SINGAPORE – The East Coast Integrated Depot, Singapore’s largest and the world’s first four-in-one depot, is nearing completion, with structural works about 98 per cent finished. According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), internal construction like plumbing and electrical systems is 83 per cent complete, and the facility is expected to open in 2026.
The original opening was slated for 2024, but due to pandemic-related delays, it was pushed to 2025 and then to its current target of 2026. The depot, located in Changi, covers 36 hectares—equivalent to 51 international football stadiums—and will house three train depots stacked vertically along with a multi-storey bus depot.
Construction Highlights
- The facility can accommodate up to 220 trains and over 500 buses.
- Construction began in 2016, with notable engineering challenges including the removal of over 1,000 piles from a previous sewage treatment plant.
- A remarkable 3.6 million cubic metres of earth has been excavated—enough to fill about 1,440 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Apart from the scale of the project, sustainability features have also been integrated. The bus and rail depot roofs will include:
- More than 7,000 solar panels that are set to reduce carbon emissions by over 3,900 tonnes annually.
- Green roofs covering approximately 47,000 square metres, capable of removing about 84 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
Innovative Solutions
To overcome construction challenges, LTA employed innovative techniques such as the ‘Mega Mat’ system. This allows heavy machinery to operate on unstable ground more easily, enhancing safety and efficiency.
Sound-absorbing fibreboard panels have been installed to minimise noise pollution, ensuring operational harmony for the neighbouring residential areas.
Operational Timeline
Train services along the East-West Line will be temporarily suspended from 7 to 10 December 2024 to facilitate the connection of tracks to the new depot. Once operational, the current Changi Depot will be decommissioned, returning the land to the state.
By integrating three railway depots and a bus depot into a single location, the LTA estimates savings of about S$2 billion (US$1.49 billion) in construction costs.