T315 - Progress of works at Tanah Merah

6 December 2025 - An aerial view of the expanded Tanah Merah station with new viaducts visible.

Works at Tanah Merah station have been ongoing for a week now. These works would facilitate reconfiguration of the tracks along the East-West Line (EWL) to allow eastbound trains to call at a new platform in the expanded station. The new platform would allow for increased frequencies along the Changi Airport Line (CAL), which will be subsumed into the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) in a few years' time.

With publicly accessible vantage points limited, we were only able to catch views of the majority of the works affecting the eastbound tracks although the works also involved the westbound tracks. In view of this, the update mainly focuses on the works affecting the eastbound tracks.

Eastbound tracks reconfiguration works

A graphical depiction of the various tracks before and after the works.

The above is a graphical illustration of the works that have taken place. In the weeks leading up to the service adjustments for the works closure, the trackbed along the connecting points was prepared with ballast - the stones that support the rails & sleepers. Since then, tracks along the former alignment of the eastbound tracks were disconnected and instead connected to the tracks on the new viaduct.

27 November 2025 - A view of the new and existing viaducts before the commencement of
track reconfiguration works.

6 December 2025 - An aerial view of the new & old viaducts mid-way during the service closure
to enable reconfiguration works.

The above two images are to the west of the Tanah Merah station and serve to show the comparison of works before they began and after the works were completed but yet to be opened for revenue service. You will notice that the tracks curve from the existing to new viaducts. The former trackway now terminates at a buffer stop. Interesting to note is that the new viaduct trackbed is now noticeably emptier of ballast that formerly occupied most of the viaduct's track bed area. We are not quite sure if this will be topped up before the sector reopens to revenue service or simply be left as is.

27 November 2025 - An aerial view of the Tanah Merah station, with the reconnection tracks in
the background.

6 December 2025 - A close up view of the reconnection point where the eastbound tracks shift
back onto the old viaducts from the new one. Also visible is the reconnection point for the
new westbound tracks just before entering the station.

To the east of the station, the tracks rejoin the existing viaducts. Here, the track reconfigurations were a little more complex, as the former eastbound track was realigned to feed back into the CAL track. We also understand that works to connect the new westbound tracks were also undertaken during this shut down. Unfortunately, the platform extension of the station blocks a view of the new track connection here, thus we can only clearly visualise the track layouts of the eastbound track.

Nonetheless, as the East Coast Integrated Depot is currently not handed over to the operator and hence not functional, connections to the existing Changi Depot will need to be maintained. Two reception tracks connected to the Changi & Tanah Merah-bound tracks will still need to be maintained. The adjustments to the track layout means that the bottleneck faced by the CAL formerly can now be alleviated some as the former section of westbound track can be used to run CAL trains on separate tracks closer to the Tanah Merah station. It also means more complicated track maneuvers will be required for trains entering or leaving the Changi Depot as the track connections between the eastbound and CAL tracks have now been severed.

New platform at Tanah Merah

6 December 2025 - A view of the new eastbound platform added to the station, seen looking
westwards.

6 December 2025 - An aerial view of the new platform at Tanah Merah station. The passenger
information display at the platform was operational.

From street level, there is not much that can be seen of works for the new platform owing to the fact that full height noise barriers were installed along the platform's length and the properties around the station were largely private access condominiums. Nonetheless, we managed to zoom in and catch a glimpse of the new passenger information display operational along the platform. There will be 4 such displays spread along the length of the platform, an improvement over the single display used formerly.

Station updates

6 December 2025 - A view of the station name sign at Exit A where signage has not yet been
updated. The former exit information boards have since been removed.

6 December 2025 - New signage for the former Exit A, future Exit 1, in place at subway level.

6 December 2025 - New signage for Exit 2, the former Exit B, at subway level.

6 December 2025 - A worker preparing the wall for new signage installation.

6 December 2025 - More markings for new signage boards at subway level.

As the station was closed through the duration of works, other upgrading works were being carried out concurrently. New signage was being installed and the entire signage system updated to the 2020-era signage standards. This includes renumbering the exits, shifting from using alphabets to numbers. Re-signage work was partially completed, with the signage at street level still displaying old features such as the alphabetical exit signs. Those at subway level appeared to reflect the new numbering system.

6 December 2025 - New signage within the station's concourse.

6 December 2025 - Another view of the station concourse through ventilation slats showing signage
with refreshed directions & updated platform letters.

While the station concourse was not open nor accessible publicly (wonder how the operator managed the tenancy contract for the Cheers convenience store), views in were available from street level. New signs featuring the updated signage standards were visible. Additional signs pointed to the various platforms within the station, referring to the re-lettered platforms.

Other work updates

19 May 2025 - A view of the gantry crane over the new viaduct.

6 December 2025 - A view of the worksite where the gantry crane used to be located formerly.

6 December 2025

6 December 2025 - Road reinstatement works in progress, with carriageway level raising works
being carried out.

6 December 2025

Other noticeable developments on site were the removal of the gantry crane that formerly straddled the new viaduct for track works and the commencement of road reinstatement works. As the section of work site was required to facilitate track works, such as the delivery of materials and equipment, reinstatement works could not proceed. With the removal of the gantry crane for delivery operations, the site could therefore shift into reinstatement mode. The carriageway level was being raised as part of flood prevention & resilience initiatives before being paved over with asphalt.

Bonus: Exit 3

6 December 2025 - A view of the progress of works at Exit 3.

6 December 2025 - Another view of the exit.

While we were on site, we stopped by the two future exits that would connect to the station's eastern concourse. This new concourse will be accessible by the 2 new exits and likely will not be connected to the existing western concourse. Exit 3 was the one slightly further along in progress, with cladding being added on to the structure. The roof frames for the covered linkway structures were also going up. 

Bonus: Exit 4

6 December 2025 - A view of the lift access-only Exit 4.

6 December 2025 - Ongoing drainage construction works in the vicinity of the exit.

6 December 2025 - Another view of the exit under construction.

The second of 2 new exits will feature lift-only access. A double lift set up will serve to connect commuters to the subway for access to the new eastern concourse. Work was still in progress for the surrounding structure although the lift shafts were structurally completed.

According to the Land Transport Authority, the physical track works were completed approximately 5 days into the 10-day closure. With the completion of the physical works, integration and testing works could commence. This phase required the work area to extend further to allow for continuous running from the adjacent Bedok & Kembangan stations, affecting shuttle train operations within the sector. From news reports, we understand that there would be changes to the shuttle trains at Paya Lebar, with one shuttle connecting the 4 stations at 17-minute intervals during off-peak hours. During these hours, the other shuttle train would loop between Paya Lebar & Eunos stations.

6 December 2025 - Organised waiting areas for the various shuttle bus services to replace sectors
where there was no train service.

6 December 2025 - Shuttle bus waiting area towards Bedok.

6 December 2025 - A view of the Downtown Line Expo station platform as passengers arriving
from the CAL transfer lines to continue their journies.

While management of the alternative travel arrangements had been met with positivity from commuters, there is undeniable strain on the overall network as alternative routes attempt to cope with additional loads. We look forward to the full resumption of direct train operations along the sector and to seeing how the reconfiguration works may help to allow CAL trains to operate at higher frequencies.

This post will also be available on Instagram & Facebook on 7 December 2025.