Up to five MRT stations between Admiralty and Yio Chu Kang stations will be closed over the Vesak Day long weekend (from 18 to 20 May 2019) due to the next stage of construction involves connecting the two existing tracks to and from Canberra station with a new 72-metre long crossover track along the North-South Line (NSL).
In a press release on Monday (8 April), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) stated that 75 per cent of the construction of the new Canberra station is completed and it is slated to open by this year.
The authority stated that the crossover track will enhance the resilience of the NSL by allowing trains to cross from one track to another when the need arises. For example, if the northbound track is faulty, affected trains can use the crossover to bypass the faulty stretch by travelling on the southbound track. This allows train service for both directions to remain available.
The construction works for the crossover will require a three-day, staggered closure of up to five MRT stations between Admiralty and Yio Chu Kang stations.
On 18 and 19 May, Admiralty and Sembawang stations will be closed to facilitate the removal of existing tracks and installation of the new crossover track.
Meanwhile, on 20 May, Admiralty, Sembawang, Yishun, Khatib, and Yio Chu Kang stations will be closed to carry out testing and commissioning of the signalling software for the newly installed track sectors.
Train services are expected to resume their normal schedules on Tuesday, 21 May 2019.
During the planned closure, the authority stated that the shuttle bus services to provide the connectivity along the affected sectors will be made available and will follow the same fare structure as trains.
The shuttle bus services will ferry commuters between Woodlands and Yishun stations on 18 and 19 May, and Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio stations on 20 May. A point-to-point bus service between Woodlands and Bukit Panjang will also be provided to connect commuters in the north to the Downtown Line for a faster and more direct journey to and from the city area.
Commuters travelling along the affected sectors are advised to plan their journeys in advance, and factor in the additional time needed for transferring between shuttle buses and trains, LTA added.