Circle MRT Line facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Circle Line
C830 trainset at Stadium station
Overview
Native name	Malay: Laluan MRT Circle Chinese: 地铁环线 Tamil: இணைப்பு எம்ஆர்டி வழி
Status	Operational Under construction (Stage 6)
Owner	Land Transport Authority
Locale	Singapore
Termini	Dhoby Ghaut Stadium Prince Edward Road (From 2026, during peak hours) HarbourFront (Until 2026) Marina Bay (Until 2026)
Stations	30 (operational) 3 (under construction)
Service
Type	Rapid transit Light metro
System	Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
Services	3
Operator(s)	SMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Corporation)
Depot(s)	Kim Chuan
Rolling stock	Alstom Metropolis C830 Alstom Metropolis C830C Alstom Metropolis C851E (future)
Daily ridership	450,000 (2023)
History
Planned opening	1H 2026 (Stage 6)
Opened	28 May 2009; 16 years ago (2009-05-28) (Stage 3) 17 April 2010; 15 years ago (2010-04-17) (Stages 1 and 2) 8 October 2011; 13 years ago (2011-10-08) (Stages 4 and 5) 14 January 2012; 13 years ago (2012-01-14) (Circle Line extension)
Technical
Line length	35.5 km (22.1 mi) (operational) 4 km (2.5 mi) (under construction)
Character	Fully underground
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Operating speed	limit of 78 km/h (48 mph)

The Circle Line (CCL) is a special train line in Singapore. It's part of the MRT system. This line runs in a big loop around the city. It connects many important places.

The Circle Line starts at Dhoby Ghaut in the city center. It goes all the way to HarbourFront in the south. It also passes through Bishan in the middle of Singapore. There's also a shorter branch from Promenade to Marina Bay. This branch will connect to HarbourFront in the first half of 2026. This will make the Circle Line a complete loop!

You can spot the Circle Line on the train map because it's colored orange. It's completely underground. The line is about 35.5 kilometers (22 miles) long. It has 30 stations that are currently open. Traveling from one end to the other takes about an hour.

The Circle Line was the fourth MRT line to open in Singapore. The first part, from Bartley to Marymount, opened on May 28, 2009. The next part to Dhoby Ghaut opened on April 17, 2010. The section to HarbourFront opened on October 8, 2011. A short two-station extension to Marina Bay opened on January 14, 2012. The final part of the line, from HarbourFront to Marina Bay, will open in 2026. This will finally complete the full loop!

This line is special because it's completely automated and has no drivers. It's one of the longest driverless train lines in the world. It's also Singapore's first "medium capacity" line. This means its trains, like the Alstom Metropolis C830 and C830C, have three cars. Each train can carry many passengers.

How the Circle Line Started

Early Ideas for the Line

The Marina MRT line as announced in 1997. It had 18 planned stations.

The idea for the Circle Line began way back in 1989. At that time, a minister said such a train system would be possible when Singapore's population reached four million people.

Studies for the line started in 1994. It was first announced in 1997 and called the Marina Line. This line was meant to serve areas like Marina Centre. It also had plans for branches to Chinatown and Dhoby Ghaut. The original plan included 18 stations.

However, because of high costs, some plans changed. The Chinatown branch was removed in 1999. The line was shortened to only 6 stations, from Dhoby Ghaut to Stadium. Later, parts of the removed line became part of the Downtown Line. In 2001, an extension towards Upper Paya Lebar was announced.

The Marina Line eventually joined with another planned train line in 2003. This created what we now know as Circle Line Stages 3, 4, and 5. These stages connected areas like Paya Lebar, Buona Vista, and World Trade Centre. This helped connect the west side of Singapore to Sentosa. In 2001, SMRT was chosen to operate the Circle Line. The names for the stations were decided after asking the public for their ideas in 2005.

Building the First Sections

Building the Bishan station.

Construction for the Circle Line began in 2002 for Stage 1, 2002 for Stage 2, 2003 for Stage 3, and 2005 for Stages 4 and 5. It was first planned to open between 2006 and 2010. The estimated cost was S$6.7 billion.

However, a serious accident called the Nicoll Highway collapse delayed the opening. This pushed the first stage's opening to 2009. When the entire line finally opened on October 8, 2011, the cost had increased to almost S$10 billion. Because of the collapse, the Nicoll Highway station had to be moved to a new spot.

Some stations on the Circle Line were initially built as "shell stations." This means they were built but not opened. Two of these, Caldecott and Haw Par Villa, were later opened. Only Bukit Brown remains an unopened station on the line.

