A review of the TEL4

 

21 June 2024 - A view of our small exhibit at the Friends of Land Transport booth at Marine
Parade station during the TEL4 Preview event.

The Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL)'s fourth phase was off to a roaring start this Friday with 9 hours of free rides during the preview event. Visitors to the event got to experience riding the trains on the line for free, while exploring the 7 stations stretching from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore. Trains operated on an isolated loop along the stretch with trains terminating at Platform A at both termini. A separate shuttle train linked the TEL4's Tanjong Rhu station with TEL3's Garden by the Bay at both station's Platform B. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) really did go all out to make the event possible and accessible for everyone.

TEL4 - A walk down memory lane

9 May 2024

9 May 2024

27 May 2024

27 May 2024

27 May 2024

27 May 2024

27 May 2024

With the Thomson - East Coast Line (TEL)'s fourth phase about to open at the turn of the week, we thought it'd be a great time to take a walk down memory lane and look back at how far along the line has come. Join us as we take a stroll along the East Coast through time.

TEL4 - Retail units for lease

 

Floor plan for Tanjong Rhu station concourse level.
Source: Stellar Lifestyle

Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL)'s operator SMRT has recently added 4 stations along TEL4 to their list of retail units available for lease. The units available are located at Tanjong Rhu, Marine Parade, Siglap & Bayshore stations. We understand that retail units may also be available at Tanjong Katong and Marine Terrace stations although these are not currently listed on the SMRT retail arm's website.

With the listing of the retail units, the various floor plans of the stations have also become available for viewing. The available date provided on the website indicates "Stage 4" currently (which is not a date, but okay), and may roughly indicate that the units will be available in conjunction with the section's opening after 23 June 2024.

TEL4 - Render Vs Reality contest

 

We're just under a month away from the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL)'s phase 4 preview which will be taking place at the 7 stations on 21 June 2024. In conjunction with this momentous event of the preview and subsequent opening of the line on 23 June, we're holding a contest where users re-create the renders by submitting photographs of re-creations of the renders.

T310 - Bayshore update Q1 2024

 

17 March 2024 - Exit 2 of the station in the evening with Bayshore's iconic condominiums towering
behind.

Bayshore station was built under contract T310 by a joint venture between Woh Hup and Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co, both firms that were responsible for other stations on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL)'s phase 4. This station was also the third station along this section of line to be designed by architectural firm SAA Architects, that were also responsible for other stations such as Lentor and Orchard on the TEL's other phases. One noticeable difference in the design of Bayshore station is the open, airy feel of the exits which rely mostly on a metal frame with bits of paneling and roof attached to it - there is barely any concrete used in the design of these exits.

TEL4 handover to SMRT

 

A photo taken with LTA & SMRT senior management at Katong Park station today. Also in view
is the updated platform screen door signage with TEL4 & 5 stations.
Source: LTA

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) handed over the 7 new stations along the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL)'s phase 4 to operator Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) earlier today. This is a significant step to rail transit reaching the east coast & Marine Parade, which have long had to live with road-based transport options. The arrival of the MRT line to these neighbourhoods this year may also usher in a period of revitalisation of the town centre and surrounding residential areas.

Phase 4 of the TEL will see service extended from the current southern terminus at Gardens By the Bay to 7 new stations in the east. The new terminus of the line will be Bayshore station for approximately a year, until the line is further extended to Phase 5's Sungei Bedok station. We provide you a run down of the 7 new stations and some analysis of the timeline where the line may open, based on historical records for the line's first few phases' openings.

T310 - Bayshore update Q3 2023

 

23 September 2023 - An aerial view of the station's exits along Bayshore Drive at the end of Q3.

23 September 2023 - A close up view of Exit 2 of the station with the LED train arrival board
visibly lit to inform passers by that the station is not open for service.

Bayshore station was built on a greenfield site that provided the contractor, Woh-Hup - Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co some convenience in being able to construct the station without having to be wary of utility lines that must be handled with care. While there were other challenges to consider, such as the location of an old sea wall that might have impacted tunneling and excavation, the location of the station brought about other benefits when it came to construction methods. The station is one of the few, if not the only station, along phase 4 that could be built using the bottom-up method. This method of construction without having to worry about constrained worksites, likely contributed to the station's quick construction. We take a closer look at the progress made over the past quarter in this post.

