Shorter weekend hours on MRT's East-West Line in March

MRT trains travelling along the tracks near Pasir Ris MRT station while an Tower Transit bus makes a turn below.

All 35 stations on the East-West Line will have shorter service hours over the weekends in March, rail operator SMRT announced yesterday.

All the stations will close earlier, at 11pm, on Fridays and Saturdays as well as open later at 8am on Saturdays and Sundays in March.

Trains usually run from 5.30am to about midnight daily.

These stations will also close at 10.30pm on March 12 and March 14 during the week-long school holidays. Shuttle buses to ferry commuters during the closures will be announced at a later date.

The shorter hours will allow more time for rail maintenance work and speed up the implementation of the new signalling system on the East-West Line.

The shorter operating hours on a 10-station stretch of the East-West MRT line which started this month will continue into the first weekend of February.

At the eight stations between Paya Lebar and Pasir Ris, as well as Expo and Changi Airport stations, train service will stop at 11pm on Feb 2 and 3, and start at 8am on Feb 3 and 4.

Four shuttle bus services will ply between stations when trains are not available.

There will be longer intervals of 10 to 15 minutes between trains on parts of the North-South Line after 11pm on Feb 2 and 3, and before 7am on Feb 3 and 4. The longer intervals will affect the stretch between Orchard and City Hall, and between Raffles Place and Marina South Pier, in both directions.

There will be no North-South Line services between City Hall and Raffles Place after 11pm on Feb 2 and 3, and before 7am on Feb 3 and 4.