East–West MRT line

This article is about the MRT line in Singapore. For other similarly named rapid transit lines in other cities, seeEast–West line (disambiguation).

East–West Line
Tuas Link station,a western terminus of the line
Overview
Native name	Laluan MRT Timur Barat Đông tây địa thiết tuyến கிழக்கு மேற்கு எம்ஆர்டி வழி
Status	Operational
Owner	Land Transport Authority
Locale	Singapore
Termini	Pasir Ris Tanah Merah Tuas Link Changi Airport
Stations	35
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
Services	3
Operator(s)	SMRT Trains(SMRT Corporation)
Depot(s)	Tuas Ulu Pandan Changi East Coast(Future)
Rolling stock	Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151(KHI) Siemens C651(SIE) Kawasaki–Nippon Sharyo C751B(KNS) Kawasaki–Sifang C151A(KSF) Kawasaki–Sifang C151B(KSF) Kawasaki–Sifang C151C(KSF) Alstom Movia R151(ALS)
Daily ridership	508,957 (July 2020)
History
Opened	12 December 1987(1987-12-12)(as part of North South line) 4 November 1989(1989-11-04)(renamed as East West line) 6 July 1990(1990-07-06)(Initial line complete) 10 January 2001(2001-01-10)(Expo) 18 October 2001(2001-10-18)(Dover) 8 February 2002(2002-02-08)(Changi Airport) 28 February 2009(2009-02-28)(Boon Lay extension) 18 June 2017(2017-06-18)(Tuas West extension)
Technical
Line length	57.2 km (35.5 mi)
Character	Elevated (Pasir Ris–Kallang,Redhill–Tuas Link,Expo) Underground (Lavender–Tiong Bahru,Changi Airport)
Track gauge	1,435 mm(4 ft8+1⁄2in)standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DCthird rail
Operating speed	limited to 80 km/h (50 mph)
Route map EW1 Pasir Ris CP1 CR5 ■ ← toPunggol/Bright Hill toAviation Park→ Tampines Expressway Sungei Tampines DT32 ■ Downtown Line toBukit Panjang EW2 Tampines Pan Island Expressway EW3 Simei CG2 Changi Airport DT35 ■ Downtown Line toSungei Bedok CG1 Expo Changi Depot Sungei Bedok EW4 CG Tanah Merah EW5 Bedok EW6 Kembangan EW7 Eunos EW8 Paya Lebar CC9 ■ Circle Line toDhoby GhautorMarina Bay EW9 Aljunied EW10 Kallang Kallang River EW11 Lavender DT14 ■ ← toBukit Panjang toExpo→ EW12 Bugis ■ North–South Line toJurong East NS25 EW13 City Hall Singapore River EW14 NS26 Raffles Place ■ North–South Line toMarina South Pier ■ Thomson–East Coast Line toBayshore EW15 Tanjong Pagar NE3 ■ ← toPunggol toHarbourFront→ TE17 EW16 Outram Park ■ Thomson–East Coast Line toWoodlands North EW17 Tiong Bahru EW18 Redhill EW19 Queenstown EW20 Commonwealth CC22 ■ Circle Line toHarbourFront EW21 Buona Vista EW22 Dover EW23 Clementi CR17 ■ ← toAviation Park toJurong Lake District→ Sungei Ulu Pandan Ulu Pandan Depot Sungei Pandan ■ Jurong Region Line toPandan Reservoir NS1 EW24 JE5 Jurong East ■ North–South Line toMarina South Pier ■ Jurong Region Line toTengah EW25 Chinese Garden EW26 Lakeside EW27 Boon Lay JS8 ■ ← toTawas toJurong Pier→ EW28 Pioneer EW29 Joo Koon Pan Island Expressway Ayer Rajah Expressway EW30 Gul Circle EW31 Tuas Crescent EW32 Tuas West Road EW33 Tuas Link Tuas Depot Ayer Rajah Expressway Singapore Rail Test Centre

TheEast–West Line(EWL) is a high-capacityMass Rapid Transit(MRT) line operated bySMRTinSingapore,running fromPasir Ris stationin theeasttoTuas Link stationin thewest,with an additionalbranchbetweenChangi AirportandTanah Merahstations. It is the second Mass Rapid Transit line to be built inSingapore.Coloured green on the rail map, the line serves 35 stations, 8 of which (fromLavendertoTiong BahruandChangi Airportstations) are underground.At 57.2 kilometres (35.5 mi), the line is the longest on the MRT network.

