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Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Construction starts on Cross Island Line phase 2; 6 MRT stations in S'pore's west ready by 2032
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE - Construction on six new MRT stations that make up phase two of the upcoming Cross Island Line (CRL) has officially begun, with tunnelling work that will go underneath Singapore's largest nature reserve having started in May. The works also include building Singapore's deepest underground station in King Albert Park at 50m – or 16 storeys – below ground, surpassing Bencoolen station on the Downtown Line (DTL), which is 43m underground. Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said on July 7 that engineering studies for the third phase of the CRL are nearing completion, with more details about future stations serving the Jurong Industrial Estate expected at the end of 2025. The CRL, Singapore's eighth MRT line, will significantly improve the resilience of the rail network, Mr Siow said during a groundbreaking ceremony for CRL Phase 2 in Clementi. It will be connected to all existing lines except the Circle Line, with eight of its 21 announced stations serving as interchanges. Mr Siow described the CRL as Singapore's 'next outer ring', providing passengers with more alternative routes during rail disruptions and potentially opening up new windows for maintenance, a task now restricted to night hours. 'As our rail network expands and ages, more maintenance and renewal works will be needed,' he added. Time savings Spanning 50km, the CRL will be Singapore's longest underground MRT line. Its first phase, covering 29km with 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill, is slated to open in 2030, serving residential and industrial areas, such as Loyang, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Defu and Serangoon North. A four-station extension from Pasir Ris to Punggol will open in 2032. Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow speaking during a groundbreaking ceremony for CRL Phase 2 in Clementi on July 7. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG Phase two of the CRL, a 15km stretch from Turf City to Jurong Lake District, is also expected to be completed by 2032. This phase includes interchanges with the DTL at King Albert Park and the East-West Line (EWL) at Clementi station. The remaining two stations are located in Maju and West Coast. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on July 7 that transfer links to the CRL will be built at the existing Clementi and King Albert Park stations. This will be done in stages to minimise disruptions to existing train services. While LTA has not given cost estimates for the rail line, the authority has awarded contracts worth more than $16.6 billion for the CRL so far, including tenders for the depot in Changi East, the trains and rail systems. The design and construction of the stations and tunnels for phase two alone will cost upwards of $4 billion. When completed, this phase of the CRL is expected to benefit 40,000 households , including those living in Sunset Way and West Coast Road, which are not served by the MRT today. LTA said it expects a significant reduction in travel time for passengers, with journeys from West Coast to Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park cut by up to 40 minutes via public transport. As for the third phase of the line, past tenders have indicated that it will comprise at least four stations, with possible interchanges at Jurong Pier station on the upcoming Jurong Region Line and Gul Circle station on the EWL. The CRL is expected to have a daily ridership of at least 600,000 in its initial years, growing to one million in the long term. Mr Siow said this will likely be the last MRT line that cuts across the island from east to west, as there is no space left for another rail line like this. But there are provisions in place to move the CRL up from six-car trains to eight-car trains, if needed. CRL Phase 2, from Turf City to Jurong Lake District, includes interchanges at King Albert Park and Clementi. The remaining two stops are in Maju and West Coast. PHOTO: LTA Environmental impact During the early planning stages of the CRL, a major concern was whether a stretch of the line between Bright Hill and Turf City would run directly under the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) or skirt around it. After a two-phase assessment, the Ministry of Transport decided in late 2019 that the CRL will run directly underneath the CCNR at a depth of 70m – the deepest any MRT tunnel will go here. At its deepest, the tunnel along this stretch will run 80m underground. LTA said on July 7 that this 5km section of tunnel will be built using a large-diameter tunnel-boring machine 12.8m wide, which is capable of creating a two-track tunnel at one go , boosting efficiency and productivity. To improve environmental sustainability, the stations in CRL phase two will be built using steel and concrete produced with methods that emit less carbon, LTA added. The use of electric machinery, such as battery-powered excavators, tipper trucks and cranes, will also be explored to reduce construction-related emissions and noise. While CRL phase two will span biodiverse areas such as Eng Neo Avenue Forest, Maju Forest and Clementi Forest, LTA noted that comprehensive environmental impact assessments were done before construction began, and a 'robust' environmental monitoring and management plan has been rolled out. Mitigati ng measures include the creation of a new freshwater marsh at the King Albert Park site and the establishment of a biodiversity training centre in Fairways Drive , off Eng Neo Avenue, to provide mandatory wildlife awareness training for site workers. LTA said it has been working with nature groups since 2013, noting significant improvements that have resulted from this partnership . These include more than halving a worksite area in Windsor near the CCNR, and installing aerial rope bridges to allow the safe movement of animals across roads. It was previously reported that even with the various measures to mitigate the environmental impact, phase two of the CRL could still deal a major blow to nearby forests due to irreversible habitat loss . LTA said it will continue to engage with nature groups throughout the construction and operation of the rail line.
Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Straits Times
SMRT to extend selected train, bus services on Hari Raya Haji eve
Trains on the North-South Line, East-West Line and Thomson-East Coast Line will continue service till the early hours of June 7. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY SINGAPORE - Those having a late night on the eve of Hari Raya Haji will have more public transport options available, as SMRT will extend selected train and bus services. Trains on the North-South Line (NSL), East-West Line (EWL) and Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) will continue service till the early hours of June 7. The last trains bound for Jurong East, Marina South Pier, Pasir Ris and Tuas Link will depart from the City Hall station at 12.30am. The last TEL train leaving Woodlands North for Bayshore will depart at 12am on June 7, while the train travelling in the other direction will depart from Bayshore at 12.12am . Trains on the Circle Line will also run later. The last train leaving Dhoby Ghaut for HarbourFront will depart at 11.55pm on June 6, and the train in the other direction will depart from Harbourfront at 11.30pm on the same day. There is no extension for Bukit Panjang LRT and Changi Airport service. The operating hours for 18 SMRT bus services will also be extended. The last buses for services 300, 301, 302, 307 and 983A will depart from Choa Chu Kang bus interchange at 1.40am on June 7. The last 974A bus will leave from the bus stop opposite Choa Chu Kang station at the same time. Services 901, 911, 912A, 912B and 913 from Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub, and 920, 922 and 973A from Bukit Panjang bus interchange will depart at 1.25am on the same day. From Boon Lay bus interchange, the last buses for services 181, 240, 241 and 243G will depart at 1.20am. For more information, visit the SMRT website. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
TEL, CRL MRT lines to be extended to serve Changi Airport Terminal 5
The future TEL and CRL stations at T5 will be housed within the terminal's ground transportation centre. PHOTOS: CHANGI AIRPORT GROUP SINGAPORE – The Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and Cross Island Line (CRL) will be extended to serve Changi Airport Terminal 5, connecting the new terminal to the city centre and other regional hubs. The future TEL and CRL stations at T5 will be housed within the terminal's ground transportation centre, which will consolidate train, bus, taxi and other transport services, said airport operator Changi Airport Group (CAG) on May 14. CAG said the TEL will link T5 directly to the city centre, and further northwards to the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link terminal at Woodlands North. It added that T5's connection to CRL will allow ease of travel to other major hubs such as Punggol Digital District and Jurong Lake District. The last station on the eastern stretch of CRL is currently Aviation Park, which will be extended to T5 . Aviation Park Station will serve the wider airport community at the Changi Airfreight Centre and Changi East Industrial Zone. Both are adjacent to T5, which is slated to open in the mid-2030s. Asked about the alignment of the TEL and CRL extensions, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said more details will be announced when ready. As part of the TEL Stage 5, there are two remaining stations – Bedok South and Sungei Bedok – which are due to be completed by 2026. Additionally, three MRT stations on the East-West Line (EWL) – Tanah Merah, Expo and Changi Airport – will undergo modifications from 2025 to be converted into TEL stations in future. The planned TEL extension will bring travellers past its last eastern stop at the upcoming Sungei Bedok station and pass through T5. It will then connect to the existing Changi Airport station, which will become part of the TEL instead. The first phase of CRL – comprising 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill – will be completed by 2030. Phase two, which has six stations from Turf City to Jurong Lake District, will be ready in 2032. When both the TEL and CRL extensions are completed, passengers can transfer between the MRT lines at the T5 station. Speaking to the media at a briefing on May 14 , Mr Ong Chee Chiau , managing director of Changi East at CAG , said members of the public have to take the MRT from Changi Airport station to T5 station to travel between Terminal 2 and T5. Passengers who have cleared immigration can travel between Terminal 2 and T5 using an automated people mover system similar to the Skytrain. Esther Loi is a journalist at The Straits Times, where she covers transport issues. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
