Two Stages Of Circle Line Start Ops Next Year

Source : The Business Times, August 31, 2009

All 11 stations from Dhoby Ghaut to Bartley on track to get TOP by year-end

STAGES 1 and 2 of the Circle Line are set to commence operations in the first half of 2010, while Stages 4 and 5 will open in 2011.

Stages 1 and 2 - from Dhoby Ghaut to Bartley - consist of 11 stations, of which five have already achieved temporary occupation permit (TOP), while the remaining stations are on track to achieve TOP status by the end of this year.

Preparing to roll: The above-ground works for Stages 4 and 5 - with 13 stations from Marymount (left) to HarbourFront - will be completed by end-2010


Meanwhile, Stages 4 and 5 - from Marymount to HarbourFront - consist of 13 stations. The above-ground works for these two stages will be completed by end-2010.

And in an effort to improve the bus network, from next month the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will begin consulting and gathering feedback from advisers and grassroots leaders about the bus services in their constituencies. The consultation exercise is expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year.

Speaking at a dialogue session in Bukit Panjang yesterday, Minister for Transport Raymond Lim pointed out that while the existing bus system is a good one, there is still room for improvement.

Separately, the LTA announced on Saturday that the off-peak car (OPC) scheme is being tweaked in response to feedback from motorists in hopes of making it more attractive.

Currently, the restricted usage hours stand at 7am-7pm on weekdays, 7am-3pm on Saturdays and 7am-3pm on the eve of five public holidays (New Year, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali and Christmas).

By end-January 2010, OPC users will enjoy unrestricted use of their cars on Saturdays and on the eve of the five public holidays. However, as a result of the extended hours, the road tax discount offered to those who opt for the revised scheme will be lowered to $500, down from $800.

Also, those who choose to drive during peak hours generally have to display a supplementary day licence which costs $20.

But in a move to make purchasing a day licence more convenient, e-licences will replace paper licences come November 23.

And instead of physically having to purchase the licence from LTA or selected outlets, motorists will soon be able to buy it online, via an SMS service as well as from AXS stations.

11 Stations Open In 2010

Source : The Straits Times, Aug 31, 2009

ANOTHER 11 MRT stations on the new Circle Line will open in the first half of next year, cutting the travel time for commuters between the east and the north as well as north-east parts of the island.

11 MRT stations on the new Circle Line will open in the first half of next year, cutting the travel time for commuters between the east and the north as well as north-east parts of the island, announced Transport Minister Raymond Lim (right). -- ST PHOTO: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA

The timeframe was announced on Sunday by Transport Minister Raymond Lim. These stations, which stretch from Dhoby Ghaut to Bartley via Paya Lebar, will spare MRT commuters the extra journey they now must make through the city centre before reaching their destination.

Also, these stops will bring the MRT for the first time to residents in estates such as Mountbatten and MacPherson.

Their opening adds to the five already in operation and marks the completion of 16 of the 29 stations on the Circle Line.

It will ease crowding on existing lines and encourage more people to take public transport, an outcome that is in line with a government masterplan to reduce travelling times and avoid road congestion.

In making the announcement, Mr Lim said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will give the actual date closer to the opening of the stations.

Meanwhile, tests are being done 'to ensure the system is reliable and safe before they open it to the public', he added.

Mr Lim was speaking at a dialogue with about 500 Bukit Panjang residents after a ministerial visit to the single-seat ward helmed by Dr Teo Ho Pin.

Commuters like bank officer Kenny Ng, 27, who lives near Lorong Chuan station, welcomed the improved connectivity, saying 'going down to town will be much easier and faster'.

By June, a train journey from Bishan to Paya Lebar, for instance, will take 17min instead of the 33min to 35min now. This is because the journey will bypass the city centre and not require a transfer.

Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.

Residents Have Mixed Feelings Over New Sixth Avenue MRT Station

Source : Channel NewsAsia, 06 July 2009

The Sixth Avenue MRT station will be the first to be located in a private residential estate once it is ready in 2015.

Train tunnels of Circle Line network

Residents in the area welcome the new station and hope it will lead to fewer traffic jams in the area.

The elderly and school-goers are expected to benefit from the convenience of having an MRT station close by. Nearby shops are also optimistic that the station will help bring in more customers.

However, some residents are concerned that it may lead to a surge in human traffic with more people flocking to use the station.

Real estate agents said the new station will not benefit the prices and rental rates of landed properties in the area.

This is because the owners and tenants of such properties tend to be car owners and do not use public transport such as the MRT.

However, they said it could lead to a 5-10 per cent increase in the prices of condominiums located nearby. - CNA/ms

5 Circle Line Stations Open

Source : The Straits Times, May 27, 2009

THE first five stations of the new Circle Line were opened by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean on Wednesday morning.

A 'raindrop' concept bench seen at the Bishan MRT station. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN

Trains will start rolling from Thursday morning at Bartley, Serangoon, Lorong Chuan, Bishan and Marymount stations.

Commuters can transfer to the existing North-South line and North-East line at Bishan and Serangoon respectively.

15 Y-shaped beams are a unique feature at the Circle Line stations and can be seen at the Lorong Chuan (left), Bartley and Marymount stations. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN

'The Circle Line will open up multiple new connections for residents in the north and the north-east,' said Mr Teo before launching the new line.

About 55,000 commuters are expected to use the first five stations every day.

