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The Land Transport Authority is currently conducting feasibility studies for two new MRT lines. These lines are scheduled for completion in the 2040s and are expected to serve more than 400,000 households.
One of the proposed MRT lines, the Seletar Line, aims to serve areas such as Woodlands, Sembawang, Sengkang West, Serangoon North, Whampoa, Kallang, and the Greater Southern Waterfront. The second line, tentatively named the Tengah Line, will supplement the transport network in the west and northwest regions and is set to serve areas including Tengah, Bukit Batok, Queensway, and Bukit Merah.
According to Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat’s speech on March 5, the Seletar Line and Tengah Line may potentially be connected, depending on the outcome of the feasibility studies. Minister Chee also announced the Land Transport Authority’s plan to extend the Jurong Region Line to connect with the Circle Line and Cross Island Line. This West Coast Extension (WCE) will be carried out in two phases, with the first phase connecting the Jurong Region Line to the Cross Island Line by the late 2030s and the second phase connecting it to the Circle Line’s Kent Ridge Station by the early 2040s.
Upon completion, the WCE is expected to provide residents travelling from the West to the city centre with up to 20 minutes of time savings. In addition, the government has allocated $1 billion over the next five years to ensure high-reliability standards for both newer and older train systems. This investment will go towards implementing condition monitoring systems for more targeted maintenance, adopting new technologies to improve maintenance efficiency, and providing workforce training programmes for rail workers.
According to the Land Transport Authority, these efforts to expand the rail network, improve the management of rail assets, and train the rail workforce will enable them to continue providing convenient, reliable, and resilient public transport for commuters.