East-West Line

History

Initial Stages

The East-West Line was originally part of the North-South Line (NSL), which began from Yio Chu Kang to Toa Payoh on 7 November 1987.

It was further extended southwards to Outram Park on 12 December 1987, completing the first phase of the initial system, where trains would run directly between Yio Chu Kang and Outram Park via Raffles Place.

As part of phase 1A of the initial system, passenger services on the line was extended then westwards to Clementi on 13 March 1988.

In phase 2B of the initial system, the line was extended westwards to Lakeside on 5 November 1988, and northwards to Yishun on 20 December 1988.

Phase 2A was completed on 4 November 1989, connecting Marina Bay to Raffles Place, and Tanah Merah to City Hall, marking the separation of the East-West Line and the North-South Line.

A further extension of phase 2A from Tanah Merah to Pasir Ris opened on 16 December 1989.

As part of phase 2B, a branch line extends off Jurong East station commenced service on 10 March 1990, serving between Jurong East and Choa Chu Kang.

The branch line is now part of the North-South Line with the opening of the Woodlands extension. Finally, phase 2B between Lakeside and Boon Lay opened on 6 July 1990, completing the initial MRT system.

Learn more about the History of the MRT System

Line Extensions

Dover Station

Dover station was the first station to be built along an existing line. Regular train services between Buona Vista and Clementi stations had to carry on during the station's construction, making the task even more challenging.

The construction work could also only be carried out at night to minimise disruptions to the students of Singapore Polytechnic. During the construction phase of the station, trains would have to slow down within the construction zone.

A steel tunnel was also used to prevent debris from falling onto the tracks, which could potentially disrupt train services. Dover station opened on 18 October 2001 and is the second station in the MRT system to use side platforms.

Changi Airport Extension

The Changi Airport Extension allows easy access to the airport from the city conveniently by train by transfering at Tanah Merah station. Although Changi Airport is conveniently linked to the city through public buses, plans of an extension to the East-West Line only started when the Singapore Expo was in construction.

The extension to Expo station opened on 10 January 2001 and then to Changi Airport station on 8 February 2002. As both stations were built in the 21st century, a futuristic design was adopted, giving a contrast to the other East-West Line stations.

Commuters can access the Changi Airport Extension for train service to Expo and Changi Aiport stations by proceeding to platforms C or D at Tanah Merah station.

Boon Lay Extension

The Boon Lay Extension, which was completed on 28 February 2009, consists of Pioneer and Joo Koon stations and a 3.8km twin tracked viaduct. The extension is linked to the existing Boon Lay station of the East-West Line.

The extension benefits the residents living in the Jurong West Town and those working in the Jurong Industrial Estate by reducing the travel time by up to 15 minutes, enhancing the connectivity between the Jurong West area and the other parts of Singapore.

Tuas West Extension

The western section of the East-West Line was extended by another 7.5km with four more stations, linking Joo Koon to Tuas Link. The extension provides a faster way to travel around the Tuas industrial area, and to the Tuas Checkpoint.

As part of the extension, a 26-hectare depot after Tuas Link station provides stabling and maintenance facilities for additional trains, catering to capacity expansions of the East-West Line and North-South Line in the future.

The extension was initially slated for opening by the end of 2016, but was pushed back to 18 June 2017 for more testing and fine-tuning of the new signalling system.

Tuas South Extension

An upcoming 2-station 6km Tuas South Extension from Gul Circle station has been provisioned and will be constructed in the near future.

Infrastructure Upgrades

Retrofitting Elevated Stations with Half-height Platform Screen Doors

All 36 elevated stations on the North-South Line and East-West Line are retrofitted with half-height platform screen doors (HHPSDs) in four stages between August 2009 and June 2012, enhancing commuters' safety and reduce the incidence of track intrusions.

The half-height platform screen doors are 1.5 metres high and are installed along the edge of the station platform to create a barrier that separates the trackside and the platform.

Sleeper Replacement Works

The sleeper replacement programme involves the replacement of the railway sleeper as timber sleepers are only designed to last for 15 to 25 years and must be replaced when signs of wear and tear are shown. About 188,000 sleepers along the 131km of tracks on the North-South and East-West Lines will be replaced with concrete sleepers in this programme, which have a lifespan of about 50 years.

