Part of Punggol West LRT to open on June 29; trains to run at frequency of 7 to 8 min

A LRT train on the move in Punggol estate. Part of the Punggol West LRT line will open on June 29, giving residents there another option to get to Punggol MRT station or bus interchange. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
A LRT train on the move in Punggol estate. Part of the Punggol West LRT line will open on June 29, giving residents there another option to get to Punggol MRT station or bus interchange. -- PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Part of the Punggol West LRT line will open on June 29, giving residents there another option to get to Punggol MRT station or bus interchange.

Three stations - Nibong, Sumang and Soo Teck - will begin operating at 11.15am that Sunday. Trains will run at a frequency of seven to eight minutes.

From the start of operation to 3pm on weekdays, trains will ply in one direction running from Nibong station to Punggol Town Centre Station and back as a continuous loop.

From 3pm to the end of service, the trains will run in the opposite direction, departing from the Punggol Town Centre Station and arriving at Soo Teck Station (PW7) first.

Operator SBS Transit said this arrangement "will provide the majority of commuters with a faster way to get to the Town Centre Station during the first half of the day and back to their homes during the second half of the day".

The last train will depart the Town Centre Station at 12.40am daily.

The remaining four stations on the line - Sam Kee, Teck Lee, Punggol Point and Samudera - will only open later as the surrounding areas get more developed.

In addition, SBS Transit will add nine more train trips a day to the evening weekday peak schedules of the North East Line from June 30 between 4.30pm and 9pm to cater to the increase in ridership. Train frequency will remain at between 2.5 and 3.5 minutes during the evening peak.

Said SBS Transit chief executive Gan Juay Kiat: "We have been closely monitoring the Punggol West developments and waiting for the day when residential and commercial developments would start sprouting. That day is here and we are delighted to commence operations to serve the travel needs of commuters living and working in the vicinity."

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