Cross Island Line Reportedly to be Completed by End-2033

By
Lin Jiawen
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Huh, got new MRT line again?

Uh, yes.

For those who have no idea what the Cross Island Line is, you might be more familiar if I said that it was the line that caused all the hoo-ha regarding the Central Catchment Nature Reserve a while back.

Yup, that line.

And this line is none other than the Cross Island Line (CRL), and the construction for it might be finished by end-2033.

The CRL was initially supposed to be built by around 2030, but as of now only phase one of CRL is expected to be open by then.

The delay is partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but another contributing factor was the Central Catchment Nature Reserve issue, where a one-year-long environmental impact assessment further stalled construction.

FYI, phase one includes 12 stations from Aviation Park in Changi to Bright Hill in Sin Ming and will be around 29km long.

Phase two will extend from Bright Hill to Jurong, with around six stations across 14km. Clementi and King Albert Park stations may also serve as interchanges.

On the other hand, phase three will have a minimum of four stations spread out across the west of Singapore, spanning 13km from Jurong to Tuas. Two stations built in this phase will be interchanges as well.

Operations May Only Fully Commence From 2034 Onwards

As mentioned by The Straits Times, “tenders for the main civil construction contracts for phase three could be called starting from the third quarter of 2024, while the tendering process for architectural works could begin from the second quarter of 2031”.

Although the dates and timeline are still subject to change as the construction progresses, “main civil works look slated to end by the fourth quarter of 2033”.

After constructions are completed, the CRL still needs to be tested out to ensure that everything is in working order. Taking the amount of time needed to do so into consideration, this may result in the full CRL only starting operations in 2034 or later.

However, this has yet to be confirmed by LTA, who claims that it would have a “clearer indication” of the estimated timelines after advanced engineering studies have concluded.

These studies include architectural and engineering design as well as associated services such as design work for the alignment and stations and developing corresponding technical specifications. For reference, the studies for phase two will be completed later this year. Afterwards, the studies will commence for phase three and end in around two years’ time.

Cross Island Line: What’s New

Apart from being the country’s longest fully underground MRT line, the CRL will also feature six-car trains and maybe even eight-car trains in the future, bringing the number of commuters per day up to 600,000 and more.

Over the years, this value is expected to rise above one million.

LTA also revealed in 2020 that there will be an extension of the line from Pasir Ris to Punggol, which will commence operations in 2032 and serve more than 40,000 households living in the areas.

In the east, there may be a terminus station being constructed in the future as well. There is a high chance that it may be located at Changi Airport Terminal 5 next time, and it may also link to part of the expanded Thomson-East Coast Line in the future.

Additionally, although the location of the stations for phases two and three have not been confirmed, there was an image of a future MRT map that was put up in end-2021. The photo has since been taken down.

Some regions that were highlighted in the map include Bukit Timah, Clementi and West Coast.

CRL Phase Three

For phase three, there may be a fifth station constructed in the future based on the developments of CRL.

The two interchanges along phase three will likely link the CRL with the East-West Line (EWL) and the Jurong Region Line (JRL), which has yet to begin construction.

This echoes the sentiment from one of ST‘s previous articles which mentioned that CRL interchanges may be constructed at Gul Circle station for the EWL and Jurong Pier station for the JRL.

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Apart from that, LTA also plans to introduce retail and advertising space in phase three stations, allowing the stations to achieve platinum status under the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark certification scheme.

The Green Mark certification scheme status is based on a building’s environmental impact, and with the possible introduction of solar panels and other renewable energy sources, it’s not hard to see why this is a plausible goal for the upcoming stations.

#WestSideBestSide indeed.

On the other hand, the CRL depot will possibly be located at Tuas, though this has yet to be confirmed.

According to ST, the depot will feature the following: A train depot at ground level which will be connected to the future Integrated Train Testing Centre located at the former site of Raffles Country Club and a multi-storey bus depot that can house 350 staff and 650 buses.

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Featured Image: LTA

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Lin Jiawen
Email: [email protected]