TEL4 & 5 year-end update 2023

The 10 stations along the East Coast section of the Thomson-East Coast Line as at end-2023.

 2023 has been an eventful year that has seen the completion of most stations along Phase 4 of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and the continued work on the stations along Phase 5. With Phase 4 due to come online next year, testing has been underway for some time before the section is handed over to operator SMRT to conduct staff familiarisation and training sessions. While most of the Phase 4 stations are on target with construction, some have sections that still require more work to be done before they can be completed and ready for the temporary occupancy permit (TOP) inspection. We take a look back at 2023 in this final post for TEL of the year.

TEL 4 & 5 - A snapshot in November 2023

 

An overview of TEL4 & 5 stations TE23 to TE31 in November 2023.
Top (L - R): TE23 - Tanjong Rhu, TE24 - Katong Park, TE25 - Tanjong Katong
Middle (L - R): TE26 - Marine Parade, TE27 - Marine Terrace, TE28 - Siglap
Bottom (L - R): TE29 - Bayshore, TE30 - Bedok South, TE31 - Sungei Bedok

We hope you've been enjoying our quarterly updates on the construction progress of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) east coast section stations. In order to be more current, this is the snapshot feature that provides you with a simpler update of the progress in the current month. As we look into 2024 coming around soon, everyone is anticipating the opening of 7 stations under phase 4. We'll eventually be winding down coverage of the progress of these stations seeing how works are somewhat ramping down and changes here will not be as drastic. Coverage of the phase 5 stations will continue and the freed up time will allow us to cover other rail projects in greater detail. Nonetheless, do enjoy the November snapshot for TEL!

T312 - Sungei Bedok update Q3 2023

 

23 September 2023 - A view of the exit in front of Bedok camp with the metal roof frame in place.

The last contract for the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) is T312 for the construction of Sungei Bedok station and cut & cover tunnels. Over the last quarter, the station's exits have begun to take shape with the roofs being installed. Typically, the exits would be the last parts of the station to be completed after all materials have been delivered through the openings into the station's interior. With work on the exits at the station proceeding, the station is entering into the final stages of completion. Once the escalators are installed, unless the station has special openings, it is relatively difficult for big & bulky materials such as ventilation ducts, escalators or pallets to be brought in.

T311 - Bedok South update Q3 2023

 

23 September 2023 - A view of Exit 3, one of the furthest along in progress.

Progress over the past quarter at Bedok South station has been a little mixed. 2 of the exits - Exits 2 & 3 - are located in a greenfield site. These exits have been further ahead in progress for a while now as they are located in a rather undeveloped tract of land, akin to that of Bayshore station. The remaining 3 exits for the station - Exits 1, 4 & 5 - sit further away from the main station box and are slower in progress. That said, the level of completion of Exits 2 & 3 do not appear to have progressed over the past quarter in a visible manner as compared to the other 3.

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.

T309 - Siglap update Q3 2023

 

23 September 2023 - A view of the finishings at Exit C of Siglap station.

Over the past quarter, the finishing touches have been added to Siglap station on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL)'s phase 4 section. Early in the quarter, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) & Minister of Transport then, S Iswaran, released a few images of the TEL4 stations. Two of these images showed the interior of Siglap station which features a grey and blue colour scheme. There are also accents of sky blue which likely reflects the area's heritage as a seaside estate.

Interior of Siglap station.
Source: S Iswaran

Interior of Siglap station.
Source: LTA

TEL 4 & 5 - A snapshot in October 2023

 

An overview of TEL4 & 5 stations TE23 to TE31 in October 2023.
Top (L - R): TE23 - Tanjong Rhu, TE24 - Katong Park, TE25 - Tanjong Katong
Middle (L - R): TE26 - Marine Parade, TE27 - Marine Terrace, TE28 - Siglap
Bottom (L - R): TE29 - Bayshore, TE30 - Bedok South, TE31 - Sungei Bedok

In addition to our quarterly updates of the various stations along this section of the line, we have a condensed update based on the months called the Snapshot feature. Drawing inspiration from last year's TEL3@Night, here's the October snapshot for the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) phase 4 & 5 stations.