Tanah Merah MRT station
Tanah Merah MRT station is an elevated Mass Rapid Transit station on the East–West Line. Located in Bedok, Singapore, the station is along New Upper Changi Road and serves various residential developments. It is the terminus of the EWL branch to Changi Airport station.
Tentatively named Changi during its construction, the station opened on 4 November 1989. The station began to serve the Changi Airport branch on 10 January 2001 following the opening of Expo station. On 25 May 2019, it was announced that Tanah Merah station would interchange with the Thomson–East Coast Line when TEL takes over the Changi Airport branch following its extension to Changi Airport Terminal 5 by the mid-2030s.
History
The station was named Bedok in the early plans of the MRT network published in May 1982. The station was subsequently renamed as Changi when the Phase II stations were announced in October 1983. The contract for the construction of Changi station and associated viaducts was awarded to a joint venture between Wah Chang International Corporation and Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co Ltd for S$68.76 million.The station's name was finalised to Tanah Merah in March 1987. The station opened on 4 November 1989 as part of the MRT segment from Bugis to this station, with the official opening ceremony hosted at this station by deputy prime minister Goh Chok Tong.
Half-height platform screen doors were installed at this station between 2008 and 2012 as part of the Land Transport Authority's programme to improve safety in MRT stations. Between 2012 and 2013, high-volume low-speed fans were installed at this station as part of a network-wide programme to improve ventilation at the platforms of elevated stations.
Changi Airport branch
While a branch to Changi Airport from this station was included in the early plans of the MRT network in May 1982, the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation concluded through a feasibility study in 1983 that there might not be sufficient passenger traffic to justify such a branch. The proposals for an MRT extension from Tanah Merah to Changi Airport was revisited in August 1994 following a surge in airport usage.Finalised plans for the branch were announced by deputy prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on 15 November 1996. The branch, projected to be completed in 2001, would run from this station and have an intermediate stop at Somapah to serve the Changi Business Park and the exhibition centre. The branch opened on 10 January 2001, with shuttle services running via Expo station.
Additional platform
In 2014, the LTA announced plans to expand Tanah Merah station with a new platform to increase frequency of the Changi Airport branch. The new platform will be constructed next to the existing eastbound platform. When completed, the middle two tracks will be used to serve the Changi Airport branch. Additional tracks will also be constructed to connect the station to the East Coast Integrated Depot. This will be LTA's second project to construct new tracks and platforms for an existing station after Jurong East station.The contract for the construction of the new platform and viaducts was awarded to Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte. Ltd. for S$325 million in October 2016. Construction works were scheduled to begin at the end of that year with an expected completion date of 2024. On 25 May 2019, the LTA further announced that the Changi Airport branch will be converted to be part of the Thomson–East Coast Line when TEL extends to Changi Airport from Sungei Bedok station via Terminal 5 by the mid-2030s. In November 2022, transport minister S Iswaran announced that, as part of efforts for sustainable transport infrastructure, studies are ongoing to convert an existing viaduct set to be decommissioned to a green corridor for pedestrians and cyclists. On 29 April 2024, the LTA called a tender to modify the existing station, along with Expo and Changi Airport stations, in preparation for their conversion to being part of the TEL.
To connect the tracks between the EWL and the ECID, train services between Tanah Merah and Tampines stations were suspended from 7 to 9 December 2024. Another round of train service suspensions between Bedok and Tampines stations, and between Tanah Merah and Expo stations on the airport branch line, took place from 29 November to 7 December 2025. A third round of service suspension is planned to take place in the first half of 2026.
The new platform opened on 8 December 2025, serving Pasir Ris-bound train services. The track that previously served Pasir Ris-bound train services has been closed to passenger service since 29 November 2025 for modification works as part of the TEL extension via Changi Airport Terminal 5.
Details
Tanah Merah station serves the East–West Line and is between the Simei and Bedok stations. The station is also the terminus of the Changi Airport branch line, with the next station being Expo. The official station code is EW4/CG. When it opened, it had the station code of E9 before being changed to the current alphanumeric style in August 2001 as a part of a system-wide campaign to cater to the expanding MRT System. As a part of the EWL, the station is operated by SMRT Trains. Tanah Merah station is located along New Upper Changi Road and serves various private residential developments including Casa Merah, Optima @ Tanah Merah and The Glades. The station is also close to Simpang Bedok, and schools such as APSN and Bedok View Secondary School and Anglican High School.The station operates daily between 5:00am and 12:45am. It previously opened from 4:55am and 12:45am until 8 December 2025. The first train was delayed to 5:55 am at Platform A from 8 December 2025. Mainline train frequencies range from 2 to 5 minutes. Since 22 July 2003, Tanah Merah station has been the terminus for shuttle services to Expo and Changi Airport stations, with frequencies for the service ranging from 7 to 13 minutes. The station has three island platforms and four tracks, with the side tracks used by mainline train services, and the track serving Platforms D and E used by shuttle services to Expo and Changi Airport stations. Before 8 December 2025, the station had two island platforms and three tracks, with the middle track used by the shuttle service.