A few days ago, it was reported that the final link of the KPE/TPE interchange with Punggol and Pasir Ris had finally been completed after five years of construction.
Residents in the area must have celebrated, as the new link was built to ease traffic congestion.
Now, Punggol residents have something else to be excited about.
Punggol Coast MRT Station Ready by 2024
Getting around will soon be a lot easier for residents living near the upcoming Punggol Digital District.
The Punggol Coast MRT station will be ready to welcome commuters by 2024.
At the moment, around 40% of construction work has been completed.
This update was announced by Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung at a ceremony today (13 Nov), which marked the completion of tunnel boring works from the existing Punggol station to the upcoming Punggol Coast station.
The MRT station was supposed to be ready by 2023, but construction has been delayed thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The next step is to complete the concrete structure of the station, before we fit out the station, and then we’ll be ready for commuters by 2024,” Minister Ong said.
According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the 1.6-kilometre extension to the new Punggol Coast Station will bring the total number of stations on the NEL to 17.
This will cut travel time from Punggol North to the city centre and other parts of Singapore by up to 15 minutes.
Useful For Those Working At Punggol Digital District
The new MRT station will largely serve commuters to the Punggol Digital District, which is still in development and slated for completion by 2023.
Developed by JTC Corporation, the district will be the first in Singapore that brings together a business park, a university, and community facilities.
It’s estimated to offer over 28,000 new jobs in IT fields such as cybersecurity and data science.
As Minister Ong said, “There is no point building a new district that people cannot get to.
“I hope the upcoming station will become synonymous with the good jobs, quality education and smart lifestyle that Punggol Digital District brings.”
Punggol Coast will also serve as the closest station to Coney Island.
According to ST, the new station is part of the government’s plan to expand the rail network from around 230km to 360km by the early 2030s.
Over 75,000 commuters are expected to use the new station, including workers at the Digital District, students from the nearby Singapore Institute of Technology campus, and residents in the area.
Pandemic Has Presented Opportunity For Change
In his speech, the Transport Minister also noted that the pandemic may present an opportunity to change our travel habits.
“The old habits – crushing during morning and evening peak hours every day – is neither logical, comfortable, efficient or environmentally very friendly,” he said.
At the moment, passenger volume is around 70% that of pre-pandemic levels.
However, when the pandemic dies down, this will return to normal, and the rush and bustle of the peak hours will come back.
If this happens, “we would have wasted the crisis,” he said.
This is why Minister Ong encouraged employers to retain the current work arrangements, whether it be permitting employers to work from home on some days, or adjusting their work hours, which would allow our travel habits to evolve.
“This would be an outcome that we have been yearning for for decades,” he said.
Featured Image: LTA
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