Following the commencement of the Circle Line (CCL) tunnel works, some 30,000 commuters have been using the shuttle buses over the past five weekdays, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling.
Addressing the media at Serangoon MRT interchange station on Jan. 28, 2026, Sun added that operations are on track to finish the reinforcement of the tunnels by April 2026 as engineering works for the ongoing CCL service adjustment "are progressing smoothly"
"To date, about 10 per cent of steel rings have already been successfully installed," she added.
Tunnel works
It was previously announced that the two tunnels connecting Mountbatten, Dakota and Paya Lebar stations on the CCL would be closed one at a time from Jan. 17 to Apr. 19.
During this period, the stations will operate on one platform, with a shuttle train running between them at 10-minute intervals.
The works are necessary to prevent possible defects in tunnel structure and higher maintenance requirements, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Dec. 1, 2025 news release.
Shuttle buses
Sun said that she found out from commuters that the CCL service adjustments have increased travel times by about 10 to 20 minutes.
As such, shuttle bus services have been deployed during the maintenance period to supplement CCL train services.
Photo by Mothership
Photo by Mothership
One such commuter who now takes the shuttle bus is product manager Lee Wen Bin who usually takes the CCL to work at MacPherson MRT station.
Speaking to Mothership, Lee, 55, said her travel time has now increased from 40 minutes to around one hour.
This is because she has to take the train from Punggol MRT station to Serangoon MRT interchange station before taking shuttle bus 37A to work.
Free rail rides
In addition to shuttle buses, free rail rides also allow commuters to enjoy free travel for the first rail trip of the journey.
Photo by Mothership
Photo by Mothership
Commuters who tap in at any six of the North East Line (NEL) stations between Punggol Coast station and Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) before 7:30am, and between 9am and 9:45am on weekdays can enjoy a free trip.
"We rolled out free pre-and post-peak rail travel on the North East Line, as well as enhancements to Travel Smart Journeys," Sun said.
She noted that some commuters have been making alternative travel arrangements or changing their travel timing by taking the NEL instead.
"So what we see on the ground is that the Circle Line stations are not too crowded," she added.
"We thank commuters for their support and understanding during this period."
Top photos via Mothership
