Construction of another three stations on the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) will start in the first quarter of this year.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced yesterday that it has awarded contracts to build the Tanjong Rhu, Katong Park and Marine Terrace stations, and their associated tunnels. The total value of the contracts is around $948 million, with construction slated for completion in 2023.

This is the second round of civil contracts to be awarded for the nine-station, 13km East Coast stretch of the TEL.

The first tender was awarded in November to Samsung C&T Corporation for about $555 million, to construct the Marine Parade station and its associated tunnels.

This time, the contract to build the Tanjong Rhu station was awarded to the Bachy Soletanche Singapore-Wai Fong Construction Joint Venture for about $294 million, while Shanghai Tunnel Engineering (Singapore) clinched the contract for Katong Park for $293 million.

A joint venture between Ssangyong Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Engineering & Construction won the tender for the Marine Terrace station for $361 million.

All five firms are currently involved in or have completed other rail projects in Singapore.

French company Bachy Soletanche Singapore, for example, was previously involved in the construction of Downtown Line 1's Bugis and Telok Ayer stations. It is also in two separate joint ventures to construct the TEL's Orchard and Gardens by the Bay stations.

Shanghai Tunnel Engineering (Singapore) is currently involved in several rail projects, including the construction of the Tuas West extension and the TEL's Shenton Way station.

Ssangyong had completed the construction of Downtown Line 2's Rochor and Little India stations, which opened last month, while Hyundai is currently involved in the construction of Downtown Line 3's MacPherson station. Wai Fong Construction is also currently involved in the construction of the TEL's Mount Pleasant station.

Construction of the 22-station, 30km Thomson segment, which links to the East Coast stretch, is already in full swing. The last three of 25 major civil contracts were awarded in July 2014.

Contracts for five more TEL stations are still to be awarded.

The TEL will open in phases starting from 2019, with the entire 31-station, 43km line due to be operational by 2024.

It will connect the city with the eastern parts of Singapore and serve commuters who are now not directly served by the MRT network, such as those in Tanjong Rhu, Siglap, Marine Parade, Upper East Coast and Bedok South.