The Circle Line station platform is seen at the Marymount station. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN

The remaining 24 stations of the line will open from next year. Once fully operational, the line's daily ridership is expected to go up to 500,000.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim told reporters on Wednesday that progress at the other stations are on track.

Circle Line escalators are seen at the Serangoon station. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN

Tunnelling work for the entire line is almost completed, and is expected to be finished by September, said the Land Transport Authority.

While it is not clear yet which other stations will open next, the LTA said six stations have already received the Temporary Occupation Permit - an indication that they will be next in line.

Trains will start rolling from Thursday morning at Bartley (left), Serangoon, Lorong Chuan, Bishan and Marymount stations. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN

These are Dhoby Ghaut, Bras Basah, Esplanade, Promenade, Stadium and Tai Seng.

Public transport operator SMRT, which will operate the new line, said it will donate takings from its first 22 days of operations to charity.

SMRT's president and chief executive officer Saw Phaik Hwa said the operator expects to collect about $400,000.

Round The Circle Line

Source : The Straits Times, May 15, 2009

CIRCLE Line trains will start rolling in two weeks, with the first five stations set to open their doors on May 28.

Escalators leading up from the Circle Line platform to take commuters to the North-East Line at Serangoon interchange. -- ST PHOTOS: TERENCE TAN

The estimated 55,000 commuters who will use the service daily can expect trains to run at a frequency of one every three minutes to four minutes during peak hours.

Besides serving residents and several nearby schools in areas such as Marymount and Lorong Chuan, the stations will also showcase works by local artists.

For now, seven three-car trains will ply the 5.7km stretch during rush hour.

More trains will come on board when the remaining 24 stations in the Circle Line open to the public from next year onwards.

On Thursday, The Straits Times took an eight-minute train ride from Bartley to Marymount and checked out each of the five stations.

Boon For Boon Lay

Source : The Straits Times, February 28, 2009

Two new MRT stops to ease crowding at western station

THE twice-daily chaos that grips Boon Lay MRT station during the morning and evening peak hours on weekdays will soon quieten down.

An overview of Pioneer MRT station and the part of the community it serves. The station, together with Joo Koon station, are two new additions to the East-West Line. They start operating from 5.30am today. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

The station, a popular pick-up and drop-off point, is where private buses wait bumper-to-bumper in public bus bays, taxi stands and along Boon Lay Way to pick up or drop off a crush of scurrying commuters, mainly those working in Tuas and Jurong.

Relief has appeared in the form of two new MRT stations west of Boon Lay, which will also cut travelling time to other parts of the island by up to 15 minutes for the area's residents.

Boon Lay, which used to be the western-most station on the East-West Line, will, from 5.30am today, have a track extending further out west to the pair of new MRT stops, Pioneer and Joo Koon, which will now bear some of the commuter load and spread out the crowds.

Their opening means that the buses chartered by factories to ferry their workers to and from Boon Lay can now stop elsewhere, perhaps at Joo Koon station.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has paved the way for this by building a sheltered bus bay along Benoi Road, about 200m from Joo Koon station.

The bus bay can take up to seven 40-seater buses and is linked to Joo Koon station by a covered walkway.

Already, private bus operators have indicated that they are willing to pick up or drop off commuters there instead of at Boon Lay.

Mr Chitson Yap of Chitson Transport, for instance, said at least one of his clients has already approached him to discuss the matter.

The factories and companies in the area are also positive about the change, partly because having their workers picked up or dropped off at Joo Koon will cost less.

Ms Melissa Lau, the human resource manager at plastics factory Superpet Plastic in Tuas, said that if transport companies could 'give a better discount', moving the pick-up/drop-off point to Joo Koon would be good.

She added: 'Boon Lay is definitely messy in the mornings. Moving to Joo Koon will solve the problem.'

Pioneer and Joo Koon stations, declared open yesterday by Transport Minister Raymond Lim, are part of the 3.8km long Boon Lay Extension, which cost $436 million and took 31/2 years to build.

The extension is the first of $40 billion worth of new rail projects aimed at coaxing more people to use public transport.

The 35,000 people living or working west of Boon Lay station will be glad for the extension.

Instead of having to first make it to Boon Lay station by public or private bus, car, taxi, bicycle or on foot for onward journeys elsewhere, they will now be linked to the rest of the rail network by the two new stations.

Mr Lim called the opening of Pioneer and Joo Koon stations a significant milestone, as they are the first new stops since the Government unveiled its ambitious plan last year to revamp the public transport system.

The extension of the East-West Line will 'help to improve the attractiveness of public transport as a choice mode of travel', he said at the extension's opening ceremony at Pioneer station.

Pioneer sits along Jurong West Street 63, while Joo Koon, the East-West Line's new terminal station, is at Joo Koon Circle, near the Tuas industrial area, the Singapore Discovery Centre and the Safti Military Institute.

At the official opening of the extension yesterday, Mr Lim led hundreds of LTA officials and guests in a countdown.

At the count of zero, a train pulled into the station, honking its horn loudly.

The new disabled-friendly stations each have four lifts and four escalators.

Commuters who use them can also expect to do a spot of shopping along the overhead bridges leading to them.

Four MRT Lines In Marina Bay By 2018

Source : The Straits Times, Feb 13, 2009

BY 2018, the Marina Bay area will be served by four MRT lines - the North-South Line, Circle Line, Downtown Line and the Thomson Line.

