Punggol LRT East, SengKang LRT West loops begin 29 Jan

• Zilchster

  10 Jan 05, 18:31

  Punggol LRT East, SengKang LRT West loops to start service on Jan 29
  By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia
  
  SINGAPORE : The wait is over for many Punggol residents - in more ways than one - with the partial opening on January 29 of Singapore's third Light Rapid Transit, the Punggol LRT.
  
  More stations along the SengKang LRT system will also start ferrying passengers.
  
  It is a journey 36-year-old Seah Beng Huat knows well - a comfortable ride on the North-East Line, followed by the long wait for a feeder bus service to take him home.
  
  But all that is set to change.
  
  He moved to Punggol last April and now looks forward to a smooth LRT ride to his door step.
  
  Mr Seah said: "During the peak hour, it is terrible. The bus service here, they do not come frequently and the crowd is terrible, we used to wait about 15 to 20 minutes for every bus."
  
  Over 8,000 rides are expected to ply the Punggol LRT East loop daily, serving about 15,000 residents.
  
  SBS Transit took over the $354 million line from the Land Transport Authority in December last year.
  
  After numerous trial runs, it has decided to phase in the opening of the Punggol LRT with the East loop being the first to go.
  
  But only six stations - Punggol, Cove, Meridian, Coral Edge, Riviera and Kadaloor - will be opened, while the remaining two - Oasis and Damai, along with the West loop stations at less populated areas - will operate at a later date.
  
  Separately, the SengKang West loop will also be up and ready. It is expected to make up to 5,000 rides daily, offering a more convenient mode of transport to 11,000 residents in the western part of the neighbourhood.
  
  It will complement the existing SengKang East loop service, with five additional stations - Thanggam, Fernvale, Layar, Tongkang and Rejong - along the west route.
  
  However, Cheng Lim, Farmway and Kupang stations will only be opened later.
  
  Still, SBS Transit have done enough homework to ride out the kinks.
  
  Mr Ong Boon Leong, Chief Operating Officer of SBS Transit, said: "By and large, the experience we have over the last two years operating the SengKang East Loop and now we are operating a similar system, has given us a lot of confidence in that area, so while it will never be 100 percent from day one, we expect a very high level of reliability."
  
  The opening of the Punggol East and SengKang West loops will result in some minor changes to the bus network system in these areas.
  
  From March 12, Service number 84 and 371 will be withdrawn, and commuters can expect to save up to 10 minutes if they use the LRT.
  
  Mr Vincent Loh, Director of Service Development at SBS Transit, said: "The other services have less parallel with the LRT, and basically Service 371 and 84, they provide intra-town movement which is what the LRT is supposed to do."
  
  The operating hours for both Punggol East and SengKang West loops will be from 5.20am to 12.35am.
  
  Fares will be pegged to distance, similar to the existing fare structure.
  
  Adult ez-link card fares for the Punggol East loop will be set at 64 cents amd single trip fares using the standard ticket will cost 80 cents.
  
  For the Sengkang West loop, adult ez-link card fares will be 64 cents and single trip fares using the standard tickets will be 80 cents.
  
  Fares for travel beyond the West Loop to the East Loop, will range between 64 cents and 84 cents for adult ez-link card, and between 80 cents and $1 for the standard ticket. - CNA
  
  Source: MCN International Pte Ltd
  
  http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/126618/1/.html
• Zilchster

  10 Jan 05, 18:33

  Punggol LRT and Sengkang LRT West Loop to Commence Revenue Service on
  29 January 2005
  
  Residents in Punggol and West Sengkang will have reason to cheer when the Punggol LRT and Sengkang LRT (West Loop) commence revenue service on 29 January 2005.
  
  PUNGGOL LRT:
  
  Phased Opening
  The Punggol LRT will be opened in phases with the first six stations along the East Loop to start first. They are Punggol, Cove, Meridian, Coral Edge, Riviera and Kadaloor.
  
  The remaining two stations – Oasis and Damai – as well as the seven stations along the West Loop will be opened at a later date when the area surrounding these stations are more developed.
  
  The Punggol LRT was handed over to SBS Transit by the Land Transport Authority on 1 December 2004.
  
  Fares
  The fares for Punggol LRT will be pegged to distance and similar to the existing fare structure of Sengkang LRT. However, given the number of stations covered in the East Loop, adult ez-link card fares for the East Loop will be set at 64 cents and single trip fares using the Standard Ticket will cost 80 cents.
  
