EIGHT in 10 households will have to walk just 10 minutes to the nearest train station, with the new rail lines that will be built by 2030, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew.

This is up from the six in 10 households that currently benefit from the existing rail network.

By doubling the current 178km rail network to about 360km by 2030, commuters here will "feel a marked difference" when taking public transport, said Mr Lui, after visiting Downtown Line 1's Chinatown station on Thursday.

He announced plans to build two new rail lines - the Cross Island and Jurong Region Lines - and adding new stations on the Circle Line, North East Line and upcoming Downtown Line.

The 50km Cross Island Line will take the load off the existing North-South and East-West lines, "bringing more options to all commuters and significantly shorter journey times," said Mr Lui.

Those shuttling between Punggol and Pasir Ris will see their 40-minute bus journeys halved when the line is completed by 2030.

Additional stations on the existing and upcoming rail lines will give commuters more options and provide better connectivity.

For instance, closing the Circle Line loop will cut the current travelling time from Kent Ridge to Marina Bay by 15 minutes.

The extensions are also in line with the Government's plan to decentralise the city and better develop areas like Punggol North to make them easily accessible by train to the city centre.

These new plans are aimed at meeting the expectations of today's commuters.

After getting more than 1,700 views from more than 400 people in focus group discussions, the LTA found that commuters valued and wanted more connections and better services in a more liveable community, said Mr Lui.