From 8th to 31st December, 17 East-West Line (EWL) stations from Tiong Bahru to Tuas Link, as well as North-South Line stations Bukit Batok and Bukit Gombak will close earlier on Fridays and Saturdays. They will also open later on Saturdays and Sundays to facilitate re-signalling works and accelerate the timeline for the entire EWL to run on the new communications-based train control system.
Reduced train service hours will also be implemented along other stretches of the North-South and East-West Lines in the first half of 2018 to facilitate re-signalling works and other renewal and maintenance works. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT made this announcement at a second press conference on Tuesday (21st November) relating to the Joo Koon incident last Wednesday when two trains collided.
The LTA, SMRT and Thales said going forward, services between the Tuas West Extension (TWE) and the rest of the EWL will be kept separate until the entire line can be upgraded to Thales' signalling system. "To end their (Thales') misery, we just keep this complete separation, so we have a clean system," Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said. Commuters using the TWE will have to get off the train at Joo Koon MRT station, transfer to a bus, and then re-board the train at Gul Circle, and onwards to Tuas Crescent, Tuas West Road and Tuas Link stations.
