SINGAPORE \u2013 Many passengers continued with their journeys in an orderly fashion on March 14, the first day of the suspension of East-West Line (EWL) MRT service<\/span><\/a> between Tanah Merah and Expo stations. <\/p>\n Most seemed unfazed and proceeded to take the alternative route via shuttle bus service S8<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n Crowd marshals were on standby at train platforms and MRT gantries, as well as at the bus stops served by the shuttle service, to actively broadcast directions on portable microphones, guide passengers with light batons and assist those with questions. <\/p>\n When The Straits Times visited Tanah Merah station at around 7.45am on March 14, there were around six ground staff at the platform, another four at the level where the gantries are located, and about six marshals at the bus stop.<\/p>\n Large signs were on display across the entire station to inform commuters of the suspension of train service between Tanah Merah and Expo stations from March 14 to 17. <\/p>\n Wayfinding signs to the shuttle service at the platform of Tanah Merah MRT station on March 14.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Some passengers, like Mr Peter Tan, 48, had found out about the service suspension beforehand, thanks to social media and physical banners at stations. <\/p>\n The sales executive, who works at Changi Airport, said he is typically on the train travelling from Tanah Merah to the airport at 8.20am on most days, but he was still waiting for the shuttle service to arrive at a bus stop outside Tanah Merah station at that time on March 14. <\/p>\n He was confident that he would still be able to get to work on time by 9am, and added that the service suspension was \u201cbearable\u201d since it would last only a few days. <\/p>\n Others, like customer service officer Raj Peruman, learnt about the service changes only on the morning of March 14 upon seeing the signs on display at Jurong East station. <\/p>\n The 38-year-old, who started his commute at Kranji on the North-South Line, said the suspension was \u201ca bit inconvenient\u201d as he would have to make a detour, compared with the direct train ride he normally takes to get to his workplace at Expo. <\/p>\n Mr Peruman, however, noted that the ground staff were \u201cvery helpful\u201d in guiding him to take the shuttle service from Tanah Merah to Expo.<\/p>\n A staff member guiding passengers to shuttle service S8 at Tanah Merah MRT station.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Another passenger in his fifties, who wanted to be known only as Mr Soin, was on his way to the airport with his teenage son and wife \u2013 and two medium-sized travel bags in tow. <\/p>\n Having known about the service suspension in advance, the Singaporean family of three initially planned to take a different route \u2013 via the EWL from Clementi to Tampines, transferring to the Downtown Line at Tampines to get to Expo, and then taking the EWL to Changi Airport.<\/p>\n The family told ST that the staff had directed them to take the shuttle bus service at Tanah Merah instead, which became \u201ctroublesome\u201d for them as they had to drag their luggage in and out of stations. <\/p>\n They added that it would have been better if the staff had offered them a train-only alternative. <\/p>\n This is the third and final planned service suspension to link the EWL to the new East Coast Integrated Depot.<\/p>\n The first suspension, from Dec 7 to Dec 10, 2024, halted train service between Tanah Merah and Tampines to begin connecting the EWL to the new depot.<\/p>\n The second, from Nov 29 to Dec 8, 2025, suspended service between Bedok and Tampines<\/span><\/a>, as well as between Tanah Merah and Expo, to complete the remaining track connections to the depot and connect a new platform at Tanah Merah station.<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/div>
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