West Coast MRT extension to link Jurong Region Line with Cross Island Line, Circle Line; 2 new lines being studied
Separately, up to S$1 billion will go towards improving rail reliability over the next five years
A NEW extension to Singapore’s upcoming Jurong Region Line (JRL) will connect it to the Cross Island Line (CRL) and Circle Line (CCL).
The West Coast Extension (WCE) of the MRT was announced by Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat at his ministry’s Committee of Supply debate on Wednesday (Mar 5).
Its first phase will link the JRL’s Pandan Reservoir station with the CRL’s West Coast station, by the late 2030s. The second phase will connect the JRL from West Coast station to the CCL’s Kent Ridge station by the early 2040s.
The expansion will improve rail connectivity to the west and support future developments along the corridor, said Chee. It will also increase the flexibility of the MRT network by providing alternative routes.
For commuters travelling from the west to the city centre, the WCE will save up to 20 minutes. Details, including the location of new stations, will be announced at a later date.
The JRL’s other planned connections are to the North-South Line and East-West Line through the Choa Chu Kang, Boon Lay and Jurong East interchanges.
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The CRL and JRL are both still under development. The JRL, which serves the western parts of Singapore including Tengah New Town and Jurong Lake District, will have 24 stations, not counting the WCE. Construction began in 2023, with the line scheduled to open from 2027 to 2029.
The CRL runs through the centre of Singapore, connecting the planned Changi Terminal 5 to the Jurong Lake District. Construction began in 2023, with its first phase to be completed by 2030. No timeline has been given for full completion.
New and renewed
Singapore is studying the feasibility of a new Tengah Line to serve the west and north-west, including Tengah, Bukit Batok, Queensway and Bukit Merah.
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It also continues to study the Seletar Line. First mentioned in 2019 in the Land Transport Master Plan 2040, the line could serve Woodlands, Sengkang West, Whampoa, and Kallang.
The feasibility studies will consider connecting the two lines at the Greater Southern Waterfront area to form a single line for seamless connectivity and better efficiency, added Chee.
The studies will assess factors such as existing and future developments along the corridor and projected demand, said a Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesperson. Detailed engineering studies would follow, with the lines to be completed in phases from the 2040s.
Both new lines could serve up to 400,000 households, who will be within a 10-minute walk from a station, said Chee.
Separately, to maintain reliability of the MRT system, the government will invest up to an additional S$1 billion over the next five years.
This will chiefly be for managing rail assets – including track systems and trains – and improving manpower capabilities. LTA said that it will invest in systems to monitor asset condition, allowing “more proactive and targeted maintenance”, as well as technologies for more efficient maintenance.
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