Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 2 First Day (28 August 2021)

The Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 2 (TEL2) opened on Saturday, 28 August 2021, adding 6 stations to the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), now stretching from Woodlands North MRT Station to Caldecott MRT Station. This extension to Caldecott station also connects the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) to the Circle Line (CCL), adding an interchange station to the line and making it more like a trunk railway line, upgrading it from a feeder line around Woodlands.

The Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 2 (TEL2) was originally scheduled for opening in Q1 2021, but was delayed to Q3 2021 due to construction work suspended earlier in 2020 during the Circuit Breaker period and with other COVID-19-induced factors such as disruptions to the global supply chain for construction materials and a general manpower crunch due to border closures.

Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 2 Virtual Open House

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) hosted a TEL2 Virtual Open House to celebrate the opening of the 6 new stations along the Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 2 (TEL2). The TEL2 Virtual Open House was held from 23 August 2021 to 27 August 2021.

The cap of MICE events in Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) transition from 10 August onwards is up to 1,000 attendees if all are vaccinated or has obtained a negative result on a pre-event test (PET) taken in the past 24 hours before the expected end of the event, or up to 50 attendees if unvaccinated or not needing PET, which probably makes a physical Open House unfeasible.

Mandai Facility Building (MDFB)

Mandai Facility Building (MDFB) is located at Mandai Lake Flyover outside Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex. It functions as an escape shaft in an event of an emergency in the tunnel. The stair well is located on the right when heading Woodlands-bound.

There is an SCDF Motorised Track Trolley on standby at Mandai Facility Building (MDFB) beside the staircases on both bounds.

Due to the stacked tunnel nature of Mandai Facility Building (MDFB), the position of the stairwell is located on the left when heading Changi-bound.

TE4 Springleaf MRT Station

Springleaf MRT Station is located at Upper Thomson Road, directly serving the private Springleaf residential estate.

“Tree of Memories” by Koh Hong Teng is featured as the Art in Transit of Springleaf MRT Station.

TE? Tagore MRT Station (Shell) or Tagore Cut & Cover Tunnel

Tagore MRT Station or Tagore Cut & Cover Tunnel is a shell station under the forested area around Tagore Industrial Estate. The station box has been built but have not been fitted due to the lack of developments around the area (read: forest).

TE5 Lentor MRT Station

Lentor MRT Station is located at Lentor Drive, at the junction of Yio Chu Kang Road and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, directly serving the private Lentor residential estate.

There is a total of 7 exits at Lentor MRT Station leading to the residential areas, saving waiting time at traffic lights.

“Interlude for Lentor” by Tan Guo-Liang is featured as the Art in Transit of Lentor MRT Station.

TE6 Mayflower MRT Station

Mayflower MRT Station is located at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, in between the junctions of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 and Ang Mo Kio Street 13, and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 and Ang Mo Kio Street 11, directly serving the HDB flats around. It is also near to CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School, Mayflower Primary School, Mayflower Secondary School, and Ang Mo Kio Primary School.

“Untitled” by Ang Song Ming is featured as the Art in Transit of Mayflower MRT Station with 22 birds around and a wall inspired by bird cages at Block 159 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5.

TE7 Bright Hill MRT Station

Bright Hill MRT Station is located at Sin Ming Avenue, at the junction of Sin Ming Avenue and Sin Ming Walk. On top of serving the HDB flats around directly, Bright Hill MRT Station is located adjacent to Bright Hill Crematorium & Columbarium and the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, where they are colloqually known combined as 光明山 (Guang Ming Shan), or Bright Hill in English.

Bright Hill MRT Station is a future interchange station with the Cross Island Line (CRL). Provisions have already been made in the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) side of Bright Hill MRT Station for future interchange with the Cross Island Line (CRL).

There is also a future physical track link between the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and the Cross Island Line (CRL). This is after the headwall of the Woodlands-bound platform. The physical track link between the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and the Cross Island Line (CRL) is better to be seen from the rear of the train.

“A Kaleidoscopic Nature” by anGie Seah is featured as the Art in Transit of Bright Hill MRT Station.

TE8 Upper Thomson MRT Station

Upper Thomson MRT Station is located at Upper Thomson Road, at the junction of Upper Thomson Road and Bright Hill Drive, directly serving the private houses around.

There is a direct exit to Thomson Plaza via Exit 1.

“Lost In Our (Concrete) Jungle” by Troy Chin is featured as the Art in Transit of Upper Thomson MRT Station.

TE9 CC17 Caldecott MRT Station

Caldecott MRT Station is located at Toa Payoh Rise, in between residential areas at Caldecott Hill and Toa Payoh. As it is located in an area with residential plots subject to detailed planning, existing residential areas are connected to Caldecott MRT Station by bus.

Caldecott MRT Station is an interchange station with the Circle Line (CCL).

The platform and concourse is connected by a long set of escalators with an interchange portion in the middle to get to the Circle Line connection quicker.

As Caldecott MRT Station is currently the southernmost (Changi-most?) terminus of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), and with the cripple siding after the station, trains terminate at Platform C and Platform D is for boarding towards Woodlands North MRT Station.

” 🙂 (: ” by Claire Lim is featured as the Art in Transit of Caldecott MRT Station.

The gate line at Caldecott MRT Station on the Circle Line (CCL) side has been shifted to allow for a more convenient transfer path between the Circle Line (CCL) and Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL).

Conclusion

With the extension to Caldecott station, the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) is now more like a trunk railway line, upgrading it from a feeder line around Woodlands. However, with the limited MRT connections aside from the Circle Line (CCL), and downtown access still not very direct, I don’t see passengers from the north making the switch over to the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) just yet, unless it’s for the novelty factor.

Nonetheless, still a good start, showcasing what is up and coming for city access in the future. The true potential of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) can probably be experienced from TEL3 onwards.