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The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a press release on Jan. 18, 2023 that construction has started on Phase 1 of the Cross Island Line (CRL).
Eighth MRT line
According to LTA, the CRL will be Singapore's eighth MRT line, and the longest of the fully-underground MRT lines.
It will span more than 50 kilometres once fully completed.
The CRL has been broken up into three phases, and will serve the existing and future developments in the eastern, western and north-eastern parts of Singapore.
CRL Phase 1 will span 29 kilometres and is made up of 12 stations, from Aviation Park to Bright Hill.
LTA pointed out that all the station names are working names.
Photo from Land Transport Authority
Increased convenience
Phase 1 of the CRL serve commuters in Pasir Ris, Changi and Loyang, as they can look forward to increased convenience and shorter travelling times.
Improved intra-town and inter-town connectivity can also be expected when CRL Pasir Ris, Pasir Ris East and Loyang stations are completed, LTA added.
CRL Phase 1 will be linked to existing lines at the following stations:
- The East-West Line's Pasir Ris station
- The North-East Line's Hougang station
- The North-South Line's Ang Mo Kio station
- The Thomson-East Coast Line's Bright Hill station.
Access to Bright Hill station will also be facilitated by a new Transit Priority Corridor (TPC) along Sin Ming Avenue, which is set to be completed in 2029.
This 2km stretch includes a dedicated bus lane, wider footpaths, and cycling paths. This allows residents to choose between taking the bus, cycling, or walking to get to their destinations.
Residents are also able to get to recreational spaces such as Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park through the TPC.
At the ground-breaking ceremony for CRL Phase 1, transport minister S Iswaran said in a speech that the CRL will make journeys shorter and faster.
He cited the example of reduced travel time for a Sin Ming resident going from Bright Hill to Pasir Ris East. With the CRL, such a journey is expected to be more than halved from 80 to 30 mins.
LTA also said they are progressively calling tenders for CRL Phase 2, which will include six stations from Turf City to Jurong Lake District, which is expected to be completed in 2032.
LTA did not announce an expected completion date for Phase 3, but said "engineering studies are ongoing."
Top photo via Land Transport Authority