The 43km Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) is Singapore’s sixth MRT line, adding 32 new stations to the existing rail network, with seven interchange stations linking the TEL to all five existing MRT lines. TEL will open in stages from end of January 2020, starting with the opening of 3 stations which are Woodlands North Station, Woodlands Station and Woodlands South Station. When fully operational by 2024, the TEL is expected to serve approximately 500,000 commuters daily in the initial years, with the figure rising to about one million commuters in the longer term.
Besides enhancing connectivity between the north, central and eastern parts of Singapore, the TEL will strengthen the resilience of the nation's rail network by providing alternative travel routes for commuters on other lines.
The TEL1 comprises one depot at Mandai and three stations, including an interchange station at Woodlands that links to the North-South Line (NSL), providing commuters in Woodlands greater accessibility and shortening their travelling time. Woodlands Station is also equipped with a Civil Defence shelter.
Passengers can look forward to new five-door, four-car trains for TEL. Trains will be running along TEL1 stations from Woodlands North to Woodlands South at frequencies of 10 minutes during peak hours and 15 minutes during off-peak hours, at the commencement of passenger service for TEL1. As ridership on TEL1 increases, the frequencies for both peak and off-peak hours will be reviewed and adjusted.
The second stage of the TEL comprises six stations from Springleaf to Caldecott, with two interchange stations at Bright Hill and Caldecott. Bright Hill station will link to the future Cross Island Line, while Caldecott station will link to the existing Circle Line.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has released the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) 2040 report. This report encapsulates LTA’s long term plans to build a convenient, well-connected, inclusive and fast land transport system that will meet the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans over the next two decades and beyond.
The LTMP 2040 report contains detailed responses to recommendations made by the LTMP Advisory Panel (LAP) in February 2019 and accepted by the Government in March 2019. These recommendations were the product of extensive public consultations led by the LAP and facilitated by LTA officers. Over 7,400 responses were received from commuters, transport workers, academia, industry partners, unions, students and interest groups over six months. Their ideas helped to shape the Panel’s nine recommendations, which were grouped under three key themes – A 45-minute City with 20-Minute Towns; Transport for All and Healthy Lives, Safer Journeys.
To realise the goal of a 45-minute city with 20-minute towns, LTA will continue investing in public transport to make journeys more seamless and convenient. By 2040, new regional hubs outside the city will also bring jobs closer to homes, thereby shortening the average time taken to travel to work. We will also continue to expand the active mobility network to facilitate first-and-last mile journeys. Overall, commuters should have more time to live, work and play.
The LTMP 2040 report unveiled several key public transport enhancements. These include the expansion of the rail network, including several new stations and rail lines which will be developed over the next two decades.
Two new MRT stations will be opened on the North South Line (NSL) by the mid-2030s. Brickland Station will be added to the NSL. Located between Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak stations, it will give residents in areas such as Keat Hong, Bukit Batok West, Pavillion Park and the Brickland district in Tengah town easier access to the rail network.
Click here to read more details about this masterplan project.
The CRL is Singapore's eighth MRT line and also our longest fully underground line. When fully completed, it will serve existing and future developments in the eastern, western, and north-eastern corridors, linking major hubs such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi region. The projected daily ridership of the entire CRL is more than 600,000 in the initial years, increasing to over 1 million in the longer term.
LTA will construct the CRL in three phases. Phase 1 of the CRL (CRL1) is 29 kilometres long, and comprises 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill. This will serve residential and industrial areas such as Loyang, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Defu, Hougang, Serangoon North and Ang Mo Kio. More than 100,000 households will benefit from CRL1, and common recreational spaces such as Changi Beach Park and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park will also become more accessible by public transport. Construction for CRL1 is expected to commence in 2020 and be completed by 2029.
Engineering studies are still being conducted for the other phases of the CRL, including the two underground alignment options in the vicinity of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. LTA has consulted various stakeholders and will take all views into consideration before deciding on the final alignment. Details will be announced when ready.
With the improved connectivity, CRL1 will shorten travel times for commuters between the central, north-eastern and eastern parts of Singapore. For instance, a commuter staying at Serangoon North and working at Loyang Industrial Estate will enjoy travel time savings of up to 70%, from 75 minutes by bus today to 25 minutes on the CRL1. As with the introduction of other new rail lines, LTA will review the bus services in surrounding areas to optimise connectivity to CRL1 and the rest of the rail network.
CRL1 will connect to the East-West Line at Pasir Ris Station, North East Line at Hougang Station, North-South Line at Ang Mo Kio Station, and the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line at Bright Hill Station. This multiplies the travel route options for many commuters’ journeys, thus enhancing the connectivity and resilience of our overall rail network.
