At 57 ha (140-acre), the at-grade depot will house 70 to 80 trains of the Cross Island line (CRL) fleet.

On 25 January 2019, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced that the 57-hectare (140-acre) depot would serve the Cross Island line (CRL).

[3] The restrictions imposed on construction works due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to delays and the CRL1 completion date was pushed by one year to 2030.

[4] Contract CR101 for the construction of Changi East Depot and its associated facilities was awarded to China Jingye Engineering Corporation Limited (Singapore Branch) at S$1.05 billion on 28 May 2021.

[1][5] Other facilities of the depot include stabling and maintenance equipment for the trains and the CRL Operation Control Centre.