The Changi Airport Branch Line will be converted from the East-West Line (EWL) to form part of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). As part of this conversion, three stations—Tanah Merah, Expo, and Changi Airport—will be modified to support TEL operations. These plans were announced under the Land Transport Master Plan 2040 (LTMP 2040).
According to delivery timelines specified in Contract T3206, modification works on the EWL section between Tanah Merah and Changi Airport are scheduled to commence in 2025 and are expected to be completed by 2031.
By 2040, the TEL will be extended beyond its current terminus at TE31DT37 Sungei Bedok to CG2 Changi Airport. This 14-km extension, known as the Thomson–East Coast Line Extension (TELe), will pass through the future Changi Airport Terminal 5 and connect with Expo and Tanah Merah stations, forming a continuous rail corridor between Woodlands North and Tanah Merah.
Initial reporting in LTMP 2040
In May 2019, the Land Transport Master Plan 2040 formally announced the Thomson–East Coast Line Extension, linking Sungei Bedok station to Changi Airport. The extension will pass through the planned Terminal 5 and incorporate the existing East West Line segment between Tanah Merah and Changi Airport, which is slated for conversion into the TELe.
Beyond providing a direct rail connection between Changi Airport and the city centre, the TELe will enable seamless travel along the TEL corridor up to Woodlands North. This enhanced connectivity will allow commuters to transfer conveniently to and from the future Singapore–Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link.
The Changi Airport Terminal 5 station will also serve as an interchange between the TEL and the Cross Island Line (CRL). This arrangement was officially announced on 25 July 2025.
Project Challenges
The East-West Line and Thomson-East Coast Line employ different rolling stock types, signalling systems, and supporting railway subsystems. As a result, extensive system modifications are required to allow TEL trains to operate on infrastructure originally designed for the EWL.
Train door configuration presents a further challenge. EWL trains operate in six-car formations with four doors per car, while TEL trains run in four-car formations with five doors per car. Platform screen doors at affected stations will therefore require modification or replacement. At Changi Airport station, the presence of structural columns prevents all TEL train doors from opening simultaneously. This constraint may necessitate the use of selective door operation unless alternative engineering solutions are implemented.
In addition, the Changi Airport Branch Line includes above-ground sections, whereas the TEL is predominantly underground, except for the open-air Mandai Depot. These surface-level segments introduce additional operational considerations, although this may have already been assessed during the initial procurement of the Kawasaki-Sifang T251 trains, which were also proposed for use on the RTS Link.
Construction Phases
Tanah Merah Modification Project
Before modification works, the Changi Airport Branch Line operated as a shuttle service between EW4CGÂ Tanah Merah and CG2Â Changi Airport, using a single dedicated platform at Tanah Merah station.
As part of the modification project, a new platform was constructed to serve eastbound EWL services. This will free up a second central platform for use by TEL services, enabling faster train turnarounds and shorter headways.
Contract T315 – Addition and Alteration Works to Existing Tanah Merah Station and Existing Viaducts was awarded to Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte Ltd in October 2016, with a contract value of S$325 million. The new eastbound EWL platform opened on Monday, 8 December 2025, following a 9-day closure of the EWL.
Changi Airport Branch Modification Works
Modification works to the existing East West Line stations at Tanah Merah, Expo and Changi Airport would be performed under Contract T3206 – Addition and Alteration to Changi Airport Line. The tender was called on 29 April 2024. On 14 July 2025, the contract was awarded to Chiu Teng Construction Co. Pte. Ltd. at a contract sum of $94,260,500.00.
According to the delivery dates specified, modification works are expected to commence in 2025Â and are due for completion by 2031.
- East Coast Line Construction: T3206 – Conversion of the Changi Airport Line (erl-construction.blogspot.com)
- Preparatory work to connect Thomson-East Coast Line with Changi Airport to begin in 2025 | The Straits Times
Tunnelling underneath Changi Airport
Contract T316 – Changi Airport Underground Infrastructure – involves the construction and completion of twin bored tunnels extending eastward from CG2 Changi Airport station towards CR1TExx Changi Airport T5 (final station name to be announced). This scope includes the construction of associated cross passages, launch shafts, underground infrastructure, low point sumps within the tunnels, and related ancillary works.
Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (Singapore) Pte Ltd (STEC) was awarded Contract T316 for S$321.7 million. In 2022, STEC’s website indicated a contract duration from October 2019 to September 2026. However, as of 2024, the website has been updated to reflect a revised timeframe spanning from 2019 to 2031.
Future Connection to East Coast Depot
Upon its completion in 2026, the East Coast Integrated Depot will house the East-West Line, Downtown Line, and Thomson–East Coast Line within a single facility.
A dedicated reception track will likely be constructed to connect the TELe to ECID.
Track Diagrams:
Future track diagrams are indicative only and subject to change.
Indicative Track Layout at Changi Airport T5
The indicative future track layout at Changi Airport T5 was released in Urban Redevelopment Authority documents, within the Draft Master Plan 2025 for the North-East Region (see: “Fun by the Water, Play Near Home” initiative), and later in the URA Master Plan 2025.
See Also
References
- Land Transport Master Plan 2040
- Preparatory work to connect Thomson-East Coast Line with Changi Airport to begin in 2025 – The Straits Times [Accessed 1 May 2024]
- Fun by the Water, Play Near Home – Urban Development Authority Draft Master Plan 2025 [Accessed 21 Jul 2025]
- Thomson-East Coast Line Extension and Cross Island Line: Connecting Changi Airport Directly to the City Centre and Major Hubs – Land Transport Authority [Accessed 25 Jul 2025]
yeah wow some bright spark suggested this and now we all have to suffer :/ can’t believe we’ll only get four active tracks at Tanah Merah six years after completion (soonest), because they couldn’t just let the CAL stay isolated as its own branch. seriously cannot imagine how this got green lit, considering the numerous challenges this project faces. would it not have been easier to just have the CAL meet the TEL and CRL at T5? I cant imagine it being any more expensive than converting the platforms and signalling of three stations (not to mention that the conversion seems kinda pointless, no one from Sungei Bedok is going to Expo or Tanah Merah via Changi)