The East West Line (EWL) Rail Bridging Service (or EWL free shuttle bus service / EWL Bridging Bus) is an emergency bus service which is provided in the event of a Train Service Disruption involving the East West Line, which is operated by SMRT Trains.
When a section of the East West Line is suspended, this service may be activated to ferry affected commuters between affected stations, hence minimizing the impact of rail disruptions on commuters. This service may also be activated should there be a significant addition of expected travelling time along the EWL.
EWL
When the EWL bridging bus service is activated along a specific stretch of the EWL, information will be disseminated through SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA)’s media platforms. The service will only stop at specific bus boarding points (either at bus stops or bus interchanges) which are marked out in the ticket concourse of every station.
This service is offered for free, in addition to free bus boarding of regular bus services during a disruption.
Route (Westbound):
Route Map:
Route (Eastbound):
Route Map:
Route (Changi Airport Branch):
Route Map (Towards Changi Airport):
Route Map (Towards Tanah Merah):
| Technical Information | ||
Route  |
Pasir Ris Int (Pasir Ris MRT) ↔ Tuas West Dr (Tuas Link MRT) | |
| New Upp Changi Rd (Tanah Merah MRT) ↔ PTB3 Basement (Changi Airport MRT) | ||
| Passes Through | Specific East West Line MRT Stations (Disseminated at moment of activation) |
|
| Fare |
Free Travel | |
| Operator Information | ||
| Current Operators | Go-Ahead Singapore Pte Ltd SBS Transit Ltd Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd SMRT Buses Ltd |
|
| Current Fleet | Any Public Bus | |
| Departure Times |
Activated and withdrawn only when disseminated | |
Routes are compiled based on observations during a rail disruption.
Operator Information
- EW1 Pasir Ris – EW16 Outram Park
Go-Ahead Singapore Pte Ltd (Go-Ahead Singapore)
- EW12 Bugis – EW27 Boon Lay (Service 474)
SBS Transit Ltd
- EW21 Buona Vista – EW33 Tuas Link (Service 484)
Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd (Tower Transit) - CG Tanah Merah – CG2 Changi Airport
Go-Ahead Singapore Pte Ltd (Go-Ahead Singapore)
As SMRT Trains is the rail operator for the East West Line, buses from SMRT Buses Ltd can also operate on the EWL Bridging Bus service between any stations.
MRT Stations served:
- EW1 Pasir Ris
- EW2–DT32 Tampines
- EW3 Simei
- EW4CG Tanah Merah
- EW5 Bedok
- EW6 Kembangan
- EW7 Eunos
- EW8CC9 Paya Lebar
- EW9 Aljunied
- EW10 Kallang
- EW11 Lavender
- EW12DT14 Bugis
- EW13NS25 City Hall
- EW14NS26 Raffles Place
- EW15 Tanjong Pagar
- EW16NE3 Outram Park
- EW17 Tiong Bahru
- EW18 Redhill
- EW19 Queenstown
- EW20 Commonwealth
- EW21CC22 Buona Vista
- EW22 Dover
- EW23 Clementi
- EW24NS1 Jurong East
- EW25 Chinese Garden
- EW26 Lakeside
- EW27 Boon Lay
- EW28 Pioneer
- EW29 Joo Koon
- EW30 Gul Circle
- EW31 Tuas Crescent
- EW32 Tuas West Road
- EW33 Tuas Link
Changi Airport Branch:
- EW4CG Tanah Merah
- CG1DT35 Expo
- CG2 Changi Airport
History of Activation: (2017 & earlier)
This list is not exhaustive.
History of EWL Bridging Bus activations (2010–2017)| Date | Sector Served | Disruption Reason |
| 29 Nov 2010 | Jurong East ↔ Outram Park | Passenger hit by train at Queenstown station |
| 18 Dec 2011 | Pasir Ris ↔ Joo Koon Tanah Merah ↔ Changi Airport (entire line) |
Postponed start of service for detailed inspections following NSL breakdowns on 15 & 17 Dec |
| 9 Oct 2013 | Boon Lay ↔ Joo Koon | Track circuit failure |
| 22 Jan 2014 | Tanah Merah ↔ Pasir Ris | Track Fault |
| 15 Feb 2015 | Jurong East ↔ Joo Koon | Train Fault |
| 19 Feb 2016 | Jurong East ↔ Joo Koon | Train Fault |
| 22 Mar 2016 | Tanah Merah ↔ Pasir Ris | Fatal accident at Pasir Ris involving 2 SMRT track workers |
| 28 Sep 2017 | Tampines ↔ Pasir Ris | Track Point Fault |
| 10 Nov 2017 | Bugis → Tanah Merah (1-way) | Late-night Train Fault |
History of Activation: (since late-2017)
| Date | Sector Served | Disruption Reason |
| 15 Nov 2017 | Boon Lay ↔ Tuas Link | Joo Koon train collision |
| 16–19 Nov 2017 | Joo Koon ↔ Tuas Link | Partial EWL suspension following train collision |
| 20 Nov 2017 – 26 May 2018 |
Joo Koon ↔ Gul Circle | Long-term suspension following train collision (see: Joo Koon—Gul Circle Free Shuttle) |
| 7 Dec 2017 | Boon Lay ↔ Gul Circle | Train Fault |
| 2 Jan 2018 | Tanah Merah ↔ Changi Airport | Track Signalling Fault |
| 19 Sep 2018 | Boon Lay ↔ Queenstown | Track Point Fault |
| 12 Dec 2018 | Gul Circle ↔ Boon Lay | Accident during track maintenance |
| 15 Mar 2019 | Jurong East ↔ Queenstown | Track Fault at Clementi |
| 30 Nov 2019 | Tuas Link ↔ Joo Koon | Track Point Fault |
| 26 Jul 2020 | Gul Circle ↔ Lakeside | Traction Power Fault |
| 14 Oct 2020 | Queenstown ↔ Tuas Link | Power Fault (NSL, EWL & CCL) |
| 25 Feb 2021 | Bugis ↔ Aljunied | Track Incident – Fatal incident near Kallang MRT |
| 25 Dec 2021 | Joo Koon ↔ Tuas Link | Signalling Fault |
| 14 Dec 2022 | Lakeside ↔ Gul Circle | Signalling Fault |
| 5 Jul 2023 | Tuas Link ↔ Tuas West Road | Factory Fire at 11 Tuas Link 1 |
| 4 Jul 2024 | Boon Lay ↔ Clementi | Track Fault |
| 25 Sep 2024 | Boon Lay ↔ Queenstown | Traction Power Fault & Track Repair Works (Faulty C151 Train Causes Extensive Damage & Disruption to EWL Services) |
| 26–30 Sep 2024 | Jurong East ↔ Buona Vista | |
Gallery:
More Photos on Page 2.
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The operator for free bridging buses are not random. SMRT is no longer in control of the EWL Free Bridging Bus. Now it is controlled by GAS, SBST and TTS to operate the bridging buses based on which sector along the EWL is down.
SMRT continues to solely operate the NSL, CCL and BPLRT Free Bridging Buses.
SBST continues to solely operate the NEL, DTL and SPLRT Free Bridging Buses.