SINGAPORE: Minister for Transport S Iswaran has launched construction of Cross Island Line Phase 1 with a ceremony at the site of the future CRL Bright Hill station.
Singapore’s eighth metro line, CRL is being developed in three phases. When completed, it will be the island’s longest fully-underground metro line at more than 50 km. It will serve the eastern, western and northeastern corridors including major hubs such as the Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi.
| Cross Island Line project | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase | Length, km | Stations | Route | Status | Opening |
| 1 | 29 | 12 | Aviation Park to Bright Hill | Under construction | 2030 |
| 2 | 15 | 6 | Turf City to Jurong Lake District | Tendering underway | 2032 |
| 3 | Engineering studies ongoing | ||||
Daily ridership is predicted at more than 600 000 in the initial years after opening from 2030, increasing to over 1 million in the longer term.
The construction of CRL will be a complex undertaking, the minister said at the groundbreaking ceremony on January 18, with engineers facing a wide variety of soil conditions ranging from soft marine clay to extremely hard rock, as well as a maze of utilities, cables and foundation piles.
The twin-track tunnels will be bored using 12·6 m diameter tunnel boring machines, the largest to be deployed on a Land Transport Authority rail project.
Technologies being adopted to enhance construction efficiency and safety include virtual and augmented reality and computer simulations of different operating scenarios.
The 57 ha Changi East Depot will include an operational control centre, photovoltaic solar panels and maintenance facilities for up to 70 trains.
