LTA and SMRT announced in March 2013 that they would order 41 new trains for the NSEWL and with the procurement of 29 additional sets, which was announced on September 30, fleet capacity will be increased by 40% to 198 trains.
LTA says the delivery of the additional trains between 2016 and 2019 will ease overcrowding on the busiest sections of the NSEWL and allow older trains to be taken out of service for critical maintenance and upgrading in connection with the resignalling of the two lines.
The additional trains will also increase fleet capacity in readiness for the opening of the East-West Line extension to Tuas West and the new Canberra station on the North-South Line.
