Singapore: Thomson-East Coast Line

TEL is a line between the Thomson Line and the eastern region line. With 43 kilometres, it will add 31 new stations to the existing rail network, and will have 7 exchange ones, which will join the East-West line, the North-South line, the East-North line, the circular line and the centre line of the city.

Travelers will start enjoying TEL at different stages since 2019.

This will be the sixth railway line from Singapore, to be known as the Thomson-East Coast (TEL) line.

The 13 kilometres stretch of the east coast of TEL will connect passengers living in the eastern part of Singapore and which are not directly served by the rail network today, such as Tanjong Rhu, Siglap, Marine Parade, Upper East Coast and Bedok South in the heart of the city.

The stretch of the east coast of TEL will be completed in two stages. The first seven stations from Tanjong Rhu to Rayshore will be ready in 2023, while the remaining two stations, DTL3e and the terminal will be completed in 2024.

When fully operational in 2019, it is expected that the 31 stations forming TEL will serve about 500,000 commuters in the early years, reaching one million passengers a day (in the long run).

TEL stations are designed with more inputs and outputs and some of these inputs are connected to internal steps up to 4000 meters.

“Four-in-one” Terminal

This network will have the first “four-in-one” train and bus terminal. It will host various bus and train lines as TEL (Thomson-East Coast), EWL (East West) and DTL (Downtown). With 36 hectares, the “four-in-one” station will accommodate about 220 trains and 550 buses. Although the construction of a terminal of this type involves a complex planning and significant engineering challenges, 44 hectares of land will be spared.

The LTA (Land Transport Authority) will also build the first underground bike parks in Singapore MRT stations. Located in four stations along the stretch of east coast TEL, these bike parks will be useful for travellers wishing to cycle to subway stations from their home or workplace.