Commuters will be able to reach an MRT station within a walking distance of no more than 400m on average.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim revealed this in response to MP and deputy chair of Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport Ong Kian Min's question on what was being done to make transport seamless in the Marina Bay area which will house the integrated resort.

Mr Lim said that the ministry was also working on making access to MRT stations in the new downtown seamless, with walkways underground, at street level and above ground.

Some could also be malls, like the link between Suntec City and City Hall MRT station.

Five Stations On Circle Line To Open In May

Source : The Straits Times, Feb 13, 2009

Transport improvements with new lines and more trains to save travel time

RESIDENTS in areas such as Lorong Chuan and Bartley Road will have an MRT station at their doorsteps a tad earlier than expected.

Circle Line Stage 3, which has five stations, will open on May 30 instead of June, Transport Minister Raymond Lim announced in Parliament during yesterday's debate on his ministry's budget.

What commuters can expect

The remaining 24 stations on the new line will open progressively from next year, helping to reduce crowding on the existing MRT lines.

When completed, the Circle Line will take about 10 to 15 per cent of commuter trips from existing lines.

'(It) will help commuters save travel time, by reducing the need to make detours into the city centre to transfer across MRT lines,' said Mr Lim.

The five stations that will open are Marymount, Bishan, Lorong Chuan, Serangoon and Bartley.

Bishan will be the interchange station for the North-South line and Serangoon, the North-East line.

Student Jerald Seow, 15, who lives near Bartley Road, was among those who jumped with joy yesterday on hearing the earlier opening date.

He now takes a 25-minute bus ride to Paya Lebar MRT station and hops on a train to get to town on weekends.

'When Bartley station opens, I can take a train to Bishan MRT instead. It will be a lot more convenient,' he said.

The Circle Line is among $40 billion worth of rail projects that will double Singapore's rail network.

Besides adding new rail lines, the Transport Ministry is also intent on reducing waiting time along existing lines, which introduced 900 extra train trips a week last year.

One major move is the purchase of 22 new trains, to be delivered in 2011.

Another is to expand Jurong East MRT station, where there is a bottleneck.

Trains arriving there from Bukit Batok now have only one platform and track to stop at before they turn around. A second train will have to wait for the first to leave before it pulls into Jurong East.

A project to add another platform and track will be completed by 2011 instead of 2012, said Mr Lim.

The changes to Jurong East station and the new trains will cost $800 million in all. They will help boost carrying capacity along the North-South and East-West lines by 15 per cent and slash the waiting time between trains to two minutes in 2011 from the current 2.1 to 4 minutes.

It is not possible to go lower than two minutes, the ministry said, as the signalling system on the North-South and East-West lines cannot support a shorter time between trains.

Yet another project that will come onstream earlier is the extension of the North-South MRT line to Marina South. It will be completed a year earlier, in 2014.

Meanwhile, trains are likely to be more crowded as public transport ridership grows, before relief arrives in 2011.

Overcrowding on trains was raised by Madam Cynthia Phua (Aljunied GRC).

Responding, Mr Lim said the crowding level is still below what is acceptable.

At their most crowded, trains here carry an average of 1,300 to 1,450 passengers, compared to the Land Transport Authority's standard of 1,600 passengers.

They are also less crowded than trains in other cities. Singapore's trains pack in four people per square metre, which is similar to those in Hong Kong but lower than London's (five people) , Tokyo's (seven) and Shanghai's (eight).

Parliament sitting continues today, the last day of the nine-day Budget debate.

5 New Stations Open In May

Source : The Straits Times, Feb 12, 2009

FIVE stations on the new Circle Line will open to the public on May 30, which is slightly earlier than expected.

The five stations are Marymount, Bishan, Lorong Chuan, Serangoon and Bartley. The stations were originally planned to open in June. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG

This was announced by Transport Minister Raymond Lim in Parliament on Thursday.

The five stations are Marymount, Bishan, Lorong Chuan, Serangoon and Bartley. The stations were originally planned to open in June.

Bishan and Serangoon stations are interchange stations. Commuters can transfer to the north-south line at Bishan and change to the north-east line at Serangoon.

The rest of the Circle Line, which has 29 stations in all, will start operations progressively from 2010. When it is fully up and running, it will help reduce 10 to 15 per cent of the commuter trips currently made on existing lines.

Besides the Circle Line, the Transport Ministry has also brought forward the opening dates of two other rail projects. The north-south line extension to Marina South will open in 2014 instead of 2015, while a plan to add an extra platform and track to Jurong East MRT will be completed in 2011 instead of 2012.

The changes to Jurong East will help ease a bottleneck at the station, where trains from Bukit Batok terminate at before turning around. As there is only one track and one platform for these trains, a second train would have to wait before pulling into Jurong East.

With an extra platform and track, train headways along the busiest stretches of the north-south line will drop to about two minutes from the current two to three minutes. This will lead to a 15 per cent increase in capacity.

Besides changes to infrastructure, the ministry will also purchase 22 new trains, which are needed to cut waiting times.

Boon Lay MRT Extension To Open On Feb28

Source : The Business Times, October 31, 2008

THE Boon Lay Extension (BLE) of the East-West Line is expected to begin service on Feb 28, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

The BLE, it said, will help reduce travel time by as much as 15 minutes by offering direct access to the MRT system instead of requiring bus transfers at Boon Lay station.

