To moderate travel demand during the morning peak and improve the experience for commuters, rides on the North East Line (NEL) and Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) taken before and after peak hours (before 7.30am, and between 9.00am and 9.45am) will be free. We will also simplify the enrolment for the Travel Smart Journeys (TSJ) programme and increase the rewards to commuters. Commuters can benefit from one or both of these schemes from 27 December 2025.
Free Morning Off-Peak Rail Rides
2. Commuters who tap in at any of the 6 NEL stations between Punggol Coast station and Kovan station or any SPLRT station, before 7.30am or between 9.00am and 9.45am on weekdays (excluding public holidays), will enjoy free travel for the first rail trip of the journey. No registration is required, as long as commuters tap in and out using the same fare card or payment mode.
3. By encouraging commuters to shift their travel times to before or after the peak period, we will benefit all NEL commuters. Those who shift their travel times can enjoy free rail travel, while others will see reduced congestion and fewer missed trains.
4. All other commuters will continue to enjoy up to 50-cent discount off their rail trips under the Morning Pre-Peak Fares Scheme when they tap in before 7.45am at any rail station islandwide on weekdays (excluding public holidays).
Enhanced Travel Smart Journeys Rewards
5. To further encourage NEL/SPLRT commuters who use buses for the first and last mile of their journeys to shift their travel times, we will also be adjusting the TSJ programme:
a) Align Eligibility Window Between TSJ and Free Morning Off-Peak Rail Travel
From 27 December 2025, the pre-peak eligibility window will be extended from before 7.15am to before 7.30am to align with that of Free Morning Off-Peak Rail Travel. The post-peak rewards will also be standardised at 80% for travel between 9.00am to 9.45am, an increase from the current 40% for those who tap in between 9.31am to 9.45am. Journeys that start between 8.45am and 8.59am will no longer qualify for TSJ rewards. This means that eligible commuters will not only enjoy free travel on the rail leg of their journey, but also an 80% rebate on the bus leg(s) of their journey.
b) Simplified enrolment process
From 27 December 2025, the requirement for commuters to have a qualifying travel history will be removed. All commuters will be eligible for TSJ immediately upon registration via the SimplyGo app.
6. Examples of how TSJ will complement free morning off-peak rail travel in the northeast region are in Annex A. Stacking the discounts from the TSJ with free morning off-peak rail travel or the existing Morning Pre-Peak Fares Scheme, commuters can save up to $2.57 per journey.
Extending TSJ Rebate to Five New Bus Services
7. From mid-December 2025, TSJ will also be enhanced to include five new City Direct Services (CDS), connecting residents in Hougang, Sengkang and Punggol Towns to city areas such as the Central Business District and Orchard. More details on the upcoming CDSes will be announced in November 2025.
8. Existing services Service 43e and CDS 654, 660, 660M, 666, 671, 672, 673, 675, 676, 677, and 678 will continue to be eligible for TSJ incentives. These services serve as alternatives to the NEL to connect residents in the northeast region to major employment centres in the city centre, as well as MacPherson and Paya Lebar.
Enrolment and Redemption
9. To qualify for TSJ incentives, commuters must register via the SimplyGo app, under the Services tab. Points earned can be redeemed in blocks of 500 points (equivalent to $5.00) as cash value credited directly into their travel cards.
Annex A: Examples of Rewards from TSJ and Free Morning Off-Peak Rail Travel
Annex B: Commonly Asked Questions on TSJ
