Thomson–East Coast MRT line


Thomson–East Coast Line
Platforms of Bayshore MRT station, the current eastern terminus of the line
Overview
Native nameMalay: Laluan MRT Thomson-Pantai Timur
Chinese: 汤申-东海岸地铁线
Tamil: தாம்சன் - ஈஸ்ட் கோஸ்ட் எம்ஆர்டி வழி
StatusOperational (Stages 1–4)
Under construction (Stage 5)
Under planning (extension to Changi Airport)
OwnerLand Transport Authority
LocaleSingapore
TerminiWoodlands North
Bayshore
Sungei Bedok (2H 2026)
Tanah Merah (2040)
Stations32 (27 operational, 2 under construction, 3 unopened)
Service
TypeRapid Transit
SystemMass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
Services1
Operator(s)SMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Corporation)
Depot(s)Mandai
East Coast (2H 2026)
Rolling stockKawasaki–CRRC Qingdao Sifang T251
Daily ridership160,000 (February 2023)
History
Planned opening2H 2026 (Stage 5)
2028 (Founders' Memorial MRT station)
2040 (extension to Changi Airport)
Opened31 January 2020 (2020-01-31) (Stage 1)
28 August 2021 (2021-08-28) (Stage 2)
13 November 2022 (2022-11-13) (Stage 3)
23 June 2024 (2024-06-23) (Stage 4)
Technical
Line length40.6 km (25.2 mi) (Operational)
2.2 km (1.4 mi) (Under construction)
CharacterFully underground
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification750 V DC third rail
Operating speedlimit of 90 km/h (56 mph)
Route map

 RTS 
 TE1 
Woodlands North
 NS9 
 TE2 
Woodlands
 TE3 
Woodlands South
 TE4 
Springleaf
 TE5 
Lentor
 TE6 
Mayflower
 CR13 
 TE7 
Bright Hill
 TE8 
Upper Thomson
 CC17 
 TE9 
Caldecott
 TE10 
Mount Pleasant
 DT10 
← to Bukit Panjang
to Expo
 TE11 
Stevens
 TE12 
Napier
 TE13 
Orchard Boulevard
 TE14 
Orchard
 NS22 
 TE15 
Great World
 TE16 
Havelock
 EW16 
 TE17 
Outram Park
 NE3 
 TE18 
Maxwell
 TE19 
Shenton Way
 NS27 
 CE2 
 TE20 
Marina Bay
 TE21 
Marina South
 TE22 
Gardens by the Bay
 TE22A 
Founders' Memorial
 TE23 
Tanjong Rhu
 TE24 
Katong Park
 TE25 
Tanjong Katong
 TE26 
Marine Parade
 TE27 
Marine Terrace
Siglap Canal
 TE28 
Siglap
 TE29 
Bayshore
 TE30 
Bedok South
 TE31  DT37 
Sungei Bedok
 CG  EW4 
Tanah Merah
Sungei Bedok
 CG1 
Expo
 DT35 
 CG2 
Changi Airport
Changi Airport Terminal 5

The Thomson–East Coast Line (TEL) is a medium-capacity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore. Coloured brown on the rail map, it is fully underground. When fully completed, the sixth line on the country's MRT network will serve 32 stations around 43 kilometres (27 mi) in length, becoming one of the world's longest driverless rapid transit lines. It runs along a combined north–south and east–west corridor, starting in the north at Woodlands town, passing through Upper Thomson and the towns of Ang Mo Kio and Bishan, heading south to the city-centre at Orchard Road and Marina Bay, subsequently heading eastwards along the eastern coast of the country through Kallang, Marine Parade and southern Bedok before ending at Upper East Coast.

The line was first announced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on 15 August 2014, merging the previously planned and distinct Thomson (TSL) and Eastern Region (ERL) lines. By then, construction of the TSL had already begun in January 2014. The line is being opened in stages, beginning with Stage 1 on 31 January 2020. Stage 2 opened on 28 August 2021 and Stage 3 opened on 13 November 2022. Stage 4 opened on 23 June 2024 while Stage 5 is scheduled to open from the second half of 2026. Meanwhile, Mount Pleasant and Marina South stations, which were structurally completed as part of Stage 3, remain non-operational due to the perceived lack of developments in the area at this given time.

In January 2019, an infill station known as Founders' Memorial was announced to complement its namesake, with the LTA additionally considering to integrate the Changi Airport Branch that is currently a part of the East West Line (EWL) into the TEL. When fully opened, it is expected to serve about 500,000 commuters daily in the initial years before rising to one million in the long-term. It is the fourth MRT line to be operated by SMRT Trains Ltd and also the fourth to be completely automated and driverless. The line is currently served by Mandai Depot, with the East Coast Integrated Depot opening in the second half of 2026, and services are operated by the T251 electric multiple unit (EMU) rolling stock manufuactured by KawasakiCRRC.

New and improved signage was introduced to alI stations along the TEL, which saw less text and wordiness, and more illustrations and visualisations. Moreover, ever since the TEL began operations, all the other MRT lines on the wider network have since been represented by their initials. In addition, the exits are represented numerically rather than alphabetically.