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Circle Line stations now open

The Circle Line rail network became fully operational on Saturday as 12 stations from Harbourfront to Caldecott opened to the public.

Commuters Yahoo! Singapore spoke to were generally happy with the opening despite an increase in bus and train fares.

The stations' opening has courted much fanfare as the public can now easily travel between places like Bishan and Holland Village.


22-year-old Jeremy Lim, a sales assistant working in Holland Village, said, "I live in Ang Mo Kio, so now it's easier and for me to come to work here (in Holland Village). All I have to do is change to a Circle Line train in Bishan and I have a straight route to Holland Village."

Commuting from Bishan to Buona Vista will now take 24 minutes on the Circle Line instead of 40 minutes on the North-South and East-West lines.

The opening of the new stations will also see a fare increase of two cents more per ride for adults who use EZ-link cards. However, this has not stopped commuters from hopping onto the trains along the 16.6km-long Circle Line.

Marketing executive Ng Chun Meng, 31, said, "Singaporeans should see that transport here is actually quite cheap compared to other developed countries. Other than the odd glitches in their system, I think SMRT has done a pretty good job in making our train lines extremely accessible and convenient."

Housewife Madam Tan agreed, "I think it's only fair to pay a bit more for transport when new stations in convenient locations are built. I can now take the Circle Line to the Botanic Gardens for my weekend walks.