Slight easing of North East Line crowding with free off-peak rides, say commuters

SINGAPORE – For business associate Tan Hui Xin, commuting on the North East Line (NEL) from Kovan to Dhoby Ghaut during the morning rush hour has long been a struggle.

“The NEL is a nightmare in the morning, and I used to have to wait at the platform until a train arrived with enough space for me to squeeze in,” said the 30-year-old.

In recent months, she has noticed a “slight improvement” when she boards a train at about 8.45am, after a free off-peak ride scheme began on Dec 27, 2025.

“It’s somewhat better now. I usually get to board immediately,” she added.

Connecting residents in the north-eastern part of the island to the city centre, the NEL is one of Singapore’s most heavily utilised rail lines.

Based on operator SBS Transit’s business update for the first quarter of 2026, the line sees an average of 610,814 passenger trips each day. This is a 2.7 per cent increase from the same period in 2025.

To ease congestion, the scheme was implemented allowing passengers to take their first rail ride for free when they tap in before 7.30am, or between 9am and 9.45am, on weekdays at any Sengkang-Punggol LRT station or one of six NEL stations.

The six NEL stations are Punggol Coast, Punggol, Sengkang, Buangkok, Hougang and Kovan.

Currently, about 9 per cent of commuters have made use of the scheme, according to Land Transport Authority data.

On May 24, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow called it a win-win situation, noting that those who can travel during the off-peak periods do so for free, while those who travel during the rush hours enjoy a less crowded ride.

Among the 15 people The Straits Times spoke to at different stations on the NEL in the past week, the majority said the improvements have been marginal at best.

Analyst Sherrie Goh, 37, said it remains a challenge to board trains from Hougang station, as the crowds would usually have already boarded from Punggol and Sengkang.

She did not opt to switch her commute time, as a ride before 7.30am would result in her being too early for work.

But travelling from 9am onwards would leave her rushing through her transfer at Chinatown station to the Downtown Line to reach her office in Telok Ayer on time.

When ST visited Hougang station on June 29, trains became progressively more crowded from 6.30am. By 7.30am, commuters were squeezing into crowded cabins, while others waited for the next one or two trains.

Punggol resident Irsyad Alif said he was fortunate to live near the end of the line, allowing him to get into a train without much difficulty.

“There’s definitely been more people taking the train earlier,” noted the polytechnic student, who usually boards a train at about 7.15am.

The 19-year-old added: “Before there were free rides, there was a bit more space in the MRT. It’s usually students who take the early train.

“But nowadays, I do see more and more people dressed for work getting on board earlier.”

One passenger who initially adjusted his commute time was manager Reuben Lim, 42.

He said the prospect of avoiding large crowds, saving money and having more time to ease into the workday convinced him to tap in at Kovan station before 7.30am when the free rides began.

However, by the time the trains reached the station, most cabins were already full.

On some occasions, he had to wait for a few trains before he could get on.

“Instead of having more time to relax before work starts, I’m just spending it waiting around.

“The trains are still crowded, and the cost savings are not substantial enough,” he said, adding that he has gone back to boarding a train at about 8.30am to get more sleep.

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