Jan 25, 2008
Govt to accelerate MRT
expansion
Two new lines to double network length to 278km by 2020; first
stage of Circle Line to open next year
By Christopher Tan
IN what could well be Singapore's most aggressive public transport
infrastructure plans ever, the Government is spending $40 billion
to double the MRT network by 2020.
By then, Singapore will have 278km of rail link, from 138km today.
Its network density will rise from 31km per million residents today
to 51km per million - surpassing what Hong Kong and Tokyo has today
and comparable to current densities in places like New York and
London.
Announcing these targets on Friday as part of a sweeping Land
Transport Review, Transport Minister Raymond Lim said two new lines
will be built - barely nine months after he gave the go-ahead to
the $12 billion 40km Downtown Line.
One, the Thomson Line, runs to
the left of and almost parallel to the North-east Line. It is 27km
long and links Marina Bay in the south to Woodlands in the north.
To be completed in 2018, it will have 18 stations, in places such
as Ang Mo Kio, Kebun Baru, Sin Ming, Thomson and Kim Seng.
The other is the Eastern Region Line, which is a southern loop of
the Downtown Line's eastern wing. It is 21km long and links Marina
Bay to Changi. This line has 12 stops in places such as Tanjong
Rhu, Siglap, Bedok South and Marine Parade, and is scheduled for
completion in 2020.
'We expect our rail network to carry three times as many journeys,
rising from today's 1.4 million a day to 4.6 million in 2020,' Mr
Lim said.
Existing MRT lines will also be lengthened. The North South Line will dip towards Marina South,
with one station, and should be ready by 2015. Elsewhere, the East
West Line will go west to serve the Tuas Industrial Estate. Also to
be ready in 2015, it is 14km long and dotted with five
stations.
More immediately though, Mr Lim said residents can look forward to
riding one stage of the Circle Line from middle of next year. This stage is a
five-station section linking Bartley to Marymount,
with interchanges at Serangoon and Bishan.
Completion of the Downtown Line has also been brought forward by
two years to 2016.
The accelerated rail plans are attributable to a new financing
framework for rail infrastructure. Instead of assessing the
viability of new lines in isolation, the Government will now
evaluate its contribution to the entire network. As such, future
MRT projects could be implemented 'a few years earlier... so long
as the entire rail network remains viable'.
Like changes he announced for buses last week, the minister said
the Government will introduce more competition to the rail
industry. Operating contracts will be 10 to 15 years long, instead
of the current 30-year tenures. This is to keep the operators on
their toes so that they keep service standards high.
In line with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's promise that no one
would be left behind, accessibility to wheelchairs and prams will
likewise be speeded up. By 2010,
access to MRT stations, taxi and bus shelters will be barrier free
within a 400m radius. Because there are 4,500
bus-stops here, practically all walkways will be accessible to the
handicapped, elderly and those using baby prams.
And by 2010, 40 per cent of public buses will be wheelchair
accessible, with the rest to follow by 2020.
The minister took the opportunity to announce other
transport-related initiatives during a visit to the Kim Chuan MRT
Depot on Friday morning. These include:
July: A single telephone number for booking a cab.
March: Six-month trial for foldable bicycles to be allowed
onboard MRT trains during off-peak periods.
Next year: Better bicycle parking facilities at MRT stations,
starting with Tampines and Pasir Ris.
March: Road signs warning motorists of cyclists in popular
bicycle routes.
2014: All taxis to meet Euro IV emission standards. (wat the hell
)
2020: All buses to meet Euro IV emission standards. (wat the hell
)
On what commuters can look forward to in the coming years, Mr Lim
said: 'By 2020, people who live or work in the city and those who
shop and find enjoyment there will be able to reach an MRT station
within 400 metres on average, a mere five-minute walk.
'Travelling across the city will be a breeze, because we will have
a dense network of MRT stations like what we see in London and New
York today.'
He added: 'With a vast rail network and a bus network that works in
partnership with rail, commuters will have fast and reliable
connections that bring them where they want to go. A gamut of
transport choices including premium buses, taxis and cycling among
others, will enable different needs to be met.'
The Minister said as society evolves and people's needs change,
Singapore's land transport offerings must keep pace as well as
encompass the diversity of needs and aspirations.
'To achieve this, we will plan our land transport system around
people, not the other way round. This then will be our touchstone
in the planning of land transport policies going forward,' he
promised.
Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.
