Artist impression of Entrance A of Bright Hill station (Source: LTA).

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced the alignment and station locations for Phase 1 of the Cross Island Line (CRL), which is the eighth MRT line and the longest fully underground line.

The authority stated that when fully completed, it will serve existing and future developments in the eastern, western, and north-eastern corridors, linking major hubs such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi region.

It added that the projected daily ridership of the entire CRL is more than 600,000 in the initial years, increasing to over 1 million in the longer term.

LTA said that it will construct the CRL in three phases.

Phase 1 of the CRL (CRL1) is 29 kilometres long, and comprises 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill. This will serve residential and industrial areas such as Loyang, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Defu, Hougang, Serangoon North and Ang Mo Kio. More than 100,000 households will benefit from CRL1, and common recreational spaces such as Changi Beach Park and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park will also become more accessible by public transport.

LTA stated that the construction for CRL1 is expected to commence in 2020 and be completed by 2029.

Source: LTA.

LTA said that engineering studies are still being conducted for the other phases of the CRL, including the two underground alignment options in the vicinity of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

LTA has consulted various stakeholders and will take all views into consideration before deciding on the final alignment. Details will be announced when ready.

According to LTA, with the improved connectivity, CRL1 will shorten travel times for commuters between the central, north-eastern and eastern parts of Singapore. For instance, a commuter staying at Serangoon North and working at Loyang Industrial Estate will enjoy travel time savings of up to 70%, from 75 minutes by bus today to 25 minutes on the CRL1.

Source: LTA.

As with the introduction of other new rail lines, LTA will review the bus services in surrounding areas to optimise connectivity to CRL1 and the rest of the rail network.

LTA said that CRL1 will connect to the East-West Line at Pasir Ris Station, North East Line at Hougang Station, North-South Line at Ang Mo Kio Station, and the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line at Bright Hill Station. This multiplies the travel route options for many commuters’ journeys, thus enhancing the connectivity and resilience of the overall rail network.

LTA also noted that a new 57-hectare depot at Changi East will be constructed at-grade to provide stabling and maintenance facilities for up to 80 CRL trains.

It also said that eight properties will be partially acquired by the Government to facilitate the construction of CRL1 and associated road work, which only involve ancillary features such as green verges, boundary walls and subterranean space. Thus, existing buildings will not be affected.

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has gazetted the acquisition of the affected land today and it will work closely with the affected landowners and assist them through the acquisition process.

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