyTransport.SG mobile app, as well as the transport authority and SMRT’s social media channels for the latest updates.
SMRT staff will be deployed to affected stations to assist passengers during the period of the works. Passengers can also refer to station posters at all MRT stations or pick up a brochure from the passenger service centres on recommended alternative travel options, said LTA.
The authority added that passengers who need to pass through affected EWL stations are strongly encouraged to consider alternative MRT routes where possible, as these may offer shorter travel times.
In November, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said passengers can expect more scheduled closures of the rail network that are stretched out over longer periods, to make more time for major upgrades of MRT lines.
This is to allow repair works to be completed more quickly and safely, said Siow, noting that it is no longer enough to shorten operational hours with early closures and late openings of stations to increase the number of maintenance hours. - The Straits Times/ANN