The first part of the line, Stage 3, opened on May 28, 2009. This section was 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) long and had five stations, from Bartley to Marymount. At first, fewer people used this section than expected. All the tunnels for the line were finished by August 17, 2009. Stages 1 and 2 started running on April 17, 2010. Stages 4 and 5 opened on October 8, 2011. The two-station extension to Marina Bay opened on January 14, 2012.

Completing the Circle: Stage 6

On January 17, 2013, the Minister for Transport announced Circle Line Stage 6. This stage would "close the circle" and was planned to be ready by 2025. This 4-kilometer (2.5 miles) extension will connect Marina Bay and HarbourFront. It will help people travel easily between these areas.

On October 29, 2015, the Land Transport Authority announced the locations for the three new stations. Their working names were Keppel, Cantonment, and Prince Edward. The public was asked for name suggestions in 2017. Keppel and Cantonment kept their names. Prince Edward station was changed to Prince Edward Road station.

Construction for Stage 6 began in late 2017. A team of companies worked together to build the new Keppel station and its tunnels.

Stage 6 is now expected to be completed by 2026. This is due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The tunneling work for Stage 6 was finished on January 12, 2022. The tunnels between Cantonment station and Prince Edward Road station were built very close to the old Tanjong Pagar railway station. Special care was taken to protect the historic building during construction.

On December 6, 2024, it was announced that Stage 6 will start operating in the first half of 2026. Once it opens, trains will run in a full loop during off-peak hours. During busy peak hours, trains will run from Dhoby Ghaut to Prince Edward Road.

Train Incidents and Safety

The Nicoll Highway Accident

On April 20, 2004, a part of the tunnel being built for the Circle Line collapsed. This happened near the planned Nicoll Highway station. A large section of the ground, about 150 meters (490 feet) wide and 30 meters (98 feet) deep, caved in. Four workers sadly lost their lives, and three others were hurt.

Investigations showed that the main construction companies and some officials were responsible. This accident led to much stricter safety rules for building all future MRT lines. The Nicoll Highway station was moved about 100 meters (330 feet) away from the accident site. This also influenced the creation of the Downtown Line.

Other Incidents and Delays

On August 16, 2007, a section of Telok Blangah Road sank about 20 centimeters (7.9 inches). This happened above a construction site. Authorities stopped work and canceled the contractor's permit.

On May 24, 2008, a road section near Holland Road also caved in. It created a hole about 8 by 7 meters (26 by 23 feet) wide and 3 meters (9.8 feet) deep. No one was hurt, but the road was closed for a while.

Train Service Disruptions

On September 20, 2011, a power problem stopped train services at all 16 stations on the Circle Line. This four-hour delay affected thousands of commuters during rush hour. It was found that leaks and a damaged electrical cable caused the problem. Train services were slowly restored. The issue was traced to a faulty cable at Dakota station. About 27,000 passengers were affected.

In late August 2016, there were several days of train delays due to signal problems. The issue came back in November. Experts found that a "rogue" train, PV46, was sending wrong signals.

On September 30, 2023, a crack was found on the rails near Promenade station. This caused delays of about 30 minutes between Dhoby Ghaut, Marina Bay, and Stadium stations for 14 hours.

On September 17, 2024, a power outage stopped services along the entire line. Eleven trains were stuck in the tunnels. Power was restored quickly, but staff had to manually drive trains, causing delays. Investigations showed that a circuit breaker tripped. Maintenance work was done without proper clearance, leading to the power loss.

The very next day, on September 18, 2024, a small fire was detected in a control cubicle. This triggered another power shutdown as a safety measure. The fire was put out quickly, and services resumed within minutes. SMRT announced they would get new equipment and improve the line's systems to prevent future issues.

How the Circle Line Works

The Network

The Circle Line is Singapore's second fully automated and driverless train line. It's also the first "medium capacity" line. This means it's designed to carry a good number of passengers, but not as many as the busiest lines.

The Route

Geographically accurate map of the Circle Line.

The 35.5-kilometer (22-mile) Circle Line forms a loop. It starts at Dhoby Ghaut in the central part of Singapore. It goes north to Serangoon and Bishan, then south to HarbourFront. There's also a branch from Promenade to Marina Bay. This branch will extend to HarbourFront in 2026.

The Circle Line connects with other MRT lines at many stations. For example, at Dhoby Ghaut, you can change to the North–South and North East lines. At Promenade, you can connect to the Downtown Line. The line also links with the East–West Line at Paya Lebar and Buona Vista. You can also change to the Thomson East-Coast line at Caldecott.