T310 - Bayshore August 2023 update

 

6 August 2023 - Bayshore station, Exit 1 we presume

It has been a hot minute since we visited Bayshore station. Let's be real - the site is not one that has good vantage points and there was limited scope in capturing much that was photo-worthy. We're sorry, but just didn't have many leads for accessing vantage points where it was worth capturing shots. But nonetheless, we were informed by some followers that a new road had opened up recently and thus we went down to see what we could capture.

TEL4 Update by LTA & Minister of Transport

 

Marine Parade station. A TEL train can be seen at the platform.
Source: LTA

Yesterday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Minister of Transport, S Iswaran, teased several images of the 7 stations under phase 4 of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) - Tanjong Rhu, Katong Park, Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade, Marine Terrace, Siglap & Bayshore. These stations are due to open in 2024, with an indicative completion of works date by the end of Q1 of 2024. The line may open shortly after the completion of works. An eighth station that is part of Phase 4 - Founders' Memorial - will open at a later date, closer to the completion of the memorial. The images released by LTA & Minister of Transport are available on our Instagram & Facebook stories as well.

T310 - 2022 Year end update

 

3 December 2022 - A view of the future road through Bayshore estate. Exits 4 and 5 flank the road.

3 December 2022 - Exit 2 of Bayshore station.

Bayshore is the last station on the phase 4 of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and will be the terminus for roughly a year before phase 5 becomes operational. Built with a future residential estate in mind, the station will feature 5 exits sporting a signature wooden-inspired wrap-around design unique to the station. Several of the exits have the metal frame already up with roofing works underway whilst others are in the early stages of having the framing set in place. Exit 3 remains the sole exit that does not have any framing being installed yet.

T310 - Bayshore progress

19 August 2022 - An overview of the Bayshore station construction site.

Hey everyone, we're back! Due to time constraints during our National Day Virtual Tour of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) phases 4 & 5, we had to skip both Bayshore & Sungei Bedok stations. But soon after, we made another trip down to cover these remaining 2 stations. Do check out the progress of Bayshore station which will have 5 exits. Early last month, Minister Heng Swee Kiat also visited the station and posted a few photos on his Facebook page, showing the station's interior.

Project Information Centre for East Coast Line

As is common practice for all rail lines being constructed, a Project Information Centre (PIC) has been established for the East Coast section of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). The PIC also covers Xilin station's construction on the Downtown Line (DTL) extension and the Tanah Merah Modification on the East West Line.

A view of the PIC from Marine Parade Road.

Station renders

Render of Gardens Bay East station
Source: DP Architects

The consultant in charge of the Electrical & Architectural design for a stretch of the Thomson-East Coast Line from Gardens Bay East up to Marine Parade has recently released the first render of the station. Featuring entrance A which is situated in the park, DP Architects describes the design as "been developed with the concept of integrating into Garden’s Masterplan including the station entrances, cooling tower and vent shafts". Numerous water features can be seen in the render allowing the station entrance to blend into the lush green of the park. It is learned that the station may eventually open together with the rest of the stations along the East Coast stretch of the line. For renders of the other stations, do continue beyond the jump.

T310 - Bayshore

Last week the Land Transport Authority awarded the construction of Bayshore station to a joint venture between Woh Hup and Shanghai Tunneling Engineering Co. The contract involves construction of the station structure and two pairs of tunnels to Siglap and Bedok South stations. Tunnels between Bayshore and Siglap stations will go into a stacked formation to clear the narrow corridor along Bayshore Road and Bayshore Park condominium.

A schematic diagram of construction works under contract T310.
Self-produced graphic.

Contract Awards - T301, T309, T310

The Land Transport Authority has awarded 3 Thomson-East Coast Line civil contracts today and 1 contract for the Downtown Line stage 3 extension.

An aerial view of the East Coast Depot which will house trains from three lines over three levels and have space for buses.
Source - Land Transport Authority

Civil Defense shelters

Is this logo familiar to you? You may have seen them at some MRT stations on existing lines indicating that these are Civil Defense (CD) shelters.

Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force

Station exit layout

With the LTA road show making its way around the various malls, we've done our research and come up with a few diagrams to show you the locations of the station exits. The exits have been numbered, against LTA's tradition of assigning letters, to help give an idea of the exact number of entry points per station. We hope this will help give you a better idea of where the entry points for the station will be situated. With many thanks to Seloloving at SSC for his help.

Tanjong Rhu station will have 2 exits.

Katong Park, a stacked station, will have 2 entry points. One exit is located at the child learning & development centre.

Amber, another station with stacked platforms, will have 3 entry points. Properties are being acquired to accommodate this station.

Marine Parade station, together with a pedestrian subway above the cripple siding, will feature 6 entry points.
Provisions for linkage to Parkway Parade are in the pipeline and depending on the developer's willingness, will be built eventually.

Marine Terrace station will also feature 6 entry points to expand the station's reach to schools and residents.

Siglap station will see 4 entry points being built, including two exits linked by a 100m long subway.

Bayshore station will see 5 entry points to cater to future developments in the area. A new road will be built over the station.

Bedok South is being built with proposed developments in mind and features 5 entry points.

Sungei Bedok terminus will feature 3 entry points.

Pre-qualification

Today the Land Transport Authority released the pre-qualification for contracts on the East Coast sector of the Thomson - East Coast Line. The following contracts are open for pre-qualification:

T301 - Construction of the 4-in-1 depot
T302 - Construction of station E1 and bored tunnels
T303 - Construction of Tanjong Rhu station (E2) and cut & cover tunnels
T305 - Construction of Katong Park station (E3) and bored tunnels
T306 - Construction of Amber station (E4)
T307 - Construction of Marine Parade station (E5) and cut & cover tunnels and bored tunnels
T308 - Construction of Marine Terrace station (E6) and cut & cover tunnels and bored tunnels
T309 - Construction of Siglap station (E7)
T310 - Construction of Bayshore station (E8) and cut & cover tunnels and bored tunnels
T311 - Construction of Bedok South station (E9) and bored tunnels
T312 - Construction of Sungei Bedok station (E10) and cut & cover tunnels
T313 - Construction of Xilin station (DT36) and cut & cover tunnels
T315 - Modifications to Tanah Merah station (EW4)

Of all the East Coast Line stations, Katong Park and Amber stations will feature stacked platforms. The rest of the stations will feature single-level platforms.

Thomson East Coast Line (TEL)

This morning the Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew unveiled the rebranded Thomson Line and Eastern Region Line stations. The exact locations of the stations for the former Eastern Region Line were also announced.

Route predictions

Finally, here is our speculative map of the station locations for Eastern Region Line (ERL). We expect the announcement to be made sometime in August, so here are our take on the locations. Once again, we reiterate that these station locations are part of our prediction based on available information and site conditions, not the final location or announcement by relevant authorities.

Based on information that we have collected over the past few years, we have established the following parameters for ERL:

1.  The line will be 13km long, and will be a continuation of the Thomson Line from Gardens by the Bay.
2. There will be 10 stations, named E1 to E10, on the line. E10 on the eastern end of the line will connect directly to Changi Depot. The downtown line will also be extended by 1 station to E10, where it interchanges with the ERL
3.  One of the stations within the section of E1 – E5 will be a future station.

Looking into the available space, construction feasibility and the locations of soil investigations done in the past 2 years, we have come out with 2 possibilities of the overall alignment of ERL. The 2 options differ by the locations of E3 and E4. These 2 scenarios are the result of conflicting locations of SI. We suspect that one of the 2 possible alignments for this section is an alternative proposal for comparison and costing purposes. Similar exercises had been done for Thomson Line prior to the official announcement of the station locations.

Expected alignment

We expect the alignment to run northwards from Gardens by the Bay towards Tanjong Rhu, where it will run along Tanjong Rhu Road, Meyer Road, swing up to Amber Gardens, and merge back to Marine Parade Road just before Parkway Parade. The line then runs along Marine Parade Road until Bayshore where it gradually merges with Upper East Coast Road. The advantage of this alignment is that it avoids most of the old beach and sea wall, and hence reduces complexity during construction.

Here’s a run through of the locations of the MRT stations.

Predictive route - Option A