Shortened hours on TEL extended until 1 November

Rail operator SMRT is extending the shorter operating hours of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) to Nov 1 to facilitate the testing of trains and systems in preparation for the opening of Stage 2 of the line.

Train services will end at 9:00pm daily and start only at 6.30am on weekends, SMRT said on 24 August 2020. Trains on the TEL currently serve Woodlands North, Woodlands and Woodlands South.

The amended timings mean that train services end about two-and-a-half hours earlier every day, and start about 40 minutes later on weekends. Only three stations on the 32-station line are currently being served, with the 43km-long TEL expected to be ready in 2024.

The second stage comprises Springleaf, Lentor, Mayflower, Bright Hill, Upper Thomson and Caldecott stations. It was about 90% complete in January and is expected to open later this year. The SMRT had initially announced shorter operating hours for the line from 20 July to 30 Aug 2020.

Commuters affected can use existing public bus services 169, 856, 901 and 901M to travel within Woodlands, SMRT said. They can also transfer to the North-South Line at Woodlands station.

As timings of the first and last trains departing from each station during the planned closures will vary, commuters can check these timings on the SMRT Trains website.