Constructed and opened as part of theNorth–South Line(NSL) in the early stages of development, the East–West Line was the second rail line formed in Singapore after NSL, with the opening of the eastern extension toTanah Merahon the EWL in 1989. Nevertheless, both lines uses identicalsignallingequipment androlling stock.The East–West Line signalling systems have been upgraded along with the North–South Line, with both MRT lines having its signalling upgraded completely, converting it from semi-automatic to fully automated operations.

History

Initial developments

The first segment of what would become the East–West Line, betweenCity HallandOutram Parkstations, was opened on 12 December 1987 as part of the North–South Line and Phase 1 of the initial system.Subsequently, it was extended westwards toClementi stationon 12 March 1988and toLakesideon 5 November 1988.

The 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) eastern extension toTanah Merah stationopened on 4 November 1989, which also marked the start of independent operations as the East–West Line.The opening ceremony was attended by then First Deputy Prime MinisterGoh Chok Tong.

The 6-kilometre (3.7 mi) line extension toPasir Ris stationwas opened ahead of schedule on 16 December 1989with a sneak preview beforehand.Boon Lay stationopened on 6 July 1990, marking the completion of the initial MRT system.

Subsequent developments

Dover station

Main article:Dover MRT station

Construction on a newinfill stationlocated betweenBuona Vista stationandClementi station,namelyDover station,began in June 1998. It is the first station in the MRT network to be built as an infill station.The building of the station was met with reservations by some members of the public over the small area it serviced and there were criticisms over the spending of "taxpayers' money"chiefly for use only by students of one educational institution.Despite some opposition, theLand Transport Authorityproceeded with the construction to serve commuters along Singapore Polytechnic with Dover housing estate.The station opened on 18 October 2001.Prior to opening, test runs were conducted from 13 to 17 October 2001 when the trains stopped at the station but did not open their doors.

Tanah Merah to Airport extension line

Changi Airport station

The idea of extending the Mass Rapid Transit system toChangi Airportwas reconsidered when Terminal 3 of the airport was being built.Earlier plans had long been made for a new line branching off from the existing East–West Line atTanah Merah,with some conceptual plans showing a tentative route alignment up to the airport along Airport Boulevard, continuing beyond the airport to Changi Point, before turning southwest back towards the city along the eastern coasts. The plans were finally announced by thenDeputy Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loongon 15 November 1996.However, the new route alignment showed a deviation from previous plans,where the final plan involved in building only the first two stations ofExpo,and Changi Airport, the latter being the underground station built between Terminal 2 andTerminal 3.The alignment of the station at the airport also switched perpendicularly to an east–west direction, such that the station leads to two of the terminals directly from either end of the station. The station's designs were unveiled on 10 February 1998 with construction starting on 29 January 1999.Expo and Changi Airport were opened on 10 January 2001 and 8 February 2002 respectively and operates under a shuttle service. Prior to 22 July 2003, train services from Boon Lay commences after the opening, but were later reverted to shuttle services due to low patronage.On 25 May 2019, it was announced that the Changi Airport Extension will be converted to become part of Thomson-East Coast line Extension (TELe) by 2040.

Boon Lay and Tuas extension

Tuas Link MRT station under construction

The 3.8-kilometre (2.4 mi) Boon Lay extension was first announced by the LTA on 29 December 2004, set to serve residents from the Jurong West Town area and those working in the Jurong Industrial Estate.The two stations,PioneerandJoo Koonstations, officially opened on 28 February 2009.

On 11 January 2011, the Tuas West extension, an extension of the East–West Line fromJoo KoontoTuas Linkwas announced.The extension has a span of 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi), which spans a twin-tracked MRT viaduct, four above-ground stations and a 26-hectare depot to provide stabling and maintenance facilities for the additional trains that will be bought for the extension and to cater for future expansion of the line.The viaduct is integrated with part of a 4.8-kilometre-long (3.0 mi) road viaduct along Pioneer Road, which will increase the road capacity to cope with anticipated increase in traffic. The stations areGul Circle,Tuas Crescent,Tuas West Road,andTuas Link.On 4 May 2012, theLand Transport Authoritymarked the start of construction of the Tuas West extension with a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future Tuas Link station.

