Introduction:
Over the past decades, the rail network in Singapore had transformed significantly with the opening of new rail lines, extension of existing rail lines and opening of more stations along the network.
Given the large number of changes to the public rail system in Singapore since the late seventies, have you ever wondered how the rail system evolved from only a couple of stations when it first opened in 1987 to the comprehensive system it became today? The Singapore Rail Timeline helps to put together the answers to some of these questions by listing all changes to the rail network in chronological order.
Timeline of Rail Service Changes:
| Year | Date | MRT/LRT Line | Service Changes |
| 1987 | 7 November | NSL | Opening of Toa Payoh, Braddell, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio & Yio Chu Kang stations |
| 12 December | NSL | Opening of Raffles Place, City Hall, Dhoby Ghaut, Somerset, Orchard, Newton & Novena stations | |
| NSL (1987 – 1988) EWL (since 1988) |
Opening of Tanjong Pagar & Outram Park stations | ||
| 1988 | 12 March | EWL | Opening of Tiong Bahru, Redhill, Queenstown, Commonwealth, Buona Vista & Clementi stations |
| 5 November | EWL | Opening of Jurong East, Chinese Garden & Lakeside stations | |
| 20 December | NSL | Opening of Yishun & Khatib stations | |
| 1989 | 4 November | NSL | Opening of Marina Bay station |
| EWL | Opening of Bugis, Lavender, Kallang, Aljunied, Paya Lebar, Eunos, Kembangan, Bedok & Tanah Merah stations | ||
| 16 December | EWL | Opening of Simei, Tampines & Pasir Ris stations | |
| 1990 | 10 March | EWL (1990 – 1996) NSL (since 1996) |
Opening of Bukit Batok, Bukit Gombak & Choa Chu Kang stations |
| 6 July | EWL | Opening of Boon Lay station | |
| 1996 | 10 February | NSL | Opening of Woodlands Extension (Sembawang, Admiralty, Woodlands, Marsiling, Kranji & Yew Tee stations) |
| 1999 | 6 November | BPLRT | Opening of Choa Chu Kang, South View, Keat Hong, Teck Whye, Phoenix, Bukit Panjang, Petir, Pending, Bangkit, Fajar, Segar, Jelapang, Senja & Ten Mile Junction stations) |
| 2001 | 10 January | EWL | Opening of Expo station |
| 18 October | EWL | Opening of Dover station | |
| 2002 | 27 February | EWL | Opening of Changi Airport station |
| 2003 | 18 January | SKLRT | Opening of East Loop (Sengkang, Compassvale, Rumbia, Bakau, Kangkar & Ranggung stations) |
| 20 June | NEL | Opening of HarbourFront, Outram Park, Chinatown, Clarke Quay, Dhoby Ghaut, Little India, Farrer Park, Boon Keng, Potong Pasir, Serangoon, Kovan, Hougang, Sengkang & Punggol stations | |
| 2005 | 29 January | SKLRT | Opening of West Loop (Thanggam, Fernvale, Layar, Tongkang & Renjong stations) |
| PGLRT | Opening of East Loop (Punggol, Cove, Meridian, Coral Edge, Riviera & Kadaloor stations) | ||
| 2006 | 15 January | NEL | Opening of Buangkok station |
| 2007 | 15 June | PGLRT | Opening of Oasis station |
| 15 November | SKLRT | Opening of Farmway station | |
| 2009 | 28 February | EWL | Opening of Boon Lay Extension (Pioneer & Joo Koon stations) |
| 28 May | CCL | Opening of Stage 3 (Bartley, Serangoon, Lorong Chuan, Bishan & Marymount stations) | |
| 2010 | 17 April | CCL | Opening of Stages 1 & 2 (Dhoby Ghaut, Bras Basah, Esplanade, Promenade, Nicoll Highway, Stadium, Mountbatten, Dakota, Paya Lebar, MacPherson & Tai Seng stations) |
| 10 December | BPLRT | Temporary closure of Ten Mile Junction station | |
| 2011 | 20 June | NEL | Opening of Woodleigh station |
| PGLRT | Opening of Damai station | ||
| 8 October | CCL | Opening of Stages 4 & 5 (Caldecott, Botanic Gardens, Farrer Road, Holland Village, Buona Vista, one-north, Kent Ridge, Haw Par Villa, Pasir Panjang, Labrador Park, Telok Blangah & HarbourFront stations) | |
| 30 December | BPLRT | Reopening of Ten Mile Junction station | |
| 2012 | 14 January | CCL | Opening of Circle Line Extension (Bayfront & Marina Bay stations) |
| 2013 | 1 January | SKLRT | Opening of Cheng Lim station |
| 22 December | DTL | Opening of Stage 1 (Bugis, Promenade, Bayfront, Downtown, Telok Ayer & Chinatown stations) | |
| 2014 | 29 June | PGLRT | Opening of West Loop (Nibong, Sumang & Soo Teck stations) |
| 23 November | NSL | Opening of North South Line Extension (Marina South Pier station) | |
| 2015 | 27 June | SKLRT | Opening of Kupang station |
| 27 December | DTL | Opening of Stage 2 (Bukit Panjang, Cashew, Hillview, Beauty World, King Albert Park, Sixth Avenue, Tan Kah Kee, Botanic Gardens, Stevens, Newton, Little India & Rochor stations) | |
| 2016 | 29 February | PGLRT | Opening of Sam Kee station |
| 29 December | PGLRT | Opening of Punggol Point station | |
| 2017 | 31 March | PGLRT | Opening of Samudera station |
| 18 June | EWL | Opening of Tuas West Extension (Gul Circle, Tuas Crescent, Tuas West Road & Tuas Link stations) | |
| 21 October | DTL | Opening of Stage 3 (Fort Canning, Bencoolen, Jalan Besar, Bendemeer, Geylang Bahru, Mattar, MacPherson, Ubi, Kaki Bukit, Bedok North, Bedok Reservoir, Tampines West, Tampines, Tampines East, Upper Changi & Expo stations) | |
| 2019 | 13 January | BPLRT | Permanent closure of Ten Mile Junction station |
| 2 November | NSL | Opening of Canberra station | |
| 2020 | 31 January | TEL | Opening of Stage 1 (Woodlands North, Woodlands & Woodlands South stations) |