The first stage of the TEL – made up of Woodlands North, Woodlands, and Woodlands South MRT stations – opened in January 2020.
This was followed by the second stage in August 2021, comprising six stations – Springleaf, Lentor, Mayflower, Bright Hill, Upper Thomson and Caldecott.
The third and latest stage opened to the public in November last year. Its eleven stations include Orchard, Great World and Maxwell.
The entire TEL – comprising 32 stations with eight interchange stations – was initially expected to be fully operational in 2024. The MRT line stretches to the eastern part of Singapore, including Bayshore, Siglap and Marine Parade.
However, the timeline for completion had been pushed back.
The opening of stage 2, for instance, was delayed twice – first due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second delay came after LTA conducted a system review following a five-hour disruption on the line in December 2020 due to a signalling fault.
Once the line is fully completed, more than 240,000 households will be within a 10-minute walk from a TEL station, said Transport Minister S Iswaran in August last year.