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Committee of Supply Debate 2026: Public Transport Offerings

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At the Ministry of Transport’s (MOT) Committee of Supply (COS) Debate 2026 on 4 March 2026, updates on several public transport projects were announced. We summarise the latest Public Transport offerings as highlighted in this year’s COS Debate.

Additional public transport topics that were mentioned in the COS debate for other ministries are also summarised here.

Rail Construction Projects Updates

Opening in 2026

On track as per the previous update, the following rail lines will open in 2026:

Jurong Region Line (JRL)

New Station – JS2A

The Jurong Region Line JS2A station located between JS2 Choa Chu Kang West and JS3 Tengah stations was officially announced as part of this year’s COS Debate, targeted to open in the mid-2030s. Civil construction works for the new station structure are underway.

The JS2A station would be near the future junction of Forest Drive and Tengah Way.

Stage 1 Opening Delayed

The opening of JRL Stage 1 was previously delayed from 2026 to 2027 due to the COVID-19 situation, as mentioned in 2021 in a parliamentary written reply.

Now in 2026, at the COS Debate, it was announced that the JRL Stage 1 would be further delayed by another 6 months, pushing the opening from 2027 to mid-2028.

During construction, earlier delays could not be recovered fully due to additional time required to complete certain complex works safely. In addition, certain works also took longer than originally planned. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) provided examples for these works:

  • Additional time required:
    Viaduct construction over the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) could only be carried out during overnight road closures on designated nights to ensure the safety of road users.
  • More works than planned:
    Construction of a viaduct over a 25-metre-wide canal, where contractors had to implement more comprehensive ground reinforcement measures than originally planned to ensure structural stability.

Further updates on the opening dates of the Jurong Region Line Stage 2 & Stage 3 would be provided by LTA as work progresses.

Interim shuttle bus services will be introduced in end-2027 to improve transport capacity and enhance connectivity between areas due to be served by JRL Stage 1.

During Acting Minister for Transport Mr Jeffrey Siow’s speech at the COS Debate, he mentioned that he has asked LTA to introduce 2 of these interim shuttle bus services between selected JRL stations to key destinations in the region.

Cross Island Line

On track as per the previous update, the various phases of the Cross Island Line (CRL) are planned to be opened as follows:

  • Year 2030: Phase 1 (Aviation Park–Bright Hill)
  • Year 2032: Phase 2 (Turf City–Jurong Lake District) and Punggol Extension (Pasir Ris–Elias–Punggol)
CRL Phase 3 Update

Engineering studies for CRL Phase 3 have also been completed, with construction works to begin in 2027. Phase 3 serves the Jurong Industrial Estate and residential developments in Taman Jurong.

As part of this year’s COS Debate, authorities announced that CRL Phase 3 would be completed by the late 2030s.

Engineering Studies for Other New Lines

LTA plans to commence engineering studies in 2026 for the:

  • Seletar Line
    Initial focus to provide more travel options for residents in the Northeast;
    Exploring a corridor serving the Sengkang West and Serangoon North areas, with possible connections to the Cross Island Line and Circle Line.
  • Tengah Line
  • Jurong Region Line West Coast Extension (WCE)
    Focus on Phase 1 between Pandan Reservoir and West Coast station (working names).

Feasibility studies for subsequent phases of the new lines above will continue.

Station Rejuvenation Programme Update

As announced in the 2025 COS Debate, Yishun MRT Station would be the first station to be upgraded as part of the station rejuvenation programme.

The scope of works for the upgrade to Yishun MRT Station was revealed this year:

  • New Southern Entrance
  • Larger Concourse
  • Enhanced facilities (upgraded toilets, signage, lighting and facade)

In addition, LTA is now studying other stations for rejuvenation, including Admiralty, Khatib, and Sembawang.

Transport Policy

Express Train Services

Addressing suggestions to introduce express train services for faster commutes, these were dismissed as unfeasible for the following reasons:

  • Singapore’s small land area, and the need for a separate set of tracks and additional signalling systems
  • More significant land take, much higher costs and more time needed for construction
  • Skip-stop services are technically possible but operationally complex, and delays commuters on non-express services

Implementation of express trains may be considered ‘if the technology improves’, but is claimed to be unlikely for the Seletar Line.

North East Line Crowding

On the North East Line, some success in reducing overcrowding was reported at COS 2026, following the Free Morning Off-Peak Rail Rides & Enhanced TSJ scheme launched in December 2025.

