Slight easing of NEL crowding with free off-peak rides
SINGAPORE – For business associate Tan Hui Xin, commuting on the North East Line (NEL) from Kovan to Dhoby Ghaut during the morning rush hour has long been a struggle.“The NEL is a nightmare in the morning, and I used to have to wait at the platform until a train arrived with enough space for me to squeeze in,” said the 30-year-old.In recent months, she has noticed a “slight improvement” when she boards a train at about 8.45am, after a free off-peak ride scheme began on Dec 27, 2025.“It’s somewhat better now. I usually get to board immediately,” she added.Connecting residents in the north-eastern part of the island to the city centre, the NEL is one of Singapore’s most heavily utilised rail lines.Based on operator SBS Transit’s business update for the first quarter of 2026, the line sees an average of 610,814 passenger trips each day. This is a 2.7 per cent increase from the same period in 2025.To ease congestion, the scheme was implemented allowing passengers to take their first rail ride for free when they tap in before 7.30am, or between 9am and 9.45am, on weekdays at any Sengkang-Punggol LRT station or one of six NEL stations.