The extension began service on 18 June 2017.During initial stages after opening, the westbound trains will alternate their terminus betweenJoo KoonandTuas Link,where for every two trains, one train will terminate at the former, while the other train will terminate at the latter.

Additional platform at Tanah Merah station

On 25 August 2014, theLand Transport Authorityannounced that a new platform will be constructed at Tanah Merah, enabling faster travel and shorter waiting times for commuters heading towardsExpoand Changi Airport on the Changi Airport branch line of the East–West Line.

On 26 October 2016, theLand Transport Authorityawarded the civil contract to Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte. Ltd. to build a new platform at Tanah Merah and viaducts for a contract sum of S$325 million. In addition to the new platforms, the existing East–West Line tracks will be extended to connect the line to the new four-in-oneEast Coast Integrated Depotat Changi.When completed in 2024, it will be the second station to have triple island platforms afterJurong East.

Half-height platform screen door installations

There were calls for platform screen doors (PSDs) to be installed at above-ground stations after several incidents in which passengers were killed or seriously injured by oncoming trains when they fell onto the railway tracks at above-ground stations. Underground stations already featured the doors since 1987. The authorities initially rejected the proposal by casting doubts over functionality and concerns about the high installation costs,but made an about-turn later with the government announcing plans to installhalf-height platform screen doorson the elevated stations on 25 January 2008, citing lower costs due to it becoming a more common feature worldwide.They were first installed atJurong East,Pasir Ris,andYishunstations in 2009 astrial runs.On 31 August 2011, the LTA announced completion of the installation of PSDs along the East–West Line, withExpobeing the last station on the line to receive the PSDs.Installation of PSDs across both theNorth Southand East–West lines (NSEWL) were completed on 14 March 2012, 3 months ahead of schedule.

Improvement works

Timber to concrete sleeper replacement works

The timbersleeperson the East–West Line was required to be replaced as they were near the end of their 25-year lifespan. The replacement sleepers, made of concrete, have a significantly longer lifespan.To speed up works, train services on the East–West Line was adjusted to end earlier. The work was divided into three phases: Phase 1 (Bugis – Tanah Merah), Phase 2 (Joo Koon – Jurong East, Tanah Merah – Pasir Ris) and Phase 3 (Jurong East – Outram Park). The sleepers were fully replaced on 18 February 2017.

Re-signalling works

A new moving-block signalling system, supplied by Thales, replaced the former ageing fixed-block signalling system on the East–West Line. The new signalling system, costing $195 million, reduces waiting times for trains during peak periods from 120 seconds then to 100 seconds now.The new system became operational between Pioneer and Tuas Link stations on 18 June 2017. Newer rolling stocks, such as theC151BandC151C,are equipped for use solely on the new signalling system.Since 27 May 2018, the new signalling system has been operating full-day on the entire East–West Line.

Third-rail replacement

Replacement works on the third rail, which provides electricity to the trains, were carried out between September 2015 and August 2017.The new third rail replaced its 30-year-old predecessor and is expected to increase reliability of the East–West line's electrical system.

Pasir Ris turnback extension

A new railway turnback located atPasir Ris station,the eastern terminus of the line, was announced by theLand Transport Authorityon 29 Jun 2018. It would extend the railway viaduct past the station by 148 metres.The turnback will allow for an increase in service frequency during peak times from 30 to 36 trains per hour as trains will be able to change directions faster to head westwards on the line, to meet future increases in ridership demand. Construction started in 2019 and is set to be completed by mid-2024.

Incidents

1993 Clementi train collision

Main article:Clementi rail accident

On 5 August 1993, before opening, a maintenance vehicle spilt oil on the tracks betweenClementiandJurong East.The first ten eastbound trains reported braking problems, then the eleventh train from Jurong stopped at the Clementi station for two minutes longer than scheduled due to it using its emergency brakes to stop at the station at 7.50 am, before being hit by another eastbound train when it failed to stop in time. 156 passengers were injured by the collision.

