Longer wait times for CCL trains from Jan 17 to April 19 due to tunnel works

Stretch linking Mountbatten, Dakota and Paya Lebar stations requires strengthening

- Vanessa Paige Chelvan Correspondent

Passengers using the Circle Line (CCL) will face delays of up to 30 minutes from Jan 17 to April 19, 2026, as work is carried out to strengthen the tunnels linking Mountbatten, Dakota and Paya Lebar stations.

This stretch of underground tunnels was built in soft marine clay, making them more prone to deformation. Minor defects such as water leaks have already surfaced.

Although there is no immediate safety risk, not addressing these defects in the tunnel structure could lead to severe service disruptions, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Dec 1.

At three months, this will be one of the longest planned MRT service disruptions so far.

During this time, shuttle trains will run on a single platform at 10-minute intervals connecting Mountbatten, Dakota and Paya Lebar stations. This is up from the current three-minute frequency.

Passengers will need to switch to another train at Mountbatten or Paya Lebar to continue their journey on the CCL.

There will be slightly longer waits between trains along the entire length of the CCL during this period.

The 20-station stretch between HarbourFront and Paya Lebar will see peak-hour intervals rise from two to three minutes. Train intervals between Mountbatten and the Dhoby Ghaut and Marina Bay stations will also go up, from six to 10 minutes.

An average of 480,000 passengers will be affected each day.

Acknowledging that the tunnel works "will cause some inconvenience", LTA advised commuters to factor in more waiting time.

Passengers should expect CCL interchange stations, such as Bishan, Serangoon and Buona Vista, to be crowded during morning and evening peak periods.

"During these periods, additional waiting time could extend to up to 30 minutes compared with typical travel times," LTA said.

Passengers may also want to avoid the stretch between Mountbatten and Paya Lebar, and use other bus and rail connections instead, it said.