East siders, mark the date. The TEL5 and DTL3e opening is set for 26 December 2026, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on 4 November 2026. Three new underground stations join the network that day: TE30 Bedok South, the TE31/DT37 Sungei Bedok interchange, and DT36 Xilin.
Together the two extensions add 4.3km of track. LTA puts the TEL5 stretch from Bayshore to Sungei Bedok at about 2.1km, and the DTL3e stretch from Sungei Bedok to Expo at about 2.2km.
TEL5 and DTL3e opening: the three new stations
- TE30 Bedok South sits along Upper East Coast Road near the Bedok South estate, serving nearby homes and schools including the Bayshore precinct.
- TE31/DT37 Sungei Bedok, near Upper East Coast Road and Bedok Road, becomes the second Thomson-East Coast Line and Downtown Line interchange after Stevens. It is the eastern end of both lines when it opens, and comes with underground bicycle parking.
- DT36 Xilin is under the junction of Xilin Avenue and Changi South Avenue 3, giving the Changi South industrial estate and Changi Business Park a closer rail stop.
How much time you save
LTA’s own examples show the biggest wins for people heading to the eastern job hubs. The figures compare today’s bus or bus-and-MRT trips with the new all-rail route:
- Havelock to Changi Business Park: about 1 hour 10 minutes today, 45 minutes with TEL5 and DTL3e, saving 25 minutes.
- Marine Terrace to Expo: 40 minutes by bus today, 25 minutes by rail, saving 15 minutes.
- Marine Parade to Tampines: 45 minutes today, 35 minutes after the opening, saving 10 minutes.
The new interchange is the bit we are most excited about. Until now, the Thomson-East Coast Line and Downtown Line only met at Stevens, so getting from the East Coast stretch of the TEL to Expo or Tampines meant doubling back or hopping on a bus. With Sungei Bedok in place, you can cross over in the east without heading back towards town.
LTA also expects the stations to improve access to Tampines Regional Centre and Changi Business Park, which are two of the biggest employment nodes on this side of the island. If your office is in one of the business park blocks near Changi South, Xilin will likely be your new nearest stop.
Twenty-five minutes each way adds up to almost an extra hour of your day back. For anyone who has been taking a train and then a feeder bus into Changi Business Park, that is shiok.
Why this matters for trips to Changi Airport
The new line does not reach the airport yet, but it gets east coast residents closer. Xilin and Sungei Bedok feed into Expo on the Downtown Line, and Expo is the interchange for the East-West Line branch to Changi Airport. If you live along Marine Parade or Siglap and usually grab a taxi to catch an early flight, the TEL-to-DTL-to-airport branch becomes a realistic option once these stations open.
Longer term, LTA says the Thomson-East Coast Line will be extended to Changi Terminal 5 and is expected to serve about one million daily commuters. For now, check the official system map to plan your transfer before your next trip.
What the full lines look like after 26 December
TEL5 completes the Thomson-East Coast Line’s five planned opening stages, which started back in 2020. After 26 December 2026 it will have 29 operating stations over 42.8km. LTA also says more than 240,000 households will be within a 10-minute walk of a TEL station.
The Downtown Line, running since 2013, grows to 37 operating stations over 44.6km, with over 220,000 households within a 10-minute walk of a DTL station. Next up for that line is the DTL 2 Extension, which links it to the North-South Line and is expected to be completed in 2035.
Good to know before you ride
- 26 December 2026 is also the day new bus and train fares kick in, so read our fare change guide before topping up.
- If you are eyeing a flat in the east, our November 2026 BTO round-up covers the Bayshore and other projects near these lines.
- Driving to Johor over the year-end break instead? Our story on Malaysia’s MyNIISe QR immigration clearance has the latest on the checkpoint changes.
A small personal note from someone who has done the Bedok bus-to-Expo crawl one too many times: the Marine Terrace to Expo saving alone will make Boxing Day feel like an early Christmas present. LTA has not yet said what time the first trains will run on opening day, so watch its channels for that.
