Stadium MRT Station - Overhead view of platform from concourse level, with daylight reaching the lower levels of the station

Circle Line

Circle Line
Type Medium-capacity rail
Station Count 33
Line length 39.5 km
Termini Dhoby Ghaut
Depot Kim Chuan Depot
Operational Data
Operators SMRT Trains
Rolling stock Alstom Metropolis C830
Alstom Metropolis C830C
Alstom Metropolis C851E
Electrification 750 V DC third rail
Track gauge Standard Gauge (1435mm)
Opened 28 May 2009 (Stage 3)
17 Apr 2010 (Stage 1 & 2)
08 Oct 2011 (Stage 4 & 5)
14 Jan 2012 (Circle Line Extension)
12 Jul 2026 (Stage 6)

The Circle Line (CCL) is an underground, driverless, medium-capacity MRT line and the fourth rail line in Singapore, running an orbital route through residential areas and linking all radial routes leading to the city. The line is 39.5 km long with 33 stations, running in a circular loop with a spur between Dhoby Ghaut (CC1) and Promenade (CC4).

The line is also the first medium-capacity rail line in Singapore, with trains operating in a three-car formation; half the length of six-car trains used on older lines. Trains are based at Kim Chuan Depot, touted as the world’s largest fully underground train depot.

Timeline & History
  • 28 May 2009: Opening of Circle Line Stage 3, with trains running between Bartley and Marymount stations
  • 17 Apr 2010: Opening of Circle Line Stages 1 & 2, with trains running between Dhoby Ghaut and Marymount stations
  • 8 Oct 2011: Opening of Circle Line Stages 4 & 5, with trains running between Dhoby Ghaut and HarbourFront stations
  • 14 Jan 2012: Opening of Circle Line Extension, connecting Promenade to Marina Bay via Bayfront
  • 12 Jul 2026: Opening of Circle Line Stage 6, with trains running clockwise or anticlockwise direction. Circle Line station code for Bayfront & Marina Bay stations changed.

The Circle Line was planned as an orbital line linking all existing rail lines, allowing commuters to transfer between rail lines while avoiding the city centre, with interchanges at Paya Lebar, Serangoon, Bishan and Buona Vista. The southern reaches of the line would connect to the City centre. Construction work for the line commenced in 2002, along with Kim Chuan Depot, a fully underground train depot providing maintenance and stabling facilities for the Circle Line rolling stock.

Originally scheduled to open progressively from 2006 to 2010, the Nicoll Highway collapse of 2004 delayed the opening of Stages 1 and 2, resulting in the unaffected Stage 3 opening for revenue service first on 28 May 2009. A new Nicoll Highway station, two-thirds the size of the original station, was built a short distance away from the old station. Stages 1 and 2 eventually opened on 17 Apr 2010, opening up new connections to the Bras Basah and Marina Centre area.

Stages 4 & 5 opened a year later, on 8 Oct 2011, bringing the line to HarbourFront. Caldecott and Haw Par Villa stations, previously planned as shell stations, were built as normal stations and opened along with the rest of the line. That left Bukit Brown as the only remaining shell station on the Circle Line, awaiting future developments in the Bukit Brown area. Presently, its facilities are used as emergency escape shafts.

Stage 6, opened on 12 Jul 2026, completing the Circle Line by closing the loop between HarbourFront and Marina Bay with 3 additional stations.

Line Map
Stations on the Spur
Stations on the Loop
Shell Station:

Currently a shell station, expected to open with the further development of Bukit Brown.

Train Service Pattern

Regular train services on the Circle Line run in both clockwise and anticlockwise direction. One full loop is about 75 minutes.

Stations along the loop will be served by Clockwise Loop & Anticlockwise Loop train services.