It will also reduce the current high utilisation rate of Boon Lay bus interchange and Boon Lay MRT station.

'The BLE is part and parcel of the Land Transport Masterplan to double the rail network in 12 years, from now to 2020,' said Raymond Lim, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.

In addition, the LTA announced its revised MRT Operating Performance Standards (OPS), which came into effect yesterday.

For one, LTA has tightened the train passenger load indicator from 1,700 to 1,600 passengers per train, placing a more stringent limit on the number of passengers each train can carry.

Secondly, a new indicator - train headway - has been imposed to ensure that the intervals between trains during the peak periods do not exceed stipulated standards.

For instance, the operator will have to ensure that during lunch time on weekdays, the headways at Raffles Place (all bounds) range from three to four minutes.

Thirdly, the availability targets of key equipment such as lifts and escalators will be raised to minimise downtime.

'These standards are necessary for today's passenger ride, and SMRT has always remained well within these standards,' said Saw Phaik Hwa, president and chief executive officer of SMRT Corporation.

The 3.8km extension will benefit residents in Jurong West Town and those working in Jurong Industrial Estate. It has two stations - Pioneer Station at Jurong West St 63, and Joo Koon Station at Joo Koon Circle.

Heartland To Hotspots In Under An Hour

Source : TODAY, Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Hillview and Bukit Timah areas to get rail link to town

FROM the heartland of Bukit Panjang to the bustle of Marina Bay in 45 minutes. In 2015, that will become a reality for residents in north-western Singapore, when the Downtown Line Two (DTL2) is up and running.



















Scything through the Bukit Timah and :Upper Bukit Timah areas, it will mean an extra means of transport for students of the many schools in the area, such as Hwa Chong Institution and Raffles Girls’ Primary School. Consisting of 12 stations and stretching 16.6km, the new rail line will “enhance accessibility ... into corridors currently not served by rail”, said Mr Yam Ah Mee, chief executive of the Land Transport Authority (LTA), yesterday as he announced the locations of the DTL2 stations.

“While neighbouring estates, such as Bukit Batok and Clementi have been enjoying the benefits of the rail system, residents along the Bukit Timah corridor have mainly been served by our bus network,” said Mr Yam.

This will soon change, with construction of DTL2 due to start in the middle of next year. The LTA had announced last April that the DTL would be built in three stages: DTL1, due for completion in 2013, will run from Bugis to Chinatown. DTL3 is scheduled for 2016 and will run from Chinatown to Expo. The DTL is expected to cost $12 billion to build and have a daily ridership of half a million.

Three stations on DTL2 will be interchanges — Botanic Gardens, Newton and Little India — which will connect commuters to the Circle Line, the North South Line and the North East Line, respectively.

DTL2 will link north-western Singapore directly to the Marina Bay area, including the integrated resort. It will result in “significant time savings” — for example, the current one-hour journey from Bukit Panjang to the city centre will be cut to 40 minutes.

DTL2’s land acquisition will also be minimal, confined to a vacant two-storey building on Halifax Road and two narrow strips at Upper Bukit Timah Road.

Schools near future DTL2 stations welcomed the news. With a station to be built right on Hwa Chong Institution’s doorstep, students, parents and staff “will enjoy even greater convenience and comfort, travelling to school”, said its principal and chief executive officer Ang Wee Hiong.

Boys’ Town in Upper Bukit Timah, which has about 1,600 children under its wing, will also benefit greatly, said its director-general Irene Loi. “A very high percentage of our kids take public transport, or the school bus. This will help not only the kids; it will also help bring in more people from around the island to work for us,” said Mrs Loi.

Real estate agency ERA Singapore’s assistant vice-president Eugene Lim said the announcement of DTL2 sites would cause “initial euphoria” in residents living close by, and some sellers would “take the opportunity to raise the asking price” of their properties.

“It will make condominiums more marketable, and properties around the schools could see even more enhanced value,” Mr Lim said.

Meanwhile, work on the Circle Line’s five stages is progressing well, said Transport Minister Raymond Lim yesterday when he toured the new Esplanade station. He said around 90 per cent of the Circle Line’s tunnels are complete, and plans are on-track to open Stage 3 of the line in the middle of next year.

12 MRT Stations For Bukit Timah By 2015

Source : The Straits Times, July 16, 2008

180,000 rides expected on the underground line

A DOZEN new MRT stations will come up in the Bukit Timah area as part of Stage 2 of the Downtown Line.

They will serve several schools such as Singapore Chinese Girls' School, National Junior College, Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Girls' High, Raffles Girls' Primary, and Assumption English School.



















This phase, to be completed by 2015, will give Bukit Timah residents access to trains for the first time. They are now served only by buses.

The stations will also serve the Toh Yi and Bukit Panjang Housing Board estates, and take commuters to shopping malls such as Serene Centre, Beauty World and Ten Mile Junction.

The Downtown Line is being built in three stages and will have 40 stations, with trains running from the north-western and eastern areas of Singapore to the Central Business District and Marina Bay.

Stage 2 will intersect other MRT lines at Little India, Newton and the Botanic Gardens.

Details of this phase were announced yesterday. This section spans 16.6km, from Rochor in the south to Bukit Panjang in the north.

Taking the train is expected to shave travelling time from Bukit Panjang to Marina Bay by almost half an hour.

Major construction on the line is expected to start in the middle of next year, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said very little land acquisition will be needed.