7 July 2015 power trip

During the evening peak hours on 7 July 2015, train services on the East–West and North–South Lines were temporarily disrupted due to massive power trips detected along both lines. The cause of the disruption was due to damaged insulators which had resulted in the failure of the power supply.For this disruption that brought inconvenience to 413,000 commuters, LTA imposed a 'record' fine of S$5.4 million on SMRT.

22 March 2016 staff fatalities

Main article:Pasir Ris rail accident

At about 11:08 a.m. on 22 March 2016, twoSMRTtrack-maintenance trainee staff were run over and killed by aC151 trainapproachingPasir Risstation,resulting in a temporarily service delay betweenTanah MerahandPasir Risfor over two hours that affected at least 10,000 commuters.

The two trainee staff joined SMRT in January 2016 and worked as technicians under a technical team of 15 staff led by a supervisor and were tasked to go down to the tracks to investigate an alarm triggered by a possible signalling equipment fault close by the station. An operator cited that they were granted access to the tracks, but did not coordinate with a Signal Unit in the station to ensure trains could not travel in the area where the team was.

Patrick Nathan, SMRT vice-president, promised that "SMRT will review all safety protocols particularly those involving track access".SMRT chief executive Desmond Kuek apologised for the incident and said SMRT will investigate how "the [two men] got hit by the train". SMRT fired both an engineer responsible for leading with the team and the train driver who was involved at the scene of the incident.

On 2 December 2016, SMRT was formally accused of failing to ensure that its employees complied with approved operating procedures when accessing the track; SMRT was then pleaded guilty to its charges on 28 February 2017 and incurred a S$400,000 fine.Investigations are still ongoing against the two men, Teo Wee Kiat (SMRT's director of control operations) and Lim Say Heng, both charged for the incident.

15 November 2017 train collision and delays

Main article:Joo Koon rail accident

A secondtraincollision occurred on 15 November 2017 at approximately 8.18am, where twoC151Atrains collided at Joo Koon MRT station. A train fault caused the first train heading in the direction of Tuas Link to stall at the station. A minute later, a second train stopped behind the first and then "moved forward unexpectedly," hitting the other train. Thirty-eight people, including two SMRT staff, were hospitalized.

Train services betweenTuas LinkandJoo Koonstations were temporally suspended in both directions for two hours on the day itself and the entire day on 16 November 2017, and westbound trains temporarily terminated atJoo Koon.

An update by theLand Transport Authority(LTA) &SMRTon 16 November 2017 stated that LTA and SMRT had decided to isolate for up to one month the operations of the Tuas West extension, which runs on the new signalling system, from the rest of the East–West Line, which runs on the old signalling system, enabling LTA engineers to carry out further assurance checks together with Thales. The train was switching systems when the collision took place.Train service on the line resumed on 20 November, with the Tuas West extension betweenGul CircleandTuas Linkusing the new signalling system and the section between Pasir Ris and Joo Koon, together with the Changi Airport Branch continuing to run on the old signalling system. Train services between Joo Koon and Gul Circle were temporarily suspended until its resumption on 28 May 2018; between the suspension a free bridging bus service is available between the two stations. Continuous service between Pasir Ris and Gul Circle resumed on 28 May 2018, with the permanent activation of the new CBTC system; since the incident, selected portions of either the North South Line or East–West Line were closed to conduct track renewal works with early weekend closures and later station openings.

Network and operations

Train services on the East–West Line operates from approximately 5:30am to around midnight daily. In general, during peak hours, train frequency is 2 to 3 minutes while during non-peak hours the frequency is reduced to 5 minutes throughout the entire route.The first train departs Tanah Merah at 4:55 am to head towards Pasir Ris, which will depart at 5:08 am as a downroute to reach Jurong East at 6:03 am; and the first train departs Tanah Merah at 5:03 am for Changi Airport Line which will reach one-loop at 5:24 am. The first train departs Tuas Link at 4:45 am and 4:50 am to head towards Pasir Ris at 5:09 am (Jurong East) and 6:00 am (Tanah Merah).

