The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is pleased to announce the alignment and station locations for the Cross Island Line (CRL) – Punggol Extension, which connects Pasir Ris to Punggol, providing a direct connection for commuters travelling between eastern and north-eastern Singapore.
Time Savings and Greater Accessibility for Commuters in the East and North-East
The 7.3-kilometre extension will provide better rail connectivity and greater accessibility for those living in eastern areas such as Pasir Ris and Tampines North as well as north-eastern areas such as Punggol and Sengkang. The Punggol extension will be fully underground and comprises four stations, namely Punggol, Riviera, Elias, and Pasir Ris. Construction is expected to commence in 2022, with the stations opening by 2031.
Notably, three of the four stations are interchange stations, which will enable commuters to transfer seamlessly to and from the East-West Line, North East Line and Punggol LRT. This will shorten travel times and provide alternative travel options for commuters, as well as help to redistribute commuter load across the entire rail network.
More than 40,000 households will benefit from the CRL-Punggol extension. The extension will also provide significant time savings for Punggol residents when they travel to eastern Singapore. For instance, they will be able to take the train to reach Pasir Ris within 15 minutes, less than half the time needed today using a bus (at around 40 minutes). The CRL-Punggol extension halves the time for commuters travelling from Punggol North to Loyang Industrial Area, from the 45-minute bus journey today to a 20- minute train ride on the Punggol extension when the line is ready.
About the CRL
The CRL is our eighth MRT line, and our longest fully underground line at more than 50 kilometres long. It will serve existing and future developments in the eastern, western, and north-eastern corridors, linking major hubs such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi region. When fully completed, the CRL is expected to have a daily ridership of at least 600,000 in the initial years, growing to one million in the longer term. The CRL will have almost half of its stations as interchanges with other train lines, making travelling on the rail network a breeze. It will be constructed in three phases.
Phase 1 of the CRL (CRL1) is 29 kilometres long, and comprises 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill. This will serve residential and industrial areas such as Loyang, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Defu, Hougang, Serangoon North and Ang Mo Kio. More than 100,000 households will benefit from CRL1, and common recreational spaces such as Changi Beach Park and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park will also become more accessible by public transport.