Once Stage 6 is finished in 2026, the Circle Line will form a complete loop. It will connect HarbourFront to Marina Bay. This will make it even easier to travel around Singapore.

Stations Along the Line

The Circle Line stations have orange codes on the system map. Most stations have "island platforms," which means the tracks are on either side of the platform. Promenade is an exception. Bukit Brown is a future station that is not yet open.

Legend

Elevated	Line terminus	Transfer outside paid area
Ground-level	Wheelchair accessible	Bus interchange
Underground	Civil Defence Shelter	Other transportation modes

List

Station code	Station name	Images	Interchange; Adjacent transportation	Opening	Cost
CC1	Dhoby Ghaut		North–South Line    North East Line	17 April 2010; 15 years ago	S$343.94 million
CC2	Bras Basah		—
CC3	Esplanade
CC4	Promenade		Downtown Line  ―  Marina Centre
CC5	Nicoll Highway		—		S$573 million
CC6	Stadium
CC7	Mountbatten				S$322 million
CC8	Dakota
CC9	Paya Lebar		East–West Line
CC10	MacPherson		Downtown Line		S$356.1 million
CC11	Tai Seng		—
CC12	Bartley			28 May 2009; 16 years ago	S$63.5 million
CC13	Serangoon		North East Line  ―  Serangoon		S$155.95 million
CC14	Lorong Chuan		—		S$65.0 million
CC15	Bishan		North–South Line  ―  Bishan		S$82.2 million
CC16	Marymount		—		S$167.7 million
CC17	Caldecott		Thomson–East Coast Line	8 October 2011; 13 years ago	S$391.59 million
CC18  Infill station	Bukit Brown		—	0TBA
CC19	Botanic Gardens		Downtown Line	8 October 2011; 13 years ago
CC20	Farrer Road		—
CC21	Holland Village				S$399.91 million
CC22	Buona Vista		East–West Line  ―  Buona Vista  Ghim Moh
CC23	one-north		—
CC24	Kent Ridge		Jurong Region Line  (early 2040s)
CC25	Haw Par Villa		—		S$335 million
CC26	Pasir Panjang
CC27	Labrador Park
CC28	Telok Blangah
CC29	HarbourFront		North East Line  ―  HarbourFront ―  Sentosa Express VivoCity  Singapore Cable Car Mount Faber Line  HarbourFront Centre   Singapore Cruise Centre
Stage 6 (under construction, to be ready by 1H 2026)
CC30	Keppel		—	1H 2026	S$313.8 million
CC31	Cantonment				S$205 million
CC32	Prince Edward Road		Shenton Way		S$310.8 million
Circle Line extension
CE1	Bayfront		Downtown Line	14 January 2012; 13 years ago	S$463 million
CE2	Marina Bay		North–South Line    Thomson–East Coast Line		S$348.4 million

The Circle Line has a special numbering system. It keeps station code "CC18" free for future use.

Train Depots

Depot name; Lines	Location	Images	Line-specific stabling capacity	Cost	Opening
Kim Chuan	Hougang		70 trains (until 2026) 133 trains (from 2026)	S$1.507 billion	4 March 2009; 16 years ago

Trains Used on the Circle Line

The trains on the Circle Line are electric and run in a three-car setup. Each car has four doors on each side. A single train can carry up to 931 passengers.

The first 40 trains were Alstom Metropolis C830 models. They were built in France between 2006 and 2008. These trains are stored at the Kim Chuan Depot. This depot was the world's largest underground train depot when it opened in 2009.

To carry more passengers, 24 more trains were added. These are the C830C models. They look similar to the first trains and arrived in Singapore starting in July 2014. These trains were built in Shanghai, China.

For the upcoming Stage 6 extension, even more trains are being added. These are 23 new Alstom Metropolis C851E trains. The first of these new trains arrived in Singapore on March 11, 2022.

The trains use a special computer system called CBTC. This system allows the trains to communicate with the control center. This helps them run smoothly and safely without drivers.

How Trains are Controlled

The Circle Line uses a modern train control system called Alstom Urbalis 300. This system allows the trains to run automatically without drivers. It has several parts:

• Automatic Train Protection (ATP) controls how fast trains go.
• Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) tracks and schedules trains.
• Computer-based Interlocking (CBI) makes sure signals and track switches are set correctly.

There's also a system that collects and sends information about the trains. A special communication network helps transmit video and needs very little maintenance.

For safety, there are automatic platform screen doors at all stations. These doors open only when a train is at the platform. This keeps commuters safe from the tracks.