Train services on the East–West Line are also subjected to maintenance and renewal works, usually on selected Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays. Shuttle bus services may be provided throughout the duration of the early closures and late openings for affected commuters.Operations of the East–West Line are affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic,leading to the drop of ridership.

Route

Geographically accurate map of the East–West MRT line.

As its name implies, the East–West Line connects central Singapore to both eastern and western parts of the island, with an additional branch betweenChangi AirportandTanah Merah,which operates as a separate shuttle service. It is 57.2 kilometers (35.5 miles) long and it is predominantly double-tracked, but certain short sections at Tanah Merah, Outram Park and Joo Koon widens to three tracks, four tracks nearby Jurong East station and a section between Jurong East and Clementi station and five tracks nearby Changi Depot and Tanah Merah station.

Some stations are commonly placed at the middle of the roads such asTanah Merah,Bedok,Queenstown,Commonwealth,Dover,Clementi,Pioneer,Joo Koon,Gul Circle,Tuas CrescentandTuas West Road.The line runs mostly on overhead viaducts but goes underground in the city area betweenKallangandRedhill,BedokandKembangan,and betweenExpoandChangi Airport.Travelling from one end of the line to the other takes about 85 minutes.

The line begins above ground atPasir Ris stationfrom where it continues to head south towards Simei station. The line curves between Simei to Tanah Merah stations and continues westwards, joining the Changi Airport branch, paralleling New Upper Changi Road. Two branch lines to Changi Depot and to Changi Airport station exists betweenSimeiand Tanah Merah stations. AtTanah Merah station,the line extends to four tracks due to its interchange with the Changi branch before turning back into two tracks in a western direction.

From Bedok station to Kembangan station, the line goes underground but then goes above-ground, and follows the route of Sims Avenue and Sims Avenue East in an opposite direction. After Kallang station, the line goes underground through the Central Area and runs heads south-west towards City Hall station. It then runs parallel to the North–South Line between City Hall and Raffles Place stations, which are cross-platform interchanges to theNorth–South Line.After Tanjong Pagar, the line curves northwestwards towards Outram Park. AfterTiong Bahru,the line continues above ground starting with Redhill station and follows the direction of Commonwealth Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue West and Boon Lay Way. Between Clementi and Jurong East station, three branches (one going east and two going west) toUlu Pandan Depotare deployed. AtJurong East station,the line extends again to four tracks due to its interchange with theNorth-South linebut then, separates into two before heading west toChinese Garden station.AfterPioneer station,the line heads south-west before curving westwards towards Joo Koon station. The line terminates atTuas Linkwith a branch heading towardsTuas Depot.

The Changi Airport extension starts at Tanah Merah station as a single track before turning eastwards to Expo station. AfterExpo station,it goes underground and curves south before terminating atChangi Airport station.

The East–West Line was constructed along theNorth–South Line.As such, both lines used identicalsignallingequipment androlling stock.

Stations

The line serves 35 stations across 57.2 kilometres (35.5 mi) of track, and station codes for the line are green, corresponding to the line's colour on the system map.8 stations, includingChangi Airport,and 7 other stations on the stretch fromLavendertoTiong Bahruare underground, with the rest being elevated. With the exception of Dover, all stations have island platforms.

East–West Line stations timeline

Date	Project	Description
7 November 1987	Phase 1	Yio Chu Kang–Toa Payoh(Now part of the North-South Line)
12 December 1987		Toa Payoh–Outram Park(Direct train service to Outram Park via Raffles Place)
12 March 1988	Phase 1A	Outram Park–Clementi
5 November 1988	Phase 2B	Clementi–Lakeside
20 December 1988		Yio Chu Kang–Yishun(Now part of the North-South Line)
4 November 1989	Phase 2A	City Hall–Tanah Merah(Separation of the North-South Line & East–West Line)
16 December 1989		Tanah Merah–Pasir Ris
10 March 1990	Phase 2B	Jurong East–Choa Chu Kang(Operates as a branch line from Jurong East, now part of the North-South Line)
6 July 1990		Lakeside–Boon Lay
10 January 2001	Changi Airport Extension	Tanah Merah–Expo
18 October 2001	Dover Station	Dover stationbetweenBuona VistaandClementi
8 February 2002	Changi Airport Extension	Expo–Changi Airport
28 February 2009	Boon Lay Extension	Boon Lay–Joo Koon
18 June 2017	Tuas West Extension	Joo Koon–Tuas Link
16 November 2017		Temporary closure ofJoo Koon–Tuas Link(Due to a train collision at Joo Koon)
20 November 2017		Reopening ofGul Circle–Tuas Link(Reopens as a separate line, transfer between Joo Koon & Gul Circle)
28 May 2018		Reopening ofJoo Koon–Gul Circle(Merges into one line)

