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SINGAPORE: The completion of the second stage of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) will see a three-month delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after it was originally scheduled to open for this year, the Transport Minister said, Ong Ye Kung. on Friday (September 4).
The second phase of the TEL comprises six stations from Springleaf to Caldecott, with two interchange stations at Bright Hill and Caldecott.
It will now open in the first quarter of 2021, Ong said in a written response to parliamentary questions from Workers’ Party (MP) member of Parliament Jamus Lim.
Dr Lim had asked about the progress of the TEL due to the delays caused by the pandemic and whether this overflow would lead to delays in other major planned MRT projects.
READ: Early closings, late openings on Thomson-East Coast Line extended through November 1
“The circuit breaker and the gradual reopening since April this year have caused delays in the completion of Stage 2 of the Thomson-East Coast Line,” Ong said on Friday, noting that lost time will be made up.
Mr. Ong added that TEL2 was “almost finished and resumption of work was prioritized.”
“However, unlike TEL2 … we will only be able to better assess the duration of delays in later phases of TEL and other MRT projects when construction activities have been more fully resumed,” he said.
He added that the government “remains committed to significantly expanding the MRT network” from the current 230 km to 360 km by the early 2030s.
Thomson-East Coast Line Map. (Graphic: LTA)
This includes opening the remaining stages of the Thomson-East Coast Line, completing the circle with Circle Line Stage 6, as well as building the Northeast Line Extension, the Jurong Region Line and the Cross Island Line.
The first stage of TEL, consisting of the Woodlands North, Woodlands and Woodlands South MRT stations, began receiving passengers on January 31.
The Land Transportation Authority had said in January this year that the second phase of the TEL was 90% complete.
Initially, the entire TEL line, comprising 32 stations with eight interchange stations, was expected to be fully operational by 2024, serving approximately 500,000 daily commuters in the initial years, increasing to approximately 1 million long-term commuters.
All construction work in Singapore was halted during the circuit breaker period from April 7 to June 1, as part of the Government’s measures to minimize further spread of the coronavirus.
Since then, contractors that have met COVID-19 safety standards for the construction sector can begin work, prioritizing critical and urgent projects such as MRT works and sewer system tunnel projects.
READ: COVID-19: Construction Sites May Resume Work Starting June 2; Priority given to projects that follow new security measures.
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