Monday December 4, 8:17
PM
Train from
Harbourfront MRT to Sentosa to be ready by Jan
2007
SINGAPORE: The public can soon take the train to Sentosa. The new
service - called Sentosa Express - will start in January next
year.
With the completion of the $140m project, it will be a quick ride
from the Harbourfront MRT station.
Sentosa's transport network gets a boost with the new train
service, which will have four stations.
The first stop is the Sentosa Station.
The Waterfront station, which will be in the heart of the
Integrated Resort development, will be open only in 2010, when the
project is completed.
For now, visitors can get off at Imbiah station, next to the
Merlion, and the Beach Station.
A one-way journey takes under eight minutes, and a whole day train
ticket costs only $3.
Sentosa now attracts more than 5 million visitors annually.
The next few years for Sentosa are expected to be exciting ones.
The island is targeting to receive 8 million visitors annually by
2012.
However, with some new developments surrounding the island, like
the Sentosa IR and several other developments, Sentosa believes it
can achieve the 8 million annual visitorship target by 2010.
"You need an efficient and comfortable people mover system, which
is able to move large numbers. So I think this Sentosa Express is
going to make a big difference, in addition to the cable car and
road access," said S Iswaran, Minister of State for Trade and
Industry.
Over the longer term, Sentosa's CEO says the aim is to reduce the
number of cars on the island.
"We will eventually have underground parking so that they won't
have to drive around the island. (The public) can go underground
immediately, hop on our monorail or shuttle beach trams and other
forms of transportation," said Darrel Metzger, CEO, Sentosa.
Once they go into full swing, the trains are expected to ferry up
to 4,000 visitors into the island every hour. - CNA /dt