Legend

Elevated	Lineterminus	Transfer outsidepaid area
Ground-level	Wheelchair accessible	Bus interchange
Underground	Civil DefenceShelter	Other transportation modes

List

Station code	Station name	Images	Interchange; Adjacent transportation	Opening	Cost
EW1CR5 CP1	Pasir Ris		Cross Island Line(2030) CRLPunggol Extension(2032) ― Pasir Ris	16 December 1989; 34 years ago	S$5 billion
EW2–DT32	Tampines		Downtown Line ― Tampines Tampines Concourse
EW3	Simei		—
EW4 CG	Tanah Merah		EWLChangi Airport Branch Line(until 2040) Thomson–East Coast Line(after 2040)	4 November 1989; 34 years ago
EW5	Bedok		Bedok
EW6	Kembangan		—
EW7	Eunos		Eunos
EW8CC9	Paya Lebar		Circle Line
EW9	Aljunied		—
EW10	Kallang		Lorong 1 Geylang
EW11	Lavender		—
EW12DT14	Bugis		Downtown Line
EW13NS25	City Hall		North–South Line	12 December 1987; 36 years ago
EW14NS26	Raffles Place		North–South Line
EW15	Tanjong Pagar
EW16NE3TE17	Outram Park		North East Line Thomson–East Coast Line
EW17	Tiong Bahru			12 March 1988; 36 years ago
EW18	Redhill		—
EW19	Queenstown
EW20	Commonwealth
EW21CC22	Buona Vista		Circle Line ― Buona Vista Ghim Moh
EW22	Dover		—	18 October 2001; 22 years ago	S$45 million
EW23CR17	Clementi		Cross Island Line(2032) ― Clementi	12 March 1988; 36 years ago	S$5 billion
EW24NS1JE5	Jurong East		North–South Line JRLEast Branch(2028) ― Jurong East	5 November 1988; 35 years ago
EW25	Chinese Garden		—
EW26	Lakeside
EW27JS8	Boon Lay		Jurong Region Line(2027) ― Boon Lay	6 July 1990; 34 years ago
EW28	Pioneer		—	28 February 2009; 15 years ago	S$436 million
EW29	Joo Koon		Joo Koon
EW30	Gul Circle		—	18 June 2017; 7 years ago	S$3.5 billion
EW31	Tuas Crescent
EW32	Tuas West Road
EW33	Tuas Link		Tuas ― Tuas Checkpoint
Changi Airport Line (CAL)
CG1DT35	Expo		Downtown Line	10 January 2001; 23 years ago	S$850 million
CG2	Changi Airport		Changi Airport ― Changi AirportTerminals 1–4	8 February 2002; 22 years ago

SMRT used to operate the branch sector ofTanah MerahtoChangi Airportas a through service from Boon Lay from 18 November 2001 until 22 July 2003, when it was replaced with a shuttle service. By 2040, the Changi Airport line (CAL) will be converted to the Thomson-East Coast line.

Depots

Number	Depot name; Lines	Location	Images	Line-specific stabling capacity	Cost	Opening	Footnotes
1	Changi(until 2026)	Changi		35 trains	S$250 million	4 November 1989; 34 years ago
2	Ulu Pandan NSL	Jurong East		45 trains	S$130 million	12 March 1988; 36 years ago
3	Tuas	Tuas		60 trains	S$237.1 million	18 June 2017; 7 years ago
4	East Coast(after 2026)	Changi	Does not appear	72 trains	S$1.99 billion	2026; 2 years' time	Under construction, shares the same depot with Downtown line and Thomson-East Coast line.

