Cross Island Line phase 2 to open by 2032 with six MRT stations

The western part of Singapore will be better linked to the rest of the island, with phase two of the Cross Island MRT Line (CRL) comprising six stations from Turf City to Jurong Lake District.

These include interchanges with the Downtown Line at King Albert Park and the East-West Line at Clementi station.

The remaining two stations along the 15km stretch are Maju, which is located next to the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and West Coast, which is near Tanglin Secondary School.

CRL phase two is slated to open by 2032, with construction works expected to begin in 2023.

The first phase of the line comprises 12 stations from Aviation Park in Changi to Bright Hill in the Sin Ming area, and will open by 2030.

Announcing the alignment for CRL phase two on Tuesday, Transport Minister S. Iswaran said it will provide greater public transport access to areas in the west, and improve connectivity between the eastern, western and north-eastern parts of Singapore.

CRL phase two will benefit 40,000 households when it is ready in 2032, including those living in Sunset Way and West Coast Road.

Three plots of private land will be acquired for the construction.

These comprise two industrial units owned by JTC at Block L Pandan Loop Industrial Estate, and underground space under the carpark of Casa Esperanza condominium in Bukit Timah.

Mr Iswaran said the CRL - Singapore's eighth MRT line - will significantly improve the network effect of the rail system, as it will have interchanges with other MRT lines.

Many will benefit from shorter, more direct journeys and faster commutes, he added, citing how the CRL will reduce the journey from Hougang to Ngee Ann Polytechnic from more than an hour by bus and rail to 35 minutes by rail.

The CRL will help spread passengers across rail lines and reduce crowding, Mr Iswaran said.

There will also be more resilience as commuters will be able to use other rail lines in the event of breakdowns.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it has completed an environmental impact study on the potential impact of works for Turf City, King Albert Park and Maju stations. A section of the CRL between King Albert Park and Maju will skirt the neighbouring Clementi Forest.

A heritage impact assessment was also conducted to determine the impact of works at Turf City station. The current lease for the Turf City site will expire at the end of 2023, after a final 18-month extension was granted in 2021.

The two impact assessment reports will be published on the LTA's and Urban Redevelopment Authority's websites in October.

Announced in the 2013 Land Transport Master Plan, the 50km CRL is fully underground and will be built in three phases.

The entire MRT line stretching from Changi to Tuas was initially targeted to be ready by around 2030. But this has been pushed back, with only phase one, which is 29km long, slated to open by then.

A 7.3km segment of the CRL will also extend from Pasir Ris to Punggol. The four-station extension will be operational in 2032.

Engineering studies are still being conducted for phase three of the CRL, which will serve the Jurong Industrial Estate.

Long-time Teban Gardens resident Teoh Chin Chong, 57, said it used to be quite difficult for him to travel to Clementi via public transport. While he now has a direct route after bus service 201 was launched in 2014, the journey takes more than 20 minutes.

With the upcoming Jurong Lake District CRL station located within a five-minute walk of his home, Mr Teoh, who does not own a car, expects to be able to make the same journey in half the time.

Asked if the 2032 opening date was too long a wait, the operations coordinator in the oil and gas sector said: "As long as it can benefit us in the long term, I do not mind... We already have the Jurong Region Line, which we are happy about. With this, it is double happiness."