Sentosa Express
Sentosa Express station platform
Type	Straddle-beam Monorail
Station Count	4
Line length	2.1 km
Operational Data
Operator	STRIDES
Rolling stock	Hitachi small-type monorail
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Opened	15 Jan 2007

The Sentosa Express is a monorail line connecting Sentosa Island with HarbourFront on the Singapore mainland.

Opened on 15 January 2007, the Sentosa Express brings major attractions in Sentosa Island within convenient reach of HarbourFront, and connects to Singapore’s MRT network via NE1 CC29 HarbourFront station. The 2.1 km line is double-tracked with 4 stations.

The line is owned by the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and is currently operated by STRIDES, a business arm of SMRT Corporation.

History

A people mover system between Sentosa and the mainland was first considered in around 1991, as construction on the Sentosa Causeway was ongoing. This was later dropped, as a bus system was more cost-effective.

In June 2002, SDC awarded Hitachi a S$78 million contract to build the Sentosa Express monorail system. The system was to be a straddle-type small monorail system connecting HarbourFront and Central Beach on Sentosa. The old Sentosa Monorail line, which opened in 1982 and only ran within Sentosa island, was closed on 16 March 2005 to make way for the construction of the Sentosa Express.

Construction began in June 2003 and was completed in late 2006, for S$140 million, inclusive of station and depot construction, consultancy, and other costs. The line started operations on 15 January 2007 with three stations: Sentosa, Imbiah, and Beach.

The third station on Sentosa Island, Waterfront Station, remained closed. It was planned to open in tandem with the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort, then under construction. However, the station was demolished a year later in January 2008 for redevelopment and rebuilt to accommodate large crowds. It opened on 1 February 2010.

On 19 November 2014, Hitachi was awarded a S$30 million contract with Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) to enhance the capability of the Sentosa Express light rail system. This involved upgrading the line with new communications-based train control (CBTC) and the delivery of one additional trainset, for a total of 7 trains on the Sentosa Express. These improvements were delivered by 2017.

In March 2019, SDC outsourced operations & maintenance of the Sentosa Express to Daegu Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation for 5 years.

On 1 April 2019, Sentosa and Waterfront stations were renamed to VivoCity and Resorts World stations respectively. The name change was done to better reflect the nature of nearby developments.

In 2023, STRIDES (a business arm of SMRT Corporation) was awarded the Long Term Contract for the Operations and Maintenance of Sentosa Express Monorail System for a 12-year duration, with an option to extend by 4 years. This contract commenced on 1 September 2024.

Train Services

The Sentosa Express operates bi-directional services along a double-tracked line from VivoCity to Beach station. Trains travel on the left, similar to right-hand-drive traffic flow in Singapore.

Stations

S1 VivoCity
S2 Resorts World
S3 Imbiah
S4 Beach

Sentosa Express - Line Map — Sentosa Express – Line Map

Each station of the Sentosa Express is colour-coded for easy recognition. All stations are equipped with lifts for disabled access. S1 VivoCity station connects to NE1 CC29 HarbourFront MRT Station.

Fares

The Sentosa Express charges a fare when boarding from HarbourFront towards Sentosa. Rides are free within Sentosa island, and from Sentosa to HarbourFront.

CEPAS/SimplyGo transit farecards are accepted, as are credit/debit cards. Fares are:

$4 for adults and all credit/debit card fares
$2 for the following Concession Card holders: Senior Citizens, Persons With Disabilities, Workfare Transport Concession Card, Primary, Secondary, Junior College, Polytechnic and ITE Student Concession Cards
Free for Child Concession Card holders or children below 0.9m tall and accompanied by an adult

Several Sentosa Islander membership tiers provide unlimited rides on the Sentosa Express for the duration of validity.

Rolling Stock

The Sentosa Express operates on the Hitachi small-type monorail rolling stock, operating in a two-car formation with an operator’s cab at each end. Cars are permanently coupled with a gangway connection in between.

Seven trains are in service, each painted in a different colour scheme: Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink and Yellow. All trains are based out of the Sentosa Express depot next to Beach station, which also stables maintenance vehicles.

Early Closure:

Due to signalling upgrading works, the Sentosa Express’ operating hours were shortened between Mondays and Thursdays from 1 May 2016 to 31 December 2016 and 3 Jan 2017 to 30 Nov 2017, with the last trains departing Sentosa and Beach stations at 10 pm, two hours early. A free shuttle bus service was put in place, running from 10 pm to midnight at 15-minute intervals.

From 11 to 31 March 2020, early closures were carried out.