SINGAPORE – Passengers at Kembangan and Bedok stations will have to wait for up to 17 minutes for trains, as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) enters the final stage of track works during a scheduled shutdown of MRT stations in eastern Singapore.

This is so that live testing of trains and other systems can be done on newly installed tracks, said LTA on Dec 5.

The live testing will be confined to off-peak hours so as not to further inconvenience passengers, said Mr Chia Choon Poh, LTA’s group director of rail (electrical and mechanical).

He said testing began on Dec 4, at slow speeds of 18kmh to test the new tracks, third rail supplying power to trains, signalling and other systems.

Once these tests are conducted successfully, LTA will then test the trains at regular speeds of up to 80kmh.

While much of the track and the work is exposed to the elements, Mr Chua said workers have been able to continue work despite heavy rain.

Services have been shut down between Tanah Merah and Expo stations, and between Bedok and Tampines stations, to facilitate works connecting the existing EWL to the new East Coast Integrated Depot, which is slated to begin full operations in the second half of 2026.

The 10-day shutdown runs from Nov 29 to Dec 8.

Service is slated to resume as planned on Dec 9, said Mr Chia.

Besides connecting the EWL to the new depot, works are also being done on a new platform at Tanah Merah station.

This new platform will allow the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) to operate on two tracks. The 14km stretch between Tanah Merah and Changi Airport stations will become part of a new TEL extension, which will pass through the future Changi Airport Terminal 5.

The TEL extension is expected to be completed in the mid-2030s, when the new airport terminal opens.

From Dec 9, the eastbound EWL service towards Pasi...