Instead of comparing amount of lines etc, lets forsee future MRT
/ LRT lines before deciding DTL should be under who. (Bolden
company = most likely company to win the tender --- excluding
extensions from present line such as "Changi Airport Extension /
Tuas Extension / Boon Lay Extension"
Known Future LRT lines (Look, LTA just say that they wont build
LTA until dunno what -- they did give a rule to build LRT one):
Punggol North Line (Sure SBST as it is part of Punggol LRT)
Jurong LRT Line (Most likely SBST as they have
better management of LRTs and Jurong West is still SBST
territory)
Known Future MRT lines:
Thomson Line (Most likely SMRT, due to
Woodlands area)
Eastern Region Line (Most likely SBST, due to
the entire stretch of East Coast from Changi all theway is under
SBST)
*The below are mentioned in URA 2001 concept plans and / or LTA
1996 whitepaper.*
North Shore / Coast Line (Quite tricky, as the southern end from
Changi is SBST area while the Northern end at Sembawang etc is SMRT
area, but I will still vote SBST because it could
be an extension from NEL [and being a second OHLE system train] ,
or it might be connected to ERL such that, it is still most likely
a SBST train also. You might want to counter this argument as
possibility to connect with TSL, but the depot is known to be at
somewhere in Mandai and it is pretty illogical to connect a train
line in Sembawang to Woodlands without any revenue service
purpose.)
Holland Line (Most likely SMRT, especially if
as some people speculated as Dhoby Ghaut - Promenade sector is a
branch line of another line AFTER the circle has closed.)
Seletar Line (Most likely SBST, because even if
North Shore / Coast Line does not become a second NEL, then Seletar
Line might do the job. The entire sector of Seletar - Serangoon
North - Kallang / Geylang Bharu - CBD areas are more like SBST
territory)
Kallang Line (By now, it would be Kallang Extension so as to
make NSL a loop line [Kind of Bukit Panjang LRT line in MRT
version, where "Choa Chu Kang LRT station" would be Jurong East MRT
station and "Bukit Panjang LRT station" would be Ang Mo Kio MRT
station. Oh --- "Jelapang LRT station" will be somewhere in Marina
Barrage or Marina East, depending on future NSL development. Well,
proposed Kallang Line is 16km long and based on the whitepaper, it
braches from Ang Mo Kio, and coupled with the fact of the distance
in Bishan - Kallang should be around 7km, there is no reason to say
that Kallang Line will not start from Ang Mo Kio and terminates at
Marina areas.] IF the plan was not totally scrapped. Hence, it
would be under SMRT.)
I do expect an extension from Paya Lebar CCL to ERL Marine
Parade, or an extension from DTL Bedok Town Park station (Based on
old leaked schematic diagram, it has a middle platform.) to Bedok
MRT station and linked to Bedok South ERL station or both. Other
extensions do include Downtown Line to finish Bukit Panjang -
Kranji link (Based on cheapo design of DTL2 to follow the road,
there is no way they will plan to connect Yew Tee in long term
plan) and Expo - Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal ERL link.
Ok, so based on above analysis, I think the more likely
SMRT because even if we do not count the future
LRT lines, SBST will have ample chances to have more lines.
Well, although I think that even with all these lines by SBST,
they wont have similar rail distance, otherwise, it would be unfair
to SMRT. By the way, dont forget that most likely my personal
prediction, is that DTL trains will park at KCD first (Using CCL
tracks since there is a Promenade crossover), despite they have a
maintenance facility in Marina Bay. [Otherwise how the train be
installed ---- not gonna to open a big hole on Bugis, Chinatown
right?].
Also, SBST have never run a long rail (NEL is shortest one)
before, so there is no way LTA will give that to SBST, given that
they do consider if operator is financially capable to run that or
not. (NEL is suffering loss in the inital years, and rumours said
SBST might sell that to SMRT but not now anymore.) I believe the
planners will not believe SBST is ready to run DTL despite SBST's
official stance is they are ready to run DTL.
wow, thanks for writing such a big article , so in conclusion
for DTL which company you hope it will be awarded to ? SMRT or
SBST?