LTA deputy chief executive Lim Bok Ngam said builders will face new challenges.

For one thing, the area's rocky soil, unlike the marine clay encountered in most previous lines, is hard, so tunnel boring will be slower.

The all-underground line will also go under the Rochor Canal, which will have to be diverted during construction.

The line is expected to be well used, said LTA chief executive Yam Ah Mee. He expects it to account for 180,000 rides a day - more than a third of the $12billion Downtown Line's anticipated total ridership of 500,000.

Besides giving Bukit Timah residents quicker access to the city, the line will bring another benefit: The values of their properties are expected to rise.

Jones Lang LaSalle's head of research (South-east Asia) Chua Yang Liang said: 'Typically, properties within walking distance of MRT stations would see an enhancement in value.'

But Mr Nicholas Mak, director of research and consultancy at Knight Frank, said the completion date is a long way off. In that time, 'the economy and financial market will have a stronger effect on property prices'.

Stage 1 of the Downtown Line is a 4.3km stretch with six stations. It will be completed in 2013. Stage 3, spanning 19.1km with 15 stops, will be ready by 2016.

When the line is completed, a commuter can travel from Bukit Panjang to Tampines in 65 minutes.

Route, Stations For Downtown Line 2 Unveiled

Source : The Business Times, July 16, 2008

RESIDENTS in north-western Singapore now have an idea of how the Downtown Line 2 (DTL2) will run through their part of the island after its rail alignment and station locations were announced yesterday.

The 16.6km second stage of the Downtown Line will provide rail access to the Bukit Timah Corridor.

















It comprises one depot and 12 stations, including three interchange stations at Little India, Newton and the Botanic Gardens linking to the North-east Line (NEL), North-south Line (NSL) and Circle Line (CCL) respectively.

The update on DTL2 was given by Minister of Transport Raymond Lim during a site visit to the Circle Line's Esplanade Station yesterday.

According to the Land Transport Authority, DTL2 will offer many connectivity benefits when it is completed in 2015.

One of them is the significant time savings for commuters, said LTA chief executive Yam Ah Mee. 'For example, the current one-hour journey from Bukit Panjang to the city centre will be reduced by a third to approximately 40 minutes,' he said, adding that accessibility to other parts of Singapore will also be improved as commuters can transfer to other MRT lines at the three DTL2 interchange stations. In addition, DTL2 will link them directly to the commercial, residential and entertainment developments in the Marina Bay area.

'DTL2 will support the growth of these new developments, and more importantly, make public transport a more viable commuting choice,' said Mr Yam.

LTA said that land acquisitions for DTL2 will be minimal and limited to a two-storey building at Halifax Road and two strips of land at Upper Bukit Timah Road. The land to be acquired was gazetted yesterday by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).

The government announced its decision to build the $12 billion DTL in three stages on April 27 last year. Since then, LTA has called the tender for the civil construction of DTL1.

LTA Unveils Locations Of DTL Stage 2 Stations

Source : The Straits Times, Jul 15, 2008

THE locations of stations along Downtown Line Stage 2, a 16.6km stretch joining residents in Bukit Panjang and Bukit Timah to the city centre, were revealed on Tuesday.


















The line, one of half a dozen new rail projects Singapore is embarking on up to 2020, will make stops near schools like Singapore Chinese Girls School, Raffles Girls School, Hwa Chong Institution and National Junior College.

The line, one of half a dozen new rail projects Singapore is embarking on up to 2020, will make stops near schools like Singapore Chinese Girls School, Raffles Girls School, Hwa Chong Institution and National Junior College.

Several residential developments like the Equatorial, Blossomvale as well as the Housing Board heartland of Bukit Panjang will also have stations near them.

Starting from Singapore's downtown is the line's southern-most station of Rochor. North of this is the first of three interchanges, Little India station, which connects the North-east Line.

Next is Newton Interchange, near Singapore's most famous hawker centre; and then Stevens Station, under Stevens Road and a stone's throw from the Raffles Town Club.

After that comes the Botanic Gardens Station, which intersects with the Circle Line.

The line then moves through Singapore's most prestigious residential area, with stops near Duchess Avenue, Sixth Avenue (actually nearer to Fourth) and Blackmore (near King Albert Park).

In the vicinity are the Nissan and BMW showrooms.

From there, the line crosses over to the shop-and-dine hub of Beauty World, where a station will be located.

Stations north of Beauty World are Hillview (near Dairy Farm) and Cashew (near Assumption English School and St Joseph's Church).

Next, the Downtown Line links up with the Bukit Panjang LRT, at the Petir station.

The line terminates at Gali Batu Depot, which is to be sited on part of the Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery.

In all, there are 12 stations, of which three are interchanges (Little India, Newton and Botanic Gardens). As with the Circle Line, the Land Transport Authority will be asking the public to suggest permanent names for the other nine stations.

Stage 2 of Downtown Line is part of a $12 billion 40km project linking the north-western and eastern parts of Singapore to the new downtown. Major construction will start middle of next year.

Stage 1 is is where the Integrated Resort, Gardens by the Bay and new financial district are. Stage 3 goes through MacPherson, Bedok Reservoir and Tampines areas to end at the East-West Line's Expo Station.

The LTA, meanwhile, on Tuesday gave another progress report on the Circle Line. Stage 3, linking Bartley to Marymount, is on track to be the first portion of the orbital rail line to be opened in mid-2009.