Around 8% of commuters have shifted off-peak, akin to the effect of adding two extra trains, or 20 buses.

Bus Captain Recruitment

On introducing more bus services, although funding had already been committed through the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP), Bus Captain recruitment remains a limiting factor, as the sector has struggled to recruit Singaporeans, and the number of foreign bus drivers that can be recruited has already reached the limit.

Authorities are in discussions with bus operators and the National Transport Workers’ Union to raise the starting salary for bus captains, which is now around $3,600 (including overtime), as well as ways to improve working conditions and career progression for existing bus captains.

RTS Link Fares

Earlier in February 2026, Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that RTS Link fares would cost around S$5 to S$7 for each one-way trip. At the MOT COS 2026 debate, it was reiterated that the rail operator, RTSO, would determine the fares, which will be announced in due course.

Autonomous Vehicles

As announced by Acting Minister for Transport Mr Jeffrey Siow during the MOT COS Debate, the Punggol Autonomous Shuttle Services would open for public rides from 1 April 2026.

Registration for Routes 1 & 3 (operated by Grab) will open online for members of the public from 25 March 2026. Rides will be free for an initial period before revenue services commence. LTA expects revenue service for Routes 1 & 3 to begin from mid 2026 at a flat fare of $4 per passenger.

Shuttles on Route 2 (operated by ComfortDelgro) are undergoing familiarisation, with by-invite-only rides expected to commence soon.

Mr Jeffrey Siow also mentioned other parts in Singapore intended for Autonomous Vehicle trials, including:

  • Sentosa
  • Tuas
  • Mandai

LTA will launch Autonomous Public Bus trials by the 2nd half of 2026, via Bus Services 400 & 191.

Inclusiveness Onboard Buses

During Minister of State for Transport Mr Baey Yam Keng’s speech at the MOT COS Debate, new measures to enhance the bus commuting experience were outlined.

Foldable Seats

LTA has been procuring buses with more open space where wheelchairs and strollers can be parked since 2018, catering to an increasing number of commuters with diverse needs.

However, the number of seats had to be reduced to create space for these bays. To mitigate this, LTA will install foldable seats within the bays where feasible.

Wheelchair & Stroller Space Trial

Since 2017, open strollers have been allowed on public buses. At COS 2026, authorities reiterated that for strollers, Bus Captains may activate the wheelchair ramp only upon request.

There was also feedback from parents that when the bus is crowded, and there is a wheelchair-bound person boarding, Bus Captains sometimes ask parents to fold their stroller and carry their child. LTA is actively reviewing this issue and consulting various stakeholders.

As part of a trial from April 2026 on around 10 selected bus services that serve more wheelchair or mobility aid users and parents with young children, Bus Captains will facilitate the use of bays by wheelchairs and open strollers on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Depending on the findings of the trial, LTA will consider making this the norm across the entire network.

Sentosa Express Replacement

In the Ministry of Trade and Industry COS Debate, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan mentioned that the Sentosa Express is planned to be replaced to improve connectivity as part of Phase One of the Greater Sentosa Master Plan. Phase One also includes a new transport hub linking Greater Sentosa, comprising Sentosa and Pulau Brani.

More details about the Greater Sentosa Master Plan will be shared later in 2026.

Separately, in 2025, Sentosa Development Corporation was studying the possibility of building a new People Mover System at Brani West – Keppel Link.

Earlier Commencement of Bus Services for New Large-Scale BTO Estates

In the Ministry of National Development COS Debate, it was shared that at least one operational bus service will be planned by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and LTA in tandem with the first batch of key collection for Build-to-Order (BTO) projects in new large-scale BTO estates.

Large-scale BTO estates refer to estates with clusters of more than 3,000 new BTO flats completed within a period of five years, typically comprising clusters of three or four BTO projects.

These bus services, which would be accessible from a bus stop within walking distance of the BTO project, connect residents to amenities and transport nodes such as bus interchanges or MRT stations.

This will be implemented through close coordination between HDB and LTA to expedite road completions and implement bus infrastructure, as well as advance preparations to provide bus services. In cases where a regular service cannot commence immediately, agencies will explore providing interim shuttle bus services.

The first implementation of this initiative will be in Tengah, covering the following BTO estates:

  • Plantation Creek
  • Garden Waterfront I @ Tengah
  • Garden Waterfront II @ Tengah
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