Infrastructure

Rolling stock

A variety ofrolling stockon the East West Line

Various older generation rolling stock of the East West Line parked atUlu Pandan Depot.

A newer rolling stock R151 and older rolling stock C151 at Eunos MRT Station

Seven batches of rolling stock operate on the East–West Line, namely theC151,C651,C751B,C151A,C151B,C151CandR151from oldest to newest, similar to those that operate on theNorth–South Line.Trains are maintained atChangi Depot,Ulu Pandan DepotandTuas Depot,which provide train maintenance, inspection and overhaul facilities.These models of rolling stock were introduced to boost the capacity on both the North South and the East–West lines in order to cope with increasing ridership.

Both the North South and the East–West lines utilized identical rolling stock up until the 2010s, when the C151A trains were temporary suspended from operating on the North–South Line from January 2012 until November 2013 following the 2011 train disruptions.The C151B trains, which were introduced in April 2017, did not begin revenue service on the full stretch of the East–West Line until the line's trial of the CBTC signalling system in May 2018.TheC151Ctrains, despite their introduction on 30 September 2018 on the North South Line, only made their full day debut on the East–West Line on 4 November 2023.

Another generation of rolling stock, theR151trains, will be delivered from 2022 to 2026, to replace all 66 first-generationC151,all 19 second-generationC651and all 21 third-generationC751Btrains. The R151 trains are the first rolling stock on the East–West Line to be manufactured byBombardier(Bought by Alstom in 2021), which has also supplied trains for theDowntown Line.The first train entered service on the East–West Line on 4 June 2023.

Signalling

Half-Platform Screen Doors installed in Tanah Merah station

The East–West Line is equipped withThalesSelTraccommunications-based train control(CBTC)moving blocksignalling systemwithautomatic train control(ATC) underautomatic train operation(ATO) Grades of Automation (GoA) 4.The subsystems consist ofautomatic train protection(ATP) to govern train speed, NetTrac MT Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) to track and schedule trains and acomputer-based interlocking(CBI) system that prevents incorrect signal and track points to be set.

The old signalling system has undergone decommissioning work from August 2018 and was completed on 23 November 2018.It consists ofWestinghousefixed block signalling systemwithAutomatic train control(ATC) underAutomatic train operation(ATO) GoA 2.The subsystems consist ofAutomatic train protection(ATP) to govern train speed, Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) to track and schedule trains and aRelay interlockingsystem that prevents incorrect signal and track points to be set.

The stretch of track between Pioneer and Tuas Link stations was equipped with the new signalling system which came into use in June 2017. As the section of track between Pioneer and Joo Koon support 'mixed-mode' of both signalling systems, trains terminating at either Joo Koon or Tuas Link would have to change signalling modes atPioneer MRT stationas trains terminating at Joo Koon would proceed to a turn back siding which was built as part of the TWE which only supports the new signalling system. Eastbound trains towards Pasir Ris would have to change back to the old signalling system at Pioneer MRT station. This procedure was removed after thetrain collision at Joo Koonas trains terminated at Joo Koon. The new signalling system became fully operational on 28 May 2018.

Platform screen doors

When the line was first opened, full-heightplatform screen doorssupplied byWestinghousewere installed at underground stations. These doors serve to prevent suicides, enable climate control within the station, better security control by restricting access to the tunnels and tracks and for overall passenger safety considerations.The authorities initially rejected calls for platform screen doors to be installed at elevated stations by casting doubts over functionality and concerns about the high installation costs.Nevertheless, the LTA reversed its decision and made plans to installhalf-height platform screen doorson elevated stations on 25 January 2008.The first platform screen doors byST Electronicswere installed at Pasir Ris, Jurong East and Yishun stations in 2009 as trial runs.Subsequently, installation began in May 2011 atAng Mo Kio stationon the North–South Line. On 14 March 2012, platform screen doors became operational at all elevated stations on the East–West Line.Stations along the TWE had half-height platform screen doors manufactured by Fangda installed during the station's construction.

In popular culture

The line's Changi Branch is featured intvNseriesLittle Women.

External links

• East–West Line