SINGAPORE - The authorities are studying whether the Jurong Lake District station on the Cross Island MRT line (CRL) and the Jurong Town Hall station on the Jurong Region Line will be linked as an interchange, said Transport Minister S. Iswaran on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters at the official reopening of the upgraded Ayer Rajah Food Centre and Market in West Coast Drive, Mr Iswaran said: "The engineers and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) team are continuing to study this... we need to create meaningful interconnections in our MRT system for convenience and resilience."

In some instances, train lines may run parallel but they serve different commuter movement objectives, he added.

The Jurong Lake District station is one of six stations under phase two of the CRL, which was announced by Mr Iswaran on Tuesday.

The other five stations are: West Coast, King Albert Park, Maju, Clementi and Turf City.

Construction work on phase two of the CRL is expected to begin in 2023. It is slated to open by 2032.

Once completed, it will benefit 40,000 households, including those living in Sunset Way and West Coast Road, which are currently not served by any MRT line.

Mr Iswaran was also asked for an update of a feasibility study on an extension of the Jurong Region Line to Circle Line at the Haw Par Villa area, which was first announced by then-Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in 2015.

At that time, the Land Transport Authority said it would study a West Coast Extension, with possible new stations in the West Coast and Pasir Panjang area. If  found feasible, the extension was expected to be completed around 2030.

On Saturday, Mr Iswaran said: "I would allow our engineers and planners time to do a proper job. It's important that what we do is sustainable both from a physical and an environmental point of view... This work is ongoing."

Concerning the feedback received about the location of the West Coast MRT station on the CRL, Mr Iswaran said that the alignment of the train line has to take into account various considerations.

"The engineers and LTA work with various government bodies. You have to take into account the underground as well as above-ground conditions.

"We also have to look at it from an alignment point of view, how it complements the urban development and the other facilities planned today or for the future," he added.

Concerns have been raised by residents and businesses close to phase two of the CRL about the locations of the new stations and construction-related traffic jams.

In West Coast, a shopkeeper who declined to be named recently told ST he was worried that his rent would go up once the new CRL station was opened.

Mr Iswaran also said that the authorities have taken into account feedback from residents and factored it in their discussions and planning.

He added that a major construction project such as phase two of the CRL involves disruptions and some inconvenience.

Mr Iswaran said that in some cases, land acquisitions could be involved, and consideration is taken to minimise the impact on people living in the area.

The minister added that the West Coast MRT location is close to the upgraded Ayer Rajah Food Centre and residential area.

He added that the planners and engineers took residents' considerations into account when selecting the location for the West Coast MRT station.

The upgraded Ayer Rajah Food Centre and Market was reopened in August. It had been closed in May for three months for upgrading works.