Forum: Study option of extending existing rail corridors instead of building new lines
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As Singapore continues to make major public investments in rail infrastructure, I wonder if extension-based options relating to existing MRT corridors have been fully explored where feasible, rather than developing entirely new standalone lines.
For instance, there is already significant rail infrastructure and a depot zone near Buangkok MRT, adjacent to the Sengkang West area. An extension corridor passing through the Fernvale Link vicinity, near Thanggam LRT station, serving Seletar Aerospace Park and eventually connecting towards Yishun MRT, might be an alignment worth assessing.
Singapore has previously strengthened connectivity through staged extensions and integration, such as the Circle Line’s extension towards Marina Bay and its linkage through major interchanges like HarbourFront, enhancing the overall network over time.
I recognise that there are operational and engineering constraints in any rail project. But new lines introduce long-term requirements for additional depots, separate rolling stock fleets and specialised maintenance regimes.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had announced plans last March to expand the rail network, including feasibility studies for potential lines such as the Seletar and Tengah lines ( Two new MRT lines under study; Jurong Region Line extension in West Coast to proceed,
I hope LTA can share whether such extension-based options have been evaluated as part of the feasibility studies.
Andre Edmund Yeo Chi Qiang
