Commuters' Travel Patterns During Circle Line Service Adjustments for Future Planning of Rail Renewal Works

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) what are the findings from the travel patterns of commuters during the ongoing Circle Line service adjustments; (b) what proportion of commuters opted for shuttle buses versus alternative rail lines; and (c) how will these insights into commuter behaviour inform the planning of future long term service closures for rail renewal works.

Following the first week where around 30,000 commuters tried out the shuttle bus service, weekly ridership for shuttle services has settled at around 20,000. We do not have a precise estimate for the number of commuters using alternative rail lines as commuters are free to move between lines after tapping into the system.

Despite the decrease in peak Circle Line frequencies to facilitate tunnel works, the approach of providing and publicising bus and rail alternatives has kept wait times and loading for trains manageable. Most commuters continue to be able to board the first train, other than at certain busy stretches during the peak hours where higher crowding is observed even without the planned closures. We will incorporate feedback from commuters in refining our provision of alternative travel options for future service adjustments.