SINGAPORE: Construction work for the six stations of Phase 2 of the Cross Island Line (CRL) has started and is targeted for completion by 2032, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Monday (Jul 7).
Of the six underground stations, two will be interchange stations – Clementi and King Albert Park – they will connect commuters to the East-West Line and Downtown Line (DTL) respectively.
The other four stations are Turf City, Maju, West Coast and Jurong Lake District, which are working names.
The second CRL phase (CRL2) will extend the 29km long Phase 1 of the CRL by another 15km westwards.
Speaking to the media on Monday at the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future CRL Clementi Station, Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow said that the most important function of the CRL is to “significantly increase the resilience of our rail network”.
He said that when the MRT network was first built, the first few lines took residents from their areas of residence to the city.
“But if you wanted to travel from one HDB estate to another … one had to take the train all the way to the city, change lines, and then go in the opposite direction to your destinations,” said Mr Siow.
He said that the Circle Line built in 2009 was Singapore’s first “orbital line” which connected the older lines to each other.
This was a “game changer” that opened up many new travel routes and gave commuters multiple ways to get to the same destination.
The CRL will be the “next orbital line”, with eight of the 21 CRL stations being interchanges.
This means that commuters will have more routes to their destinations, and it also helps to “absorb the impact of service disruptions”.
“As a new benefit, it will open up new windows for maintenance, because as our rail network expands and ages, more maintenance and renewal works will be needed,” he said.
Such works could at some point be scheduled not just at night, but during the day as well.
He said that this is what happens in older and more mature metro systems like those in New York, London or Paris.
“So, when a certain section is out of service, even during the day, commuters can have alternative routes.”
Mr Siow added that the CRL will probably be Singapore’s last east to west MRT line.
“There is no, or not a lot more underground space left for another line like this,” he said. “And so for now, we have planned ahead to ensure that the CRL has the capacity to meet commuter demand.”
As such, the CRL will begin operations with six train cars, with the provision to allow for eight train cars in the future, he said.
LTA said that CRL2 will also improve public transport connectivity for those living or travelling to and from the west.
For example, a West Coast resident travelling to work at Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park can save up to 40 minutes on their commute – from more than an hour by train and bus today, to 30 minutes on the CRL.
Construction of Phase 1 of the CRL commenced in Jan 2023 with 12 stations: Bright Hill, Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Pasir Ris, Aviation Park, Loyang, Pasir Ris East, Tampines North, Defu, Serangoon North, Tavistock, and Teck Ghee. It is expected to be completed in 2030.
The construction of a 7.3km CRL-Punggol Extension will comprise four stations – Punggol, Riviera, Pasir Ris and Elias. Construction began in Oct 2023 and is targeted for completion 2032.
CRL Phase 3, which will serve the Jurong Industrial Estate, is currently subject to engineering studies, and more details will be announced after these studies are completed.
When completed, the over-50km long CRL will be Singapore’s longest fully underground line connecting the east, west and northeastern parts of Singapore.
Explain It To Me Like I’m 5: The construction of six new underground train stations for Singapore’s Cross Island Line Phase 2 has begun and will help people travel faster and easier across the city by 2032.
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