MRT from Changi Airport into Singapore
The MRT is the cheapest and most predictable way into the city — it never sits in traffic. Changi Airport's own station is directly under Terminals 2 and 3, at the end of a short green (East-West Line) branch. You ride two stops to Tanah Merah, step across the same platform onto a city-bound train, and reach the centre in roughly 45–60 minutes for about S$2. It's the option most travellers pick if they aren't carrying heavy luggage.
- Board at the Changi Airport station beneath T2/T3 — the free Skytrain brings you over from T1, while T4 has no Skytrain and is linked by a free shuttle bus to T2.
- Ride two stops to Tanah Merah and change across the same platform onto the main East-West Line towards the city.
- For Marina Bay, Bugis or Bayfront it is often quicker to change one stop earlier at Expo onto the Downtown Line.
- Just tap in and out with a contactless bank or SimplyGo/EZ-Link card — no paper ticket, and the fare to town is about S$2.
- The first train out of Changi is 05:31 — 05:59 on Sundays and public holidays — and the last one that still connects towards the city leaves at 23:18; outside those hours take a taxi, Grab or a private transfer.
- Stopping at Jewel and the Rain Vortex first? They sit landside at T1, so you can visit before you ever tap into the MRT.
MRT at a glance
| Fare to the city | ≈ S$2 (contactless / SimplyGo / EZ-Link) |
|---|---|
| Journey time | ≈ 45–60 min to central stations |
| Transfers | 1 — cross-platform at Tanah Merah |
| Station | Below Terminals 2 & 3 (Skytrain from T1; free shuttle bus from T4) |
| First train from Changi | 05:31 Mon–Sat; 05:59 Sun & public holidays |
| Last train from Changi | 23:18 towards Tuas Link (00:06 towards Pasir Ris) |
| Going the other way | Branch starts 05:20 from Tanah Merah, last 23:50 — but the first eastbound train out of City Hall is 06:01, so ≈06:40 is the earliest you can be at a terminal |
| Line | East–West (green); change at Expo to the Downtown Line for Marina Bay/Bugis |
| Works alert | Until 5 Sep 2026 the Downtown Line ends service around 23:30 on Friday nights (earlier at individual stations) and restarts at 08:30 on Saturday mornings — on those nights stay on the East–West Line via Tanah Merah |
Stops from Changi to your station
Every MRT journey out of the airport starts the same way: two stops on the airport branch to Tanah Merah (EW4), where you step across the platform. What differs is how far you ride after that — and whether the East–West Line reaches your station at all, or you need a second change. The counts below are stations passed, not minutes, and each row names the direction on the platform sign, because two of these destinations lie the opposite way from the city.
| Station | Code | Stops from Changi | Changes, and which way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedok | EW5 | 3 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Tuas Link |
| Paya Lebar | EW8 | 6 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Tuas Link |
| Lavender | EW11 | 9 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Tuas Link |
| Bugis | EW12 | 10 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Tuas Link |
| City Hall | EW13 | 11 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Tuas Link |
| Raffles Place | EW14 | 12 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Tuas Link |
| Tanjong Pagar | EW15 | 13 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Tuas Link |
| Outram Park | EW16 | 14 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Tuas Link |
| Buona Vista | EW21 | 19 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Tuas Link |
| Jurong East | EW24 | 22 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Tuas Link |
| Tampines | EW2 | 4 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Pasir Ris |
| Pasir Ris | EW1 | 5 | 1 · Tanah Merah → towards Pasir Ris |
| Somerset | NS23 | 13 | 2 · Tanah Merah, then City Hall → towards Jurong East |
| Orchard | NS22 | 14 | 2 · Tanah Merah, then City Hall → towards Jurong East |
| Marina Bay | NS27 | 13 | 2 · Tanah Merah, then Raffles Place → towards Marina South Pier |
Station codes and the order of stations come from SMRT's own station list, checked on 26 August 2026. Chinatown, Clarke Quay and Little India are missing from that list because they are not on the East–West Line at all: they sit on lines SMRT does not run, so they need a different change altogether.
MRT from Changi Airport — FAQ
- How do I get from Changi Airport to Tanjong Pagar by MRT?
- Tanjong Pagar is EW15, on the same East–West Line the airport branch feeds into, so one change does it: ride two stops to Tanah Merah, cross the platform onto a city-bound train and stay on it for 11 stops — 13 stations from the airport in total. You pass Raffles Place one stop before it, so if your hotel sits between the two, either exit works.
- How much is the MRT from Changi Airport to the city?
- About S$2. You tap in and out with a contactless bank card or a SimplyGo/EZ-Link card — there is no paper ticket and no airport premium on the fare.
- How long does the MRT take into Singapore?
- Roughly 45–60 minutes to central stations, including one quick cross-platform change at Tanah Merah.
- Do I have to change trains?
- Yes, once. Ride two stops from Changi Airport to Tanah Merah and step across the same platform onto a city-bound East–West Line train. For Marina Bay, Bugis or Bayfront, change one stop earlier at Expo onto the Downtown Line instead.
- What time is the last MRT from Changi Airport?
- The last train leaves Changi Airport at 23:18 towards Tuas Link, with a later 00:06 departure connecting towards Pasir Ris. The first is 05:31 on Mondays to Saturdays, 05:59 on Sundays and public holidays. If you land outside those hours, take a taxi, a ride-hailing car or a pre-booked private transfer.
- Where is the MRT station at Changi Airport?
- It sits directly beneath Terminals 2 and 3. From T1 the free Skytrain brings you across in a few minutes. T4 has neither Skytrain nor a link bridge: board the free shuttle bus at the T4 Arrival Bus Lounge, ride to T2 and go down from there — allow about 25 minutes.
- Are engineering works affecting the airport line at the moment?
- Not the airport branch itself, but the connection most travellers use next. For works on the Downtown Line's own extension, the LTA is closing the whole line early on Friday nights — end of service around 23:30, and earlier than that at any individual station — and reopening it late on Saturday mornings, at 08:30, every weekend until 5 September 2026. The shuttle buses, including the S41 between Macpherson and Expo, cover the Saturday-morning late opening only; nothing bridges the Friday-night cutoff. So if you land on a Friday night, skip the Expo change altogether: stay on the East–West Line through Tanah Merah, which keeps normal hours and serves Bugis, City Hall and Raffles Place directly.
Fares, surcharges and timings are indicative and were last checked against Changi Airport, the LTA and SMRT in July 2026 — confirm the current figures with the operator before you travel.
More Changi guides
Changi Airport MRT & Terminal 5 (2026)Data
- Changi to the city by interval of the day: what runs, which taxi surcharge applies, what it comes to (26 intervals + 4 night windows, CSV)
- How Changi's terminals and Jewel actually connect, transit side and public side (20 pairs, CSV)
Compiled from the operators’ own published figures, with the date we checked them on each page. Free to reuse with attribution.