Transport Masterplan 2040: New MRT line for north, northeast Singapore
SINGAPORE — A new rail line to serve the north and northeast regions is being considered, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Saturday (25 May).
“LTA will study the feasibility of a proposed rail line to serve new and growing developments in the north and northeast regions which may not currently have direct access to the rail network,” the authority said.
These areas include parts of Woodlands, Sembawang, Sengkang and Serangoon North as well as areas such as Whampoa, Kallang and the Greater Southern Waterfront.
The new line would benefit more than 400,000 households and allow commuters to save up to 40 minutes in travel time to the city, added LTA.
The authority made the announcement in a news release on Saturday in conjunction with its release of the Land Transport Masterplan 2040 report.
The report comes in the wake of recommendations made by a 15-member advisory panel appointed by the Transport Ministry earlier this year, following a seven-month public consultation exercise involving more than 7,000 Singaporeans which began in August last year.
New MRT stations on North South Line
Two new MRT stations will also be opened on the North South Line by the mid-2030s, said LTA.
Brickland station, located between Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak stations, will serve residents in Keat Hong, Bukit Batok West, Pavillion Park and the Brickland district in Tengah town.
Meanwhile, the Sungei Kadut interchange station will connect to the Downtown Line, which will be extended beyond Bukit Panjang station to serve the north-western region - including Yew Tee, Choa Chu Kang and Sungei Kadut industrial area.
The interchange station will serve upcoming industrial developments at Sungei Kadut such as the Agri-Food Innovation Park.
Apart from the North South Line announcement, LTA said it will also extend the Thomson-East Coast Line to provide a direct connection from Changi Airport to the city by around 2040. The line will eventually extend up to Woodlands North.
Priority queues, priority cabins
Priority queues will also be gradually implemented at all MRT stations and bus interchanges to better serve those with mobility needs such as pregnant women, wheelchair users and parents with young children in strollers, said LTA.
Meanwhile, a pilot is in the works for priority cabins on trains for the elderly, pregnant women, wheelchair users and parents with young children.
Signages at major public transport facilities will also include signs with larger fonts and Braille.
New bus interchanges, cycling paths
Meanwhile, more bus interchanges will be integrated with malls. These new integrated interchanges will include Beauty World, Bedok South, Hougang, Jurong East, Marina South, Pasir Ris, Tampines North and Tengah. Integrated transport hubs in Bidadari, Buangkok and Punggol North are currently under construction.
The cycling path network will also be expanded to cover more than 1,000km by 2040, said LTA.
“In new precincts such as Kampong Bugis, Tengah and Woodlands North Coast, LTA plans to build cycling paths on both sides of the road. New cycling paths may also be added in private residential estates and industrial estates.”
More covered walkways, cleaner roads
There will be at least an additional 150km of covered linkways by 2040, on top of the 200km that has already been completed.
Meanwhile, more bicycle parking areas will be provided at bus stops and MRT station exits.
“By 2020, there will be 267,000 bicycle parking spaces, with more to be added by 2040,” said LTA.
“In future, we will dedicate more space to Walk-Cycle-Ride transport starting with 11 precincts including Kampong Bugis, Jurong Lake District and Woodlands Regional Centre.”
To reduce the carbon footprint of public transport, LTA has also committed to have the entire public bus fleet use electric or hybrid vehicles by 2040.
All taxi firms have already committed to using cleaner energy vehicles by 2040.
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