The five stations along this stretch are expected to attain temporary occupation permits by end of this year.

Overall, about 90 per cent of tunnels of the 33km line are completed, with the rest by early next year.

Locations Of Downtown Line Stations Will Depend On Commuter Traffic

Source : Channel NewsAsia, 12 February 2008

Construction of the Downtown Line began on February 12 and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it will decide where to build future stations for the new line after looking at commuter traffic.

Besides the Chinatown Station, the first phase will consist of another five stations.

But for the other 27 stations, which fall under phases two and three, the LTA has yet to finalise their locations on the train line.

Related Video Link - http://tinyurl.com/ywjcvs

One major factor that will determine where the stations will be is commuter traffic. And many future stations may also be located underground.

Lim Bok Ngam, Deputy Chief Executive of Infrastructure & Development at LTA, said: "Typically, we do not want to sterilise land. So you find that many of the stations are located at junctions and the lines are running below the road. That, on the bigger context, saves land for the government.

"But then of course, in terms of construction, it makes it more difficult because you need to make sure traffic flows (smoothly) at the same time."

The existing Chinatown Station will have an additional entrance at Hong Lim Complex.

LTA is using a method that allows excavation to continue through underground openings while the hole is covered. This way, excavation works will not affect the flow of traffic above ground.

On Cross Street, a road bridge from Raffles Quay to the east of China Street is due to be completed by the fourth quarter of the year, with the aim of minimising congestion. The viaduct will be in use till the completion of Phase one of the Downtown Line in 2013.

The two remaining contracts for Bugis and Promenade stations will be awarded by the end of the year. - CNA /ls

Kim Chuan Depot All Ready To Provide Suppport For Rail Lines

Source : Channel NewsAsia, 26 January 2008

After five years of construction, the Kim Chuan Depot is now ready to provide support for the upcoming Circle and Downtown MRT Lines.

The underground structure will provide stabling of the trains, maintenance and operational control of the two rail lines.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim visited the new facility on Friday, where he announced more rail lines ahead following a review of Singapore's land transport.

Kim Chuan Depot is Singapore's first underground depot - in fact, 17 metres down under.

Measuring 11 hectares, or the size of 17 football fields, the depot is also the world's largest.

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The $290 million depot will house several state-of-the-art facilities like its Operation Control Centre which will be manned by nine operators at any one time.

Their role is to supervise the day-to-day operations of the trains and stations.

They can also communicate with passengers onboard trains, monitor CCTV images, or shut down the system if there is an emergency.

Commuters will have a smoother ride too, with the help of what's called a cripple siding located between the two rail tracks.

Ong Boon Ann, Land Transport Authority's deputy director for Circle Line Systems, said: "When there's a defective train, a train that malfunctions, it can be moved to be parked at the cripple siding. This way, it will not impede any on-coming trains."

Trains will be sent for maintenance at a workshop in the depot, and to facilitate checks, they will be hoisted by a special lifting system, considering that each train comprises three carriages and weighs about 120 tonnes.

The Land Transport Authority says 16 trains have arrived at the depot so far. Another 24 will be delivered by the end of this year, three months earlier than planned. The depot can accommodate 77 trains.

The facility has a 23-metre high automatic storage and retrieval system, a first for a train depot.

The depot also has a central warehouse for the Circle Line, storing three to five years worth of materials and spare parts needed for the maintenance work.

The place is packed with subterranean activities, but the ground level will not be neglected. About three hectares of land left empty will be used for light industrial development which can have buildings of up to nine storeys. - CNA/ir

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Commuters Cheered By Plan For New MRT Lines

Source : The Straits Times, Jan 27, 2008

Those living in areas without MRT like Sin Ming look forward to end of feeder bus woes

FOR the past two years, Miss Ginny Goh, 28, has been leaving her home in Sin Ming an hour before she has to report for work in her Shenton Way office.

The tax consultant waits about 10 minutes to catch a bus for the 15-minute ride to the nearest MRT station in Bishan. From there, it takes her another 20 minutes to travel to Raffles Place MRT station.

But with two new MRT lines in 2020, commuters like Miss Goh will be able to shave 20 minutes off their daily commute to the city, said Transport Minister Raymond Lim on Friday.

The Thomson Line will join Woodlands to Marina Bay, while the Eastern Region Line will connect Changi to Marina Bay via Marine Parade. They will pass through neighbourhoods such as Sin Ming and Siglap that are currently not served by the MRT.

The new lines are part of policy changes to improve Singapore's land transport system.

Miss Goh welcomes the news, as walking to the new train station will 'definitely be more convenient' than having to take a feeder bus.

The inconvenience of having to wait for a bus to take them to the nearest MRT station is a common grouse shared by commuters living in such areas.

Mr Tong Chek Suan, 40, a mechanic who lives in Changi Village, says he usually waits up to 25 minutes for Service 89 which goes to Pasir Ris MRT station.

Long and winding bus rides to MRT stations also frustrate commuters like Mr Kenneth Quek, 23, who is studying at Singapore Polytechnic.

During peak hours, Mr Quek can take up to 45 minutes to get from Changi Village to Tanah Merah MRT station, a trip which takes 19 minutes during off-peak hours.

Commuters like Mr Benson Ang, 46, a businessman, prefer taking the MRT to buses because 'it's more efficient. The waiting time is more fixed'.

