The opening of the Thomson-East Coast Line Stage Four (TEL4) has been widely anticipated along the East Coast, opening its doors on Sunday, 23 June 2024. 

A Public Preview was held on 21 June.

The new 10.8km stretch of the line consists of seven new stations – running from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore, parallel to East Coast Park. The new stations are Tanjong Rhu, Katong Park, Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade, Marine Terrace, Siglap, and Bayshore.

Here are our highlights from exploring the new TEL4 stations. 

1. A New Alternative to the the Singapore Sports Hub – Tanjong Rhu

View of a train at Platform B of Tanjong Rhu Station, heading northbound to Woodlands North | 
Photo by Hamizan Ahmad 

With a 10 to 15-minute walk to the Singapore Indoor Stadium and the Sports Hub, this station serves as a new alternative to the existing Stadium station.

Not a typical island platform, Tanjong Rhu is the only station on the Thomson-East Coast Line where platforms are placed beside each other. This means that the trains have separate platforms on different sides and do not share the same centralised island platform like the other MRT stations do. 

2. A Station Rich in History – Katong Park

Remains of Fort Tanjong Katong in Katong Park | Photo by Hamizan Ahmad

Katong Park Station is situated beside Katong Park, which is over 90 years old and houses a remnant of the former Fort Tanjong Katong, which has been partially preserved in the park. This is reminiscent of the park’s history as a former British Fortress from 1879 to 1901.

Interior of Katong Park Station | Photo by: Hamizan Ahmad

With its close proximity to residential apartments and this heritage relic, the station is built as a stacked platform, where the platform for trains bound for Woodlands North is built a level lower than trains heading to Bayshore. Hence, this station is the deepest among the new TEL4 stations, at 30 metres below ground.

3. The Longest Station on the TEL4 – Marine Parade

Interior Map of Marine Parade Station | Photo by: Hamizan Ahmad

Marine Parade station is the hub of the East Coast region. In addition to serving many residential estates and landed properties, this station serves the Marine Parade Town Centre and many retail malls such as Parkway Parade, Roxy Square and i12 Katong. Apart from retail, this area serves many tuition centres and educational hubs.

Hence, this station has six exits spread across Marine Parade Road to cope with the high volume of passengers expected at Marine Parade Station. This is possibly the longest station on the TEL4; it takes nearly nine minutes to walk from one end of the station to the other. 

Aside from the notable districts that the new stations connect, there are also three distinct features within the stations on the TEL4.

1. Skylight Roofs

Interior of Tanjong Katong’s concourse with the skylight in the frame. | Photo by: Hamizan Ahmad

Skylight roofs are present in a few TEL4 stations – Katong Park, Tanjong Katong, Marine Terrace and Bayshore. These allow natural sunlight to illuminate the station, reducing dependency on typical LED lights.

2. Hybrid Cooling Fans

A Hybrid Cooling Fan in Marine Parade Station | Photo by: Hamizan Ahmad

The new seven TEL4 stations all have hybrid cooling fans on the station’s platforms, allowing for better circulation of cool air within the stations. This feature is distinct to this section of the Thomson-East Coast Line, as the rest of the line currently do not have them. 

3. Underground Bicycle Parking Areas

An Underground Bicycle Parking Facility in Bayshore Station | Photo by: Hamizan Ahmad

As part of the nation’s initiative to expand the cycling network, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has built an underground bicycle parking facility in three of the new TEL4 stations  – Marine Parade, Marine Terrace and Bayshore. This allows commuters to cycle seamlessly into the stations, before parking their bicycles and boarding the train all under one roof. 

Click the video below to watch the full video story of the exploration of the new TEL4 stations.