SINGAPORE: Four new MRT stations will be built in Tuas in the next five years, offering greater convenience to commuters.
They are part of the S$3.5b Tuas West Extension project first announced under the Land Transport Masterplan in 2008.
Transport Minister Raymond Lim, who visited the Bedok MRT station on Tuesday, also revealed that the Circle Line will be fully open by the fourth quarter of this year.
The Tuas West Extension will be 7.5km long and it will begin after Joo Koon Station. The four new stations are at Tuas along Tuas Road; Tuas Crescent along Pioneer Road; Tuas West near Tuas Avenue 12 and Tuas Link located just outside Raffles Marina Country Club.
Mr Lim said: "When completed, it will improve accessibility and connectivity for people who work in the Jurong and Tuas industrial areas. The Tuas West Extension will help commuters save more than half their current travelling time when they commute to these areas.
"For instance, it takes about 35 minutes to travel by bus from Boon Lay Bus Interchange to Tuas West today. This will take only 15 minutes via MRT when the line is opened."
The project will also see a first in Singapore - the construction of a road viaduct along Pioneer Road that is integrated with the rail extension.
The 4-kilometre long and 3-lane viaduct will run along Pioneer Road to join Tuas South Avenue 3 with a 2.4-kilometre stretch of the road integrated within the rail viaduct. It aims to reduce congestion in the surrounding Tuas West area.
LTA's group director for engineering, Paul Fok, said: "There is going to be a lot of development in the Tuas West industrial area, so there is a need to increase the road capacity going towards the west. This viaduct is actually unique because we are stacking the rail viaduct on top of the road viaduct. That means we are saving quite a lot of land."
But some 49 plots and nine properties will have to make way for the project. The areas affected are along the Pan Island Expressway, Joo Koon Circle, Tuas Road, Pioneer Road, Tuas West Road, Tuas South Avenue 3 and Tuas West Drive.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had previous planned for the Tuas West Extension to have only three stations. But after studies were concluded, it decided to include an additional station so that more commuters will be directly served by the MRT system.
The LTA will also be building another much larger MRT depot to cater to more trains that will ply the North-South and East-West lines. Spanning some 26 hectares, the depot will be able to house some 60 trains.
Thirteen more trains will be added for the extension.
There's also good news about the Circle Line. The last stretch of 12 stations from Marymount to HarbourFront - which includes Holland Village and Caldecott stations - will open this year.
Sixteen more trains will also be added to meet an increase in ridership. This will increase the total fleet of Circle Line trains by 40%.
The trains are scheduled to arrive around 2015.
On the safety aspect, LTA says that to date it has completed the installation of half-height platform screen doors on 11 elevated MRT stations.
Two stations - Bedok and Paya Lebar - began operations of the screen doors on Tuesday morning.
LTA says it is on track to complete the installation of the screen doors on the East-West Line by the third quarter of the year and for the North-South Line, by 2012.
Next 5 years ?
Walan , meaning Uncle me 46 years old then can see they finish the project ?
Does it bother Uncle me too much ?
No la , MRT never bother me , they are not good enough .
The one that bothered me the most , it's the people who paid millions ... and come out with more craps .
This is one of the crap ...
Why waste so much money for the "low population & low demand" for MRT at this stretch , don't understand .
They should just appoint bus companies , if SMRT and SBS Transist scared lose money , and run the line , they should just let go and tender the project out .
Crap crap ... waste money .
They will regret such moves .
They should subsidised some amount of money to private bus companies to provide a feeder bus service to Joon Koon MRT , that's it .
Save those billions of dollars .
If LTA are to provide 20 "free COE" to bus companies , to provide 20 tip-top bus provider , u see got people tender or not ?
20 tip top bus , to provide a solid efficient bus service , why not ?
Give me .
I make sure i perform better than MRT .
It's a crazy idea to built MRT at Tuas area .
Nevermind , u people vote for PAP < meaning u allowed them to do what they like , suka suka , it's your wish .>
Bad news for some cabbies though ... not for me , i think not a big setback for me .
HURRAY for the Tuas workers. :D can save time and no need to squeeze with people inside the bus!
Originally posted by Poolman:Next 5 years ?
Walan , meaning Uncle me 46 years old then can see they finish the project ?
Uncle..ur age and MRT got connection meh?
.
Originally posted by Poolman:Nevermind , u people vote for PAP < meaning u allowed them to do what they like , suka suka , it's your wish .>
Uncle...not PAP's business it's GOVT business
Originally posted by Poolman:Bad news for some cabbies though ... not for me , i think not a big setback for me .
Not a bad news lah...Singapore got other places to go..no need scared no money earn.
too many stations.. off peak how?
next, $$ is govt spend... Not SMRT tat spends e $$.. tis ish not BOT project.
Else we would be in 30 yr debt
KNN very 天真 leh....Tuas West soooo big....I go in with GPS also gong gong driving in circle....4 MRT stations enough meh!!!!! Save the money lah!!!!
Originally posted by Edd1:HURRAY for the Tuas workers. :D can save time and no need to squeeze with people inside the bus!
You neber squeeze in the MRT b4 har?
Tuas so big, until now I still not familliar, 4 stations can help abit lah but off peak how?
Eat grass?
Oh! those who wish to find seat from Boon Lay to town can take to the end then U-turn back!!
If they got too much time lor...
Originally posted by Mvp30sg:You neber squeeze in the MRT b4 har?
Tuas so big, until now I still not familliar, 4 stations can help abit lah but off peak how?
Eat grass?
Oh! those who wish to find seat from Boon Lay to town can take to the end then U-turn back!!
If they got too much time lor...
tis project will cull e factory buses and long haul SBS bus svs from Boon Lay. Eventually it'll relieve the famous bottleneck jam at PIE every morning.
Originally posted by Mvp30sg:You neber squeeze in the MRT b4 har?
Tuas so big, until now I still not familliar, 4 stations can help abit lah but off peak how?
Eat grass?
Oh! those who wish to find seat from Boon Lay to town can take to the end then U-turn back!!
If they got too much time lor...
Their gate time limit. You can't stay in e MRT network for too long
In any case, Tuas South would not get MRT in any near future
Originally posted by sbst275:
Their gate time limit. You can't stay in e MRT network for too longIn any case, Tuas South would not get MRT in any near future
thought there is a provision for a centre platform to serve tuas south at one of the stations? so i think they will factor in that and extend to tuas south probably in 2018?
maybe won't tio call to joon koon MRT...uncle tuas west MRT....
Originally posted by sbst275:too many stations.. off peak how?
next, $$ is govt spend... Not SMRT tat spends e $$.. tis ish not BOT project.
Else we would be in 30 yr debt
The more money the govt spends, the higher the GDP will grow.