The programme started in November 2012, with works for the East-West Line beginning in the middle of May 2015. It was completed in December 2016, with about 92,000 sleepers along the East-West Line replaced. The new sleepers allow trains to move along the tracks smoothly, allowing a safe, smoother and faster ride.

Re-signalling Project

The signalling system of the North-South Line and East-West Line was upgraded to the moving-block Thales SelTrac Communications-Based Train Control signalling system, allowing trains to run at a 100-second interval during peak periods, down from 120 seconds with the legacy system.

With the addition of new trains and the upgrading of the signalling system, commuters can expect shorter waiting times during the peak hours and there would potentially be up to a 20 percent improvement to the existing capacity.

The full-day passenger service trial of the upgraded signalling system was conducted every Sunday, from 29 April 2018 onwards.

The East-West Line fully switched over to the new signalling system on 28 May 2018.

New Platform at Tanah Merah Station

A new platform will be added at Tanah Merah station, enabling shorter waiting times to Expo and Changi Airport stations.

The third platform will serve eastbound travel to Pasir Ris, while the existing eastbound platform will be converted for train services towards Changi Airport.

With two platforms serving the Changi Airport Extension, trains will be able to arrive and depart the station at shorter intervals, reducing waiting times on the line.

Additional tracks will also be constructed to serve the new platform and the East Coast Integrated Depot (ECID), which will house trains for the East-West Line, Downtown Line (DTL) and Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL).

The new platform and depot are expected to be completed by 2025.

Conversion to Thomson-East Coast Line for the Changi Airport Extension

Announced in the Land Transport Master Plan 2040 on 25 May 2019, the Changi Airport Extension, between Changi Airport and Tanah Merah stations, will be converted to the Thomson-East Coast Line by 2040.

Timeline of Events

Date	Project	Description
7 November 1987	Phase 1	Yio Chu Kang - Toa Payoh (5 stations) (Now part of the North-South Line)
12 December 1987	Phase 1	Toa Payoh - Outram Park (9 stations) (Direct train service to Outram Park via Raffles Place)
12 March 1988	Phase 1/1A	Official opening ceremony marking the completion of Phase 1 and 1A
13 March 1988	Phase 1A	Outram Park - Clementi (6 stations)
5 November 1988	Phase 2B	Clementi - Lakeside (3 stations)
20 December 1988	Phase 2B	Yio Chu Kang - Yishun (2 stations) (Now part of the North-South Line)
4 November 1989	Phase 2A	City Hall - Tanah Merah (9 stations) (Separation of the North-South Line & East-West Line)
16 December 1989	Phase 2A	Tanah Merah - Pasir Ris (3 stations)
10 March 1990	Phase 2B	Jurong East - Choa Chu Kang (3 stations) (Operates as a branch line from Jurong East, now part of the North-South Line)
6 July 1990	Phase 2B	Lakeside - Boon Lay (1 station)
10 January 2001	Changi Airport Extension	Tanah Merah - Expo (1 station)
18 November 2001	Changi Airport Extension	Operates as a through line from Boon Lay to Expo
18 October 2001	Dover Station	Opening of Dover station between Buona Vista and Clementi
8 February 2002	Changi Airport Extension	Expo - Changi Airport (1 station)
22 July 2003	Changi Airport Extension	Operates as a shuttle between Tanah Merah and Changi Airport
28 February 2009	Boon Lay Extension	Boon Lay - Joo Koon (2 stations)
27 May 2011	Jurong East Modification Project	Opening of Jurong East Platform A and B
December 2016	Sleeper Replacement	Completion of the sleeper replacement programme on the East-West Line
18 June 2017	Tuas West Extension	Joo Koon - Tuas Link (4 stations)
29 April 2018	Re-signalling Project	Commencement of the upgraded signalling system on the East-West Line
2025	New Platforms at Tanah Merah	Opening of new platform at Tanah Merah and completion of the East Coast Integrated Depot

East-West Line

At a Glance

Line Diagram

Rolling Stock

Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 (KHI) ›

Siemens C651 (SIE) ›

Kawasaki & Nippon Sharyo C751B (KNS) ›

Kawasaki & CSR Sifang C151A (KSF) ›

Kawasaki & CSR Sifang C151B ›

Kawasaki & CRRC Sifang C151C ›

Alstom Movia R151 ›

Stations

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