Two new MRT lines under study; nod for Jurong Region Line extension

If both lines are found to be feasible, up to 10 lines could criss-cross island in the 2040s

- Kok Yufeng

A potential new rail line that could serve areas in Singapore's west and north-west, such as Tengah, Bukit Batok, Queensway and Bukit Merah, is being studied for its feasibility.

Tentatively called the Tengah Line, it is one of two possible MRT lines the Government is looking to build as part of the next bound of its rail expansion.

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat laid out these plans during the debate on his ministry's budget on March 5.

The other potential rail line, tentatively called the Seletar Line, has been under study since 2019. Running from Woodlands to the future Greater Southern Waterfront, it could serve areas such as Sembawang, Sengkang West, Serangoon North, Whampoa and Kallang.

"I hope it could also go through some parts of Toa Payoh," Mr Chee added.

He said early assessments by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are that the proposed Tengah and Seletar lines could meet at the Greater Southern Waterfront. Feasibility studies will thus look into the possibility of combining the two lines into a single line.

If both lines are found to be workable, up to 10 MRT lines could be criss-crossing the island in the 2040s, up from six today.

Meanwhile, a proposal to extend the Jurong Region Line (JRL) southwards to join the Circle Line (CCL) has been given the go-ahead, a decade after it was mooted, Mr Chee announced.

Called the West Coast Extension, the rail project will improve connectivity in the west by lengthening the JRL so that its Pandan Reservoir station connects with the Cross Island Line (CRL) at the future West Coast station by the late 2030s.

The plan is to extend the JRL further from West Coast station to connect with the CCL at Kent Ridge station by the early 2040s.