TL;DR – The new Cross Island Line will significantly reduce travel time.
On 10 March 2020, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that the Cross Island Line (CRL), Singapore’s eighth MRT line, will be extended to Punggol via Pasir Ris on the main CRL.
The CRL’s 7.3km fully underground Punggol Extension will comprise of four new stations:
- CP1 Pasir Ris
- CP2 Elias
- CP3 Riviera
- CP4 Punggol
Here’s how the CRL will look like with the Punggol Extension:
(via LTA)
The Punggol Extension will function as a shuttle service between Pasir Ris and Punggol.
There will be three interchanges:
- Pasir Ris (East-West Line)
- Riviera (Punggol LRT)
- Punggol (NEL and Punggol LRT)
Pasir Ris will be an interchange between the East-West Line and Cross Island Line.
With the new CRL connecting to the northeastern region, travel times are expected to be reduced by half. A bus ride from Punggol to Pasir Ris currently takes about 40 mins. With the CRL, that will take only 15 mins.
The CRL will provide great convenience to get around, without having to transfer to the Circle Line, Downtown Line and East-West Line currently and thus, providing relief for the other MRT lines.
Examples of time savings with the CRL.
(via LTA)
An estimated 40,000 households will benefit from the completion and opening of the new line. This will also bring the LTA closer to its goal of having 8 in 10 households within a 10 mins walk to an MRT station.
Construction for the extension will begin in 2022 and targeted for passenger services in 2031.
With the CRL Punggol Extension, this will spur further development of the northeastern region and Punggol won’t be ulu anymore 😉 You have one more reason to head to the Downtown East resort at Pasir Ris for chalet and bbq or to the Punggol Waterway for leisure and shopping at Waterway Point!
In 2031, this is how the MRT system map will look like with the CRL Phase 1 and Punggol extension in operation:
(via LTA)
Stage 1 of the CRL which runs from Aviation Park to Bright Hill via Pasir Ris, Hougang and Ang Mo Kio, will be operational in 2029.
Meanwhile, Stage 2 of the CRL will connect the western region of Bukit Timah, Clementi, West Coast, Jurong, and Tuas, providing a direct east-west travel and easing the crowd levels experienced on the older East-West Line.
This part of the CRL is expected to be operational in 2030.
Couldn’t wait for the line to be up and open!
