SINGAPORE: Singapore will have two new MRT lines,
while three existing lines will be extended. These will double the
rail network stretch to 360 kilometres, compared with the current
178 kilometres.
By then, eight in 10 households will have a train station within a
10-minute walk, compared with about six in 10 currently.
These plans for the rail network followed a review of the Land
Transport Master Plan by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew announced the new developments when
he visited Chinatown Station of the Downtown Line on
Thursday.
The new lines are the Cross Island Line (CRL) and Jurong Region
Line (JRL).
The CRL will run from Jurong Industrial Estate and pass
through areas such as West Coast, Bukit Timah, Ang Mo Kio, Punggol
and Pasir Ris before ending in Changi. The 50-kilometre line, which
is expected to be completed by 2030, will be connected to all
existing lines.
It is expected to relieve the load of the existing East-West and
North-East lines and shorten journey times significantly.
Mr Lui said: "The eastern leg of the CRL will also include a
segment that extends into the centre of Punggol. Residents in
Punggol will be able to take a short cut to Pasir Ris, which is a
popular and much demanded travel route, in only 10 to 15 minutes,
compared to a 40 minute bus journey that they experience
today."
The other new line -- Jurong Region Line -- will be completed in
2025. The 20-kilometre line will pass through areas such as Jurong
West, Jurong Industrial District, West Coast, Choa Chu Kang and
potential new developments in Tengah.
Those travelling from the North to Jurong, like students of Nanyang
Technological University, can skip Jurong East Station on the
East-West Line.
The LTA will conduct environmental impact and engineering studies
to decide on the final alignment, the number of stations and the
type of systems that will run on the new lines.
Separately, three existing lines -- the Circle Line (CCL), Downtown
Line (DTL) and North-East Line (NEL) -- will be
extended.
The CCL will be four kilometres longer -- to close the
link between HarbourFront and Marina Bay stations and save
commuters the hassle of making multiple transfers. The extension,
which will also pass through Keppel, is expected to be completed by
2025.
The DTL will be two kilometres longer by 2025 -- to run through the
East Coast area. It will be connected to the East West Line and the
Eastern Region Line, which will be ready by 2020, so that commuters
can transfer between the Downtown Line and Eastern Region Line in
the east.
As for the NEL, two kilometres will be added by 2030 -- in tandem
with new developments in Punggol -- to serve Punggol North,
including the new Punggol Downtown.
The LTA is also exploring the possibility of an additional station
between Sembawang and Yishun stations on the North-South Line, in
anticipation of future developments in the area.
Mr Lui said all these changes promise not just faster and more
convenient travel.
He said: "We will also have a more resilient network that can
better mitigate disruptions in our MRT system and also allow us to
shut down parts of the network for longer durations to carry out
improvement works without causing too much inconvenience to
commuters."
Mr Lui said the vision for Land Transport in the coming years is to
have better connectivity and service to support an inclusive,
liveable community.
He said the government will invest heavily to achieve this and
provide a much better travel experience for Singaporeans.
He assured Singaporeans will feel a marked difference when new rail
lines and new trains come into operation
