SINGAPORE – The Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) depot will nearly triple in size with the completion of expansion works in 2027, featuring a new maintenance building and test track that will improve reliability for passengers.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on April 12 that these works, which started in 2022 and will see the depot expand from 3.5ha to 11.1ha, are meant to provide more stabling – or railway parking – space for the new SPLRT fleet comprising 25 two-car light rail vehicles.

The North East Line and SPLRT are typically crowded even during off-peak hours, according to passengers The Straits Times interviewed in October 2025.

The number of residents living in Punggol has increased from 87,610 in 2013 to 177,470 as at March 2025, according to resident population figures released by the Housing Board.

Likewise, the number of residents living in Sengkang has risen from 172,680 in 2013 to 224,510 as at March 2025, the data showed.

To ease congestion and prevent passengers from missing trains, LTA rolled out free off-peak rides from December 2025 for passengers tapping into any SPLRT station before 7.30am, or between 9am and 9.45am on weekdays, excluding public holidays.

Seven of the new vehicles for the SPLRT have entered passenger service, and are running on the tracks alongside older single-carriage and two-carriage trains. The network is operated by SBS Transit.

Some of these older vehicles will be replaced by the end of 2028,