How Singapore's Circle Line became a loop
It opened in 2009 as a line from Bartley to Marymount. Seventeen years and six stages later, in July 2026, the last three stations closed the circle.
October 5, 2026 · 1 min read
The Circle Line was planned as a ring around the centre of Singapore, but it was built in pieces. The first section, between Bartley and Marymount, opened on May 28, 2009. The line reached Dhoby Ghaut on April 17, 2010, and HarbourFront on October 8, 2011. Two stations on a branch to Marina Bay, Bayfront and Marina Bay, opened on January 14, 2012.
The missing link
For fourteen years the south side of the ring was open. Trains ran from Dhoby Ghaut round the north and west to HarbourFront, and a separate short branch led to Bayfront and Marina Bay. Stage 6 filled the gap. It added three underground stations between HarbourFront and Marina Bay, called Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward Road, and it opened on July 12, 2026. The Land Transport Authority described it as completing the first orbital MRT line, and the finished line has 33 stations.
A loop in the data
Promenade is the station where the loop and the old tail meet, so a train passes it twice on one trip. In HelloSubway the Circle Line starts at Dhoby Ghaut and visits Promenade once for typing, but the map draws the whole ring. The same approach is used for Tokyo's Oedo Line and London's Circle Line. Dhoby Ghaut is also an interchange for the North South and North East Lines.
Play it
The Circle Line is level 4 in Singapore, with 33 stations and 344 keys, the heaviest line in the city. See how it compares with the other five, or open the line guide and start from Dhoby Ghaut.
Sources
- LTA: Circle Line Stage 6 to open for public preview on 4 July 2026
- Land Transport Guru: Circle Line Stage 6 opens
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