For the spur stations that are not part of the loop (Dhoby Ghaut, Bras Basah & Esplanade), services would run between Dhoby Ghaut and Prince Edward Road via Bishan (anticlockwise – ends at Prince Edward Road / clockwise – ends at Dhoby Ghaut) and vice versa during weekday peak hours. On off-peak hours and on weekends, train services would run as a shuttle service between Dhoby Ghaut and Stadium.
A transfer at Promenade station is required for some journeys between the loop and the spur.

Refer to Station Travel Information System (STIS) and the Public Address (PA) system for information about the upcoming train.

Commuters can also refer to the CCL Wayfinding guide published by the Land Transport Authority in May 2026.

Train frequencies on the Circle Line will be as follows:

  • Main Loop
    Peak hours: 2 mins
    Off-peak hours & Weekends: 5 – 6 mins
  • Dhoby Ghaut, Bras Basah, Esplanade, Promenade, Bayfront & Marina Bay Stations
    Peak hours: 4 mins
    Off-peak hours & Weekends: 5 – 6 mins

Additional short trips are also deployed during major events at The Kallang (formerly known as Singapore Sports Hub) and the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Station Code Change for Circle Line Stage 6

Prior to the opening of Circle Line Stage 6 on 12 July 2026, the original station codes for Bayfront and Marina Bay stations were:

  • CE1DT16 Bayfront
  • CE2NS27TE20 Marina Bay

These stations were originally opened as part of the Circle Line Extension CE.

The Circle Line station codes for these stations were changed from CE1 to CC34 for Bayfront and CE2 to CC33 for Marina Bay from 12 July 2026.

The new station codes were previously reflected in the Future Network Map (March 2020 version) by the Land Transport Authority.

Rolling Stock

The Circle Line uses electric multiple unit (EMU) trains operating in a three-car configuration, with four doors per side on each carriage.

Train Quantity Entered Service Manufacturer Built at
Alstom Metropolis C830 40 May 2009 Alstom Valenciennes, France
Alstom Metropolis C830C 24 June 2015 Shanghai Alstom Transport Shanghai, China
Alstom Metropolis C851E (CCL) 23 April 2026 Alstom Barcelona, Spain

Alstom Metropolis C830 trainsets were the first generation of trains to serve the Circle Line. A total of 40 trainsets were ordered as part of turnkey Contract C830, with four doors per side, and are stabled at Kim Chuan Depot. They were built in France by Alstom between 2006 and 2008.

Shanghai Alstom Metropolis C830C trainsets were ordered to increase the capacity of the Circle Line. A total of 24 trainsets were ordered, as part of Contract C830C, and are also stabled at Kim Chuan Depot. Largely similar in design to their C830 cousins, these trains are built in China by Shanghai Alstom Transport Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Alstom and Shanghai Electric, between 2014 and 2015.

Alstom Metropolis C851E trainsets were ordered to increase the capacity of the Circle Line ahead of the opening of the Circle Line Stage 6. A total of 23 trainsets were ordered, with trains manufactured and assembled by Alstom in Barcelona, Spain.

Train Control

The Circle Line is equipped with the Alstom Urbalis 300 Communications-based train control (CBTC) signalling system. Trains operate fully automatically (GoA level 4; unattended train operation), but SMRT Trains elects to have a train attendant onboard in case of emergencies.

Construction Incidents
  • Nicoll Highway Collapse – see CC5 Nicoll Highway
  • Acquisition of Hock Kee House – see CC9EW8 Paya Lebar
  • Cornwall Gardens cave-in – In May 2008, tunnelling work caused an 8m by 7m stretch of Cornwall Gardens to sink into a 3m crater. No one was injured, nor were homes damaged, but water and telecommunication links to three homes were cut off
Circle Line 6 Upgrades

In preparation for the opening of Circle Line Stage 6 in 2026, LTA and SMRT have embarked on a series of system enhancements to the existing Circle Line (as of July 2019).

These upgrades include:

  • Signalling System
  • Power Supply System
  • Hardware and software of the communications system and the integrated supervisory control system (ISCS)
References

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