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The western part of Singapore will be better linked to the rest of the island, with phase 2 of the Cross Island MRT Line (CRL) comprising six stations from Turf City to Jurong Lake District. These include interchanges with the Downtown Line at King Albert Park and the East-West Line at Clementi station.
The remaining two stations along the 15km stretch are Maju (next to the Singapore University of Social Sciences) and West Coast (near Tanglin Secondary School).
CRL phase 2 slated to open by 2032, with construction works expected to begin in 2023. The first phase of the line comprises 12 stations from Aviation Park in Changi to Bright Hill in the Sin Ming area, and will open by 2030.
Announcing the alignment for CRL phase two on Tuesday, Transport Minister S. Iswaran said it will provide greater public transport access to areas in the west, and improve connectivity between the eastern, western and north-eastern parts of Singapore.
CRL phase 2 will benefit 40,000 households when it is ready in 2032, including those living in Sunset Way and West Coast Road.
Three plots of private land will be acquired for the construction - two industrial units owned by JTC at Block L Pandan Loop Industrial Estate and underground space under the carpark of Casa Esperanza condominium in Bukit Timah.
Mr Iswaran said the CRL - Singapore's eighth MRT line - will significantly improve the network effect of the rail system, as it has interchanges with other lines.
The CRL will help spread passengers across rail lines and reduce crowding, Mr Iswaran said. There will also be more resilience as commuters can use other rail lines during breakdowns.
The Straits Times