The Founders’ Memorial station, located between Tanjong Rhu and Gardens by the Bay stations along the TEL, will improve accessibility for visitors to the Bay East Garden, where the memorial will be located. The station will also serve upcoming residential and recreational developments in the area.
The new Tuas Bus Terminal, located along Tuas West Drive is integrated with Tuas MRT Depot, sitting atop the depot building for more productive use of land, and has access ramps for buses leading to Tuas West Drive and Tuas Link 4.
This new terminal is part of LTA’s ongoing efforts to upgrade our bus infrastructure to better serve the needs of commuters. These efforts include constructing new bus interchanges, upgrading existing ones, as well as refurbishing the facilities at older interchanges.
The new Tuas Bus Terminal is equipped with two alighting berths, and one bus-stop style boarding berth to accommodate boarding and alighting activities. It features a priority queue zone and barrier-free toilets to better cater to the needs of the elderly and less mobile. There will also be enhanced facilities for bus captains and staff, including dedicated staff toilets and a staff lounge.
All four bus services currently operating from the existing Tuas Bus Terminal, i.e. Services 192, 193, 247, and 248, will operate from the new Tuas Bus Terminal. With the new terminal, these four bus services will no longer call at Bus Stop 25411 along Tuas West Drive.
Canberra Station is a new MRT stop on the North-South Line. The North-South Line is Singapore’s first MRT line – parts of it were open in 1987 – but a new Canberra Station will be added to it in 2019.
As the elevated station is being “tagged” onto an existing line, construction will be challenging as the planners have to be mindful of working hours and work spaces.
When the new station opens in 2019, residents in the vicinity will have a direct connection to the MRT network, without the need to take a bus. Commuters travelling towards the city centre or Jurong East will save up to 10 minutes of travelling time.
To better facilitate commuter movement and enhance accessibility, Canberra station is designed with five entrances, with one connected to the new housing estates across Canberra Link. An elevated link bridge to be built across Canberra Link will enable commuters to directly access the city-bound train platform. The new station will also have covered linkways to bus stops, pick-up and drop-off points as well as bicycle parks.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the first three civil contracts for Circle Line 6 (CCL6) totalling S$1.75 billion. Works on these three contracts are expected to commence by the end of 2017 and complete by 2025.
The 4-kilometre CCL6 will have three stations, and will close the loop for the Circle Line (CCL) by connecting HarbourFront Station to Marina Bay Station. When the CCL6 stations of Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward are completed in 2025, the CCL will have a total of 33 stations, including 12 interchange stations with other MRT lines. It will also expand the rail network to areas such as Spottiswoode and the southern edge of our existing CBD.
With CCL6, commuters will enjoy a direct route between areas in the west like Pasir Panjang and Kent Ridge and key employment areas in the Central Business District, as well as upcoming developments in the Marina Bay area. Commuters travelling from areas like Paya Lebar and Mountbatten will also enjoy faster access to the retail and office centres in the HarbourFront area.
As an orbital line, CCL enhances overall connectivity and capacity, and strengthens the resilience of the MRT network by connecting the existing radial lines and creating multiple routes between stations. For example, a commuter travelling from Jurong East to Marina Bay will have the alternate option of transferring to the Circle Line at Buona Vista Station.
To cater to future needs, Kim Chuan Depot will be expanded to almost double its capacity from 70 to 133 trains. The integrated depot will also house 550 buses, which will allow us to optimise land use. The expansion of the depot will be completed at about the same time as CCL6 in 2025.
4 MRT stations on Tuas West Extension will open on 18 June 2017, cutting down some commuters' journeys by up to 35 minutes.
The four above-ground stations which are beyond the current Joo Koon station are Gul Circle, Tuas Crescent, Tuas West Road and Tuas Link. They are part of the new 7.5km Tuas West Extension, which is expected to serve 100,000 commuters daily, in particular the many workers in the Jurong and Tuas industrial estates, who will see their journeys shortened.
For as an example; a journey from Ang Mo Kio to Tuas West can be cut by about 35 minutes from about 100 minutes currently, to 65 minutes with the new extension
The Tuas West Extension project also includes the construction of the Tuas viaduct, which opened on Feb 18, and a 26ha integrated depot.
There will be a preview of the extension at an open house on 16 June. All four stations will be opened to the public from noon to 8pm.
A new bus interchange will be opening in Tampines on Dec 18, offering residents more bus services and improved connectivity. It will also have features that are elderly- and disabled-friendly. Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that the new interchange is part of the authority's efforts to create a more inclusive and family-friendly public transport system.
Connected via a 250m barrier-free sheltered walkway, the new bus interchange will complement the operations at the current Tampines Bus Interchange. In line with the Government's move to improve first-and-last-mile connectivity for public transport, Tampines Concourse Bus Interchange will also have 40 bicycle lots for commuters who cycle there.
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