  Operation Details
  The operating hours for the Punggol LRT East Loop will be from 5.20am to 12.35am. From 5.20am to 3pm, it will operate in the clockwise direction from Kadaloor Station in the direction of Punggol Town Centre. From 3pm to 12.35am, it will operate in the anti-clockwise direction from Punggol Town Centre in the direction of Cove Station. This will allow commuters to be brought from the developed areas to Punggol Station in the shortest time in the peak flow direction.
  
  SBS Transit will monitor and review the arrangement and make any changes if the need arises.
  
  Service frequency will be 4 minutes for the peak hours and 6 minutes for the off peak hours.
  
  SENGKANG LRT (WEST LOOP):
  
  Five Stations To Open First
  The West Loop has eight stations comprising Cheng Lim, Farmway, Kupang, Thanggam, Fernvale, Layar, Tongkang and Renjong. Of the eight, Cheng Lim, Farmway and Kupang stations will be opened at a later date due to the lack of housing developments in the vicinity.
  
  Fares
  Within the Sengkang LRT West Loop, adult ez-link card fares will be 64 cents and single trip fares using the Standard Ticket will be 80 cents. For travel beyond the West Loop to the East Loop, the fares will range between 64 cents and 84 cents for adult ez-link card and between 80 cents and one dollar for the Standard Ticket.
  
  Operation Details
  For the Sengkang LRT West Loop, the operating hours will be from 5.20am to 12.35am. From 5.20am to 3pm, it will operate in the anti-clockwise direction from Thanggam Station in the direction of Sengkang Town Centre. From 3pm to 12.35am, it will operate in the clockwise direction from Sengkang Town Centre in the direction of Renjong Station. In this way, commuters from the developed area will be brought to Sengkang Town Centre in the shortest time in the peak flow direction.
  
  SBS Transit will also monitor and review the arrangement and make any changes if the need arises.
  
  Service frequency will be 4.5 minutes for the peak hours and 7 minutes for the off peak hours.
  
  BUS SERVICE CHANGES
  
  With the commencement of revenue service for Punggol LRT East Loop and Sengkang LRT West Loop, there will be additional capacity for intra-town movements given the existing bus network. As a result, the bus service network in both towns will be slightly changed, taking care to minimise any inconvenience caused to residents and ensuring that the capacity is adequate to meet demand.
  
  To allow residents more time to familarise themselves with the Punggol LRT East Loop and Sengkang LRT West Loop, the bus rationalisation will only be implemented at the start of the school holidays on Saturday 12 March 2005, some six weeks after the start of both loops.
  
  Punggol LRT East Loop
  A network of six bus services including 3, 62, 82, 83, 84 and 136 as well as NEL at Punggol Station currently serves Punggol Town. Of these bus services, only Service 84 will be withdrawn as it is routed along the alignment of the Punggol LRT East Loop (see attached Map 1). Service 84Â’s withdrawal would not affect existing passengers along Punggol Central as Services 3 and 83 are still available for connection to the Punggol Interchange/Station. Passengers boarding along Punggol Field will be able to take the LRT or the alternative Service 62 to Punggol Interchange/Station.
  
  Sengkang LRT West Loop
  Currently, there are three bus services namely 163, 371 and 372 serving the developed areas in Sengkang West Loop. Of the three bus services, only Service 371 will be withdrawn as it duplicates the Sengkang LRT West Loop extensively (see attached Map 2). In response to feedback from the residents, Service 163 will be slightly amended to use Fernvale Lane enroute so that passengers who travel between Fernvale area and Punggol Road and Sengkang East Way will have a shorter walk to the bus stop. Service 372 will not be affected.
  
  FAMILIARISATION VISITS
  
  Leading up to revenue service of Punggol LRT East Loop and Sengkang LRT West Loop, familiarisation visits including train rides were conducted for Advisors to Grassroots Organisations and grassroots leaders from Punggol North, Punggol Central and Jalan Kayu constituencies on 8 January 2005. Similar visits will also be organised in the following weeks for senior citizens and school children from the two areas prior to commencement of revenue service.
  
  On the opening of Punggol LRT East Loop and Sengkang LRT West Loop, Mr Ong Boon Leong, Chief Operating Officer, SBS Transit said, “We are pleased to be able to start our LRT service on the Punggol LRT East Loop and the Sengkang LRT West Loop. We certainly hope that the residents in both areas will benefit from the start of the service. While it is difficult to have a perfect system from Day One, we are confident that we will be able to achieve a high level of reliability given the extensive testing and our experience with the Sengkang LRT East Loop.”
  
  Source: SBSTransit
  
  http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/whatsnew_10January2005-2.asp