Faced with yet another delay in the opening of two MRT stations on the final stretch of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), residents near the stations expressed disappointment that they would have to wait an additional year for more convenient commutes to the city and other parts of East Coast.
People living and working near the upcoming Bedok South and Sungei Bedok stations on the TEL told The Sunday Times they were frustrated with the 2026 opening of the stations. Some of them are now restricted to a few bus services, and the nearest MRT station is up to 20 minutes away on foot.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said on March 5, during a debate on the Ministry of Transport's budget, that the fifth and final stage of the TEL - comprising the two stations will open in 2026.
Work on the TEL's eastern stretch began in 2016.
Also pushed back to 2026 is a 2.2km Downtown Line (DTL) extension linking the existing Expo station to Xilin and then Sungei Bedok, which will be an interchange stop for the TEL and DTL.
The nearby East Coast Integrated Depot for trains and buses will also be ready only in 2026.
TEL Stage 5 and the depot were meant to open in 2025, a year after the original 2024 deadline, due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The DTL extension was also due to be ready by 2025.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had attributed the latest delays to construction challenges of tunnelling near existing critical infrastructure.
Many of the 16 residents, students and workers ST interviewed near the future Bedok South and Sungei Bedok stations voiced dissatisfaction with the delay.
BEDOK SOUTH Surrounded by Bedok South Horizon, a Housing Board Build-To-Order (BTO) project, and the Siglap Community Club, Bedok South station is in a residential estate with Temasek Primary and Secondary schools within walking distance.
This story is from the March 10, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the March 10, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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