Others, like Miss Gwendolyn Loh, 32, a corporate communications manager whose Sin Ming neighbourhood will see a MRT station, are rejoicing for a different reason.

'Now my flat will increase in value!'


Getting to the city

THE two new MRT lines will benefit residents of neighbourhoods such as Changi Village and Sin Ming. The Sunday Times tested out the current routes to the city from those two locations to see how long they take and how much they cost.

Changi Village to City Hall

2pm: Changi Village bus stop opposite Block 4
2.05pm: Service 2 arrives
2.24pm: Bus reaches Tanah Merah MRT station after going past Loyang Industrial Estate, Upper Changi Road and Bedok market
2.32pm: Train arrives after a short walk to the MRT station and some waiting
2.52pm: Train reaches City Hall MRT station

Cost of bus ride:

Ez-link - $1.19
Cash - $1.40

Cost of train ride:

Ez-link - $1.03 (after 25-cent rebate)
Cash - $1.50

Total fare:

Ez-link - $2.22
Cash - $2.90


Sin Ming to City Hall

2pm: Sin Ming bus stop opposite Block 454
2.12pm: Service 52 arrives
2.25pm: Bus heads directly to Bishan MRT station
2.30pm: Train arrives after a short walk to the MRT station and some waiting
2.45pm: Train reaches City Hall MRT station

Cost of bus ride:

Ez-link - 67 cents
Cash - 90 cents

Cost of train ride:

Ez-link - 93 cents (after 25-cent rebate)
Cash - $1.30

Total fare:

Ez-link: $1.60
Cash: $2.20

Safety Barriers For All Above-Ground Stations

Source : Weekend TODAY, January 26, 2008

THE number of people intruding into the train track area of above-ground MRT stations has doubled from an average of 16 cases in 2004 and 2005, to 30 in 2006 and 31 last year.
















So, from next year, platform screen doors will be installed at three above-ground train stations at Yishun, Jurong East and Pasir Ris in a pilot scheme to curb this disturbing trend and enhance passenger safety. And by 2012, all above-ground stations will be equipped with such doors.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim said track intrusions, besides risking lives, disrupt train services and inconvenience commuters especially at peak hour.

The idea of installing platform barriers or screen doors has been raised in recent years after a spate of high-profile incidents but cost was a deterrent.

For example, in 2006, a man pushed his former girlfriend onto the tracks at Clementi station, for which he was later convicted of attempted murder.

Now, as platform screen doors are being adopted in more transit systems worldwide, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said costs have fallen by about 25 per cent.

These doors could be about 1.5m tall and will still allow for natural ventilation, said the authority. There are 34 existing above-ground stations run by SMRT; all SBS Transit-run North-East Line stops are underground.

Other improvements are in store, such as 17 additional lifts for 16 MRT stations, costing $70 million. While all stations have been provided with at least one barrier-free entrance inclusive of a lift, at these 16 stations entrances are either far apart or separated by major roads. Mr Lim said putting a lift at another entrance would benefit, among others, elderly commuters.

By end-2011, more than 70 per cent of stations will have at least two barrier-free access routes.

Answer To The MRT Squeeze

Source : Weekend TODAY, January 26, 2008

* Radical plan for parallel rail lines * Extensions to Tuas, Marina South * Earlier opening of two stations

THE problem is a familiar one: The passenger squeeze in MRT trains.

The solution is radical — at least in the Singaporean context: Build two new lines that run parallel to the present routes at a cost of $20 billion.



















One will run from Marina Bay and end at Woodlands, very similar to the present North-South route adding new townships like Sin Ming, Kebun Baru, Thomson and Kim Seng. The other will mirror the eastern portion of the East-West Line, running through Tanjong Rhu, Siglap, Marine Parade and Bedok South.

By 2018 and 2020, respectively, the 18-station Thomson Line and the 12-station Eastern Region Line will be up and running.

The routes of the two new underground lines caught National University of Singa- pore (NUS) researcher Han Songguang off-guard.

Said Mr Han: "In most cases, you wouldn't run parallel rail lines because they would be tapping into the same market."

Still, Assistant Professor Terence Fan of the Singapore Management University's (SMU) Lee Kong Chian School of Business pointed out that such a model is seen in New York, London and Hong Kong.

The two new lines are not the only changes to the rail network announced by Transport Minister Raymond Lim in part two of his big bang strategy on Friday: There will also be extensions to the existing lines to be ready by 2015. The North-South Line will be stretched to Marina South to take commuters to the upcoming Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Barrage. And workers at the Jurong Industrial Estate will be able to make use of the five-station Tuas Extension to get to work.

The Government will also open the Thomson and West Coast stations along the Circle Line by 2012, reversing a 2003 directive to withhold their opening due to projected low activity in the vicinities.

In a nutshell, by 2020, the number of MRT stations will almost double from the existing 110 stations to 210. The rail network density — which also takes into account the Light Rapid Transit system — will thus increase from 31km per million persons to 51km per million persons, surpassing Tokyo and Hong Kong.

"People who live or work in the city and those who shop and find enjoyment there will be able to reach an MRT station within 400m on average, a mere 5-minute walk," said Transport Minister Raymond Lim, who unveiled the changes at the opening of Kim Chuan Depot on Friday

To ease congestion in the short term, next month, the incumbent train operators will roll out an additional 93 trips — 10 for the North East Line and 83 for the rest of the network per week.

