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The Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 3 (TEL3) will be commencing passenger service on Nov. 13.

To commemorate this, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced a special opening event, called "Rail Day Out in the City", on Nov. 11 from 10am to 9pm.

Free rides

During the Friday event, TEL3 will be configured to run in an isolated loop, and commuters will be able to ride it for free.

It will not be linked to the existing TEL1 and TEL2 stations.

Commuters can only start and end their journey at any of the 11 TEL3 stations.

Those who intend to access TEL3 from existing MRT lines (TEL1 and TEL2 included) must first tap out and use linkways to enter the new stations to enjoy the free travel.

The specific linkways to use, along with more information, can be found here via LTA's press release.

Activities to expect

Commuters can also look out for a slew of activities during the special opening event.

These include, among others:

• Taking part in exciting games and win various prizes;
• A collaborative photo exhibition between LTA and "We The People of Singapore" at Orchard station, which showcases "unsung and unseen frontliners".
• A meet and greet with the Thoughtful Bunch characters — Stand-Up Stacey, Bag-Down Benny, Hush-Hush Hannah, Move-In Martin, and GiveWay Glenda.
• Participating in activities and visit numerous booths along the stations, including the LTA's Friends of Land Transport (FOLT), SimplyGo, Caring SG Commuters, Public Transport Security and Move Lite kiosks.

These are just a few of the activities planned and more details can be found here.

Those who are interested to learn more can head over to LTA's social media channels for the detailed version of the various activities.

Making travel more convenient and accessible

As more stages of the TEL commence operations, LTA will enhance first-and-last mile connections of the new MRT stations where necessary.

For example, to enhance connection to Shenton Way MRT Station along Park Street, bus service 400 will be amended to ply Straits View and Park Street.

LTA will also be monitoring changes in travel patterns, in particular for bus services which duplicate the TEL.

Adjustments will also be made, where necessary, to optimise the bus network and reallocate the resources to other areas of need.

When TEL3 commences passenger service on Nov. 13, trains will be running along stations from TEL1 to TEL 3 from Woodlands North to Gardens by the Bay at a frequencies of 5 minutes during peak hours and 6 minutes during off-peak hours.

LTA and SMRT will continue to monitor train loading and make necessary adjustments based on operational needs.

Commuters can refer to LTA's MyTransport.SG mobile app on first and last train timings and estimated travel time.

More about TEL

When fully opened, the TEL will span a total of 43km with 32 stations.

It will serve approximately 500,000 commuters daily in the initial years, increasing to about one million commuters in the long term.

Besides enhancing connectivity between the various parts of Singapore, TEL will strengthen the resilience of LTA's rail network by providing alternative travel routes for commuters on other lines.

As segments of the TEL run parallel to the North-South Line (NSL), it will also help to reduce reliance and commuter load on the NSL.

Top Photo via Land Transport Authority