Circle Line train services will resume on Apr. 10, tunnel strengthening works to be completed ahead of schedule

Circle Line (CCL) train services will resume on Apr. 10, 2026.

In a joint news release, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT said tunnel strengthening works will be completed ahead of schedule, also by Apr. 10, instead of Apr. 19 as previously announced.

Peak-period shuttle buses will operate at reduced frequency before ceasing operations after Apr. 13.

Speaking to the media on Mar. 26, 2026, Jeffrey Siow, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, thanked the contractors, LTA, SMRT, and SBS staff for their hard work.

"It is very hard, very complicated work. Many workers involved, working across the days and for 24 hours, also through the Ramadan period."

He also thanked volunteers for their efforts, "doing marshalling, providing information to commissioners," so that alternative travel can be navigated.

Siow also thanked commuters and the community for their understanding.

"I know it's a significant disruption to their daily lives, but they understand why we are doing this, and they have been able to make adjustments to their travel schedules."

Closing the circle

With the completion of the tunnel works, LTA and SMRT will proceed with the final systems integration testing works in preparation for the opening of CCL6.

CCL6 comprises three new stations on the southern stretch of CCL, Prince Edward Road, Cantonment and Keppel, and will "close the circle" of the CCL.

LTA and SMRT said there will be final systems integration testing works.

To facilitate testing works, train services on the CCL will be adjusted during the weekends from Apr. 11 to May 17, 2026.

During this period, there will be earlier closures on Saturday nights at 11pm, and later openings on Sunday mornings at 9am.

Shuttle bus services available

Shuttle bus services are available between HarbourFront and Promenade stations from 5am to 9am on affected Sundays.

Commuters will pay the same fares for the shuttle buses as they would for train travel.

The routes and intervals are as follows:

• Shuttle 36 will operate between HarbourFront and Bishan stations, at intervals of seven to 10 minutes.

• Shuttle 37 will operate between Bishan and Promenade stations, at intervals of three to five minutes.

Commuters may experience up to an additional 30 minutes of travel time during the service adjustments and are advised to plan their journeys in advance.

Travellers can refer to LTA's MyTransport.SG mobile app, LTA's and SMRT's social media platforms for more details and to consider alternative routes.

Station staff will also be deployed at affected stations to provide assistance during the service adjustment period.

LTA and SMRT said, "These temporary adjustments are essential, particularly the service adjustments", seeking commuters' continued understanding and patience.

"When completed, the CCL6 extension will enhance connectivity and bring about shorter travel times and greater convenience to commuters."

Ongoing tunnel strengthening works

Since Jan. 17, LTA and SMRT have been carrying out tunnel strengthening works along the CCL from Mountbatten to Paya Lebar stations.

Chang Kin Boon, Senior Group Director, Rail (Civil) for LTA, said over 300 engineering colleagues had been working around the clock.

According to the joint news release, "As the teams involved gained familiarity with the complex work processes, they achieved some time savings, especially during the latter phases of works."

Based on the latest progress, LTA assessed that works can be completed about a week ahead of schedule, earlier than the original Apr. 19 estimate.

MOT monitoring situation in Middle East

While speaking to the media, Siow asked for a current assessment of the impact of the Middle East conflict on the transport sector in Singapore and the government's longer-term support plans.

Siow responded that the Ministry of Transport (MOT) is "monitoring the situation in the Middle East very closely".

"As you can imagine, the situation does have an impact on our transport sector; whether it’s air, sea and land."

He said that MOT is "working very closely to make sure that our fuel supply is stable".

"Currently, the fuel market is liquid. Our stockpiles are also not being eroded, and supply lines remain open."

He added that "fuel prices have obviously risen", impacting the industry and that the market has made adjustments.

Siow said: "We are watching it very closely to see whether there’s a need for us – meaning the government – to make an intervention later. We will continue to monitor the situation and consider doing so at a later juncture."

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Top photo from Mothership