These extra trips will cut waiting times during morning and evening peak hours to two minutes on average.

Explaining the rationale behind the two new MRT lines, Brigadier-General Choi Shing Kwok, Permanent Secretary (Transport), said it was based on projections that showed that these areas would experience the densest increases in traffic volume towards the city area.

NUS' Mr Han said: "It (extended railway network) will hopefully solve the perennial traffic congestion on the Central Expressway. That is one of the biggest transport issues which we have not really managed to solve yet."

Residents living near the proposed MRT lines generally welcomed the greater accessibility — and the higher property prices they would enjoy — although some were worried that this could mean a reduction in the number of bus services available in their estates.

Still, Member of Parliament Ong Kian Min, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, felt that commuters and residents "have come to accept" some short-term inconveniences, including road diversions, for the "long-term good".

While Mr Han believes that the key to solving traffic congestion lies with the policies on car ownership, he regards the initiatives for the bus and rail network so far as "a step in the right direction".

He expects the ERP prices to rise further to manage demand for cars.

Mr Han said: "At the same time, the Government must realise there will be a time lag between now and the time the MRT infrastructure comes into place. There may be not so many alternatives for commuters, especially for those who stay in certain parts of Singapore."

2 New Lines And $20b To Double Rail Network

Source : The Business Times, January 26, 2008

Current projects could also be completed earlier, greater contestability in rail industry to be introduced

The government will spend some $20 billion to build two new rail lines and a couple of extensions to double the length of Singapore's rail network by 2020.















The figure, announced by Transport Minister Raymond Lim yesterday in the second instalment of the sweeping changes arising from the land transport review, is over and above the $20 billion already committed for the ongoing Circle Line, Downtown Line and Boon Lay extension.

Two new underground MRT lines will be built to connect Marina Bay to Woodlands in the north, and Changi in the east. The 27-km long, 18-station Thomson Line will run upwards from Marina Bay through Ang Mo Kio, connecting Kim Seng, Thomson, Sin Ming and Kebun Baru - areas that do not have a direct MRT link. This is expected to be ready by 2018.

Similarly, the 21-km long, 12-station Eastern Region Line will branch out to the right - parallel to the East-West Line - and serve the residential estates of Tanjong Rhu, Marine Parade, Siglap, Bedok South and Upper East Coast. It will be completed by 2020.

In addition, the current North-South and East-West Lines will be extended. The former, which now ends at Marina Bay station, will be extended one kilometre southwards to serve upcoming developments in the area such as the new cruise terminal in Marina South.

As for the East-West Line, it will be extended by another 14 km into Tuas. Both extensions will be completed by 2015.

'Together with the rail lines now under construction, the new rail lines will double our network from today's 138 km to 278 km in 2020,' said Mr Lim. 'We expect our rail network to carry three times as many journeys, rising from today's 1.4 million a day to 4.6 million in 2020.'

The government is also speeding up construction of the Circle Line (CCL) and Downtown Line (DTL). Mr Lim said additional resources will be pumped in to bring forward the completion of DTL Stage 3 by two years - from 2018 to 2016 - so that it would be ready just a year after DTL Stage 2 is ready. DTL 3 serves Bedok Reservoir and Tampines, while DTL 2 the Bukit Timah Corridor.

CCL Stage 3, which was due to open from 2010 onwards, will now be ready in mid-2009 to benefit residents in the north and north-east areas. More CCL stations will be opened, such as the Thomson and West Coast stations. Originally, these two shell stations were to be fitted out only when they were deemed to have sufficient surrounding developments.

With these plans firmly in place, Mr Lim said new extensions or stages of new lines would open almost every other year until 2020.

The minister was speaking during a visit to the $290-million Kim Chuan Depot, an underground MRT depot that is the first of its kind in Singapore and the largest in the world. The 11-hectare, four-storey facility took five years to build. It will provide the stabling and maintenance facilities of the Circle and Downtown Lines, as well as house the two lines' operation control centre.

As for the existing rail network, Mr Lim revealed that all above-ground MRT stations will have platform screen doors installed by 2012 to curb the rising number of train track intrusions.

He also said that as the rail network is expanded, future lines would cost more to build and operate as they would mostly be underground. Mr Lim said his Transport and Finance Ministries would work together to refine the financing framework. A more holistic network approach will be taken when evaluating new MRT lines, instead of the current line or project approach.

'This would potentially enable future new lines to be implemented a few years earlier than otherwise, so long as the entire rail network remains viable,' he explained.

Greater contestability in the rail industry will be introduced as well, in order to enhance efficiency and maintain cost competitiveness.

'A key step in enhancing contestability is to have shorter operating licences, say 10 to 15 years, compared to the existing 30-year licence periods,' said Mr Lim. 'Operators will compete for the right to operate rail services. They will have to meet service obligations or risk being replaced at the end of their term.'

A senior executive at SMRT, the dominant rail operator, called the minister's remarks 'positive'.

'More rail lines is good news for everyone,' he said. 'As for competition, that is to be expected. But we believe we are well-positioned to bid for the lines because of our operation, maintenance and engineering skills. And in terms of cost management, we are already one of the most efficient in the world.'

SMRT's licence to operate the North-South and East-West Lines expires in 2028. As for the contestability policy, the Transport Ministry said this would only apply when the current licence expires. Existing contracts will be honoured and 'any changes will involve discussions with the operator'.