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Thread: Govt approves S$12b MRT Downtown Line to be built by 2018

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    Default Govt approves S$12b MRT Downtown Line to be built by 2018

    Govt approves S$12b MRT Downtown Line to be built by 2018

    By Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 27 April 2007 1629 hrs


    SINGAPORE: The government has approved plans for the S$12 billion Downtown Line, to be completed 2018.

    The new rail project will add 40 kilometres to the existing Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, with most of the new stations located underground.

    It is part of the plan to provide transportation needs for the projected population of 6.5 million people in twenty years’ time.

    Currently it is estimated that 63 per cent of all commuters use public transport during the morning rush hour.

    The government aims to raise this number to 70 per cent by 2020.

    Part of the strategy is the addition of 33 stations on the Downtown Line, ten of which will be near or next to existing interchange stations.

    Construction of Phase 1 which will serve the Marina Bay area will begin as early as the end of this year, and be completed by 2013.

    This 4.3 kilometre section will connect the North East Line from Chinatown station.

    Along the way, it will stop at Cross Street, Landmark, Bayfront, Promenade.

    This will then be linked with the East-West line at Bugis Station.

    Phase 2 of the Downtown Line or DTL, will extend from Bugis along the Bukit Timah Road corridor.

    Mid way, it will also make a stop at the Botanical Gardens, before making a connection with the Bukit Panjang LRT network.

    This 16.6 kilometre stretch will have 12 stations, and is likely to be completed in 2015.

    It is estimated that a trip from Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang to downtown will be cut by some 15 minutes.

    And trips from the Bukit Panjang area to the city centre, which takes 60 minutes currently, will be shortened by a third.

    The last stage will connect the rest of the DTL to the Expo Station in the eastern part of Singapore.

    It will travel through estates such as Macpherson and Tampines.

    At 19 kilometres, this is also the longest portion of the project, and will pass through 15 stations.

    Residents travelling from Bedok Reservoir and Tampines to the city will be able to cut their journeys by 10 minutes.

    Transport Minister Raymond Lim says, "It's part and parcel of our strategy to try and make public transport a choice mode and the key part of this strategy is to increase the rail density and coverage. In detail it's important because it goes into areas which are not served by the MRT, it takes us from the north side down to the eastern side. So you have northwest into the east.

    "The northwestern corridor now will be served by RTS, rapid transit system, so you have Bukit Panjang all the way down to the Bukit Timah corridor… and the Bukit Timah corridor is a heavily congested corridor which we need…and also pushing into the east will serve areas which are not served by the RTS."

    LTA expects the number of commuters on the DTL to hit half a million daily.

    The decision as to which company will get to run the DTL will be made at a later date.

    Circle Line will also be extended from the Promenade Station to Bayfront to enhance accessibility of the Marina Bay Area, and this will likely be completed in 2012.

    "I think it is good, that people are coming forward with proposals and suggestions… not just SBST, but others have come forward," says Mr Lim.

    "It is good that people come up with proposals, that people debate the issues, engage in this public transport issue.

    "And on our part, we'll consider all these various proposals in our ongoing land transport review. But our aim is to ensure we have a more efficient integrated public transport system that will serve commuters well." - CNA/yy

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    Default Re: Govt approves S$12b MRT Downtown Line to be built by 2018

    For those who may not have come across it yet, you can get an idea of the abovementioned MRT line from this link (I'm quite impressed by the map which I've not seen elsewhere)
    http://forums.condosingapore.com/images/mrtmapfinal.jpg

  3. #3
    mr funny is offline Any complaints please PM me
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    Default Re: Govt approves S$12b MRT Downtown Line to be built by 2018

    Published April 28, 2007

    $12b Downtown MRT line ready in 2018

    33-station network to link north-west and east of island to CBD, Marina Bay

    By SAMUEL EE
    AND BENITA AW YEONG


    (SINGAPORE) The $12 billion Downtown Line (DTL) will be built in three stages and is expected to be ready in 2018. It will have 33 stations - 11 of them linked to the existing MRT network - and will connect the north-west and east of the island to the central business district and Marina Bay.

    Most of the stations will be underground to optimise land use and minimise land acquisition. When completed, the DTL will add 40 km to the current network's 109 km of track as well as the upcoming Circle Line's 37 km.

    The Land Transport Authority, which is in charge of building the DTL, says the line will:

    # Enhance accessibility to the new downtown;

    # Expand the MRT network into new corridors;

    # Cut travel time; and

    # Improve connectivity on the existing network.

    Transport Minister Raymond Lim said yesterday in a speech at an LTA work-plan seminar that LTA will significantly increase the density of the current rail network, given its ability to carry large numbers of people quickly and reliably.

    Singapore's limited land means transport planning is critical, he said. Lack of land also means trade-offs. But the government always strives to do 'the right thing rather than the popular thing'.

    'If we succumb to political pressure and intervene to override the Public Transport Council when it approves, for example, a bus fare increase, then we will not be serving the long-term interest of the general public,' Mr Lim said.

    The first stage of the DTL is 4.3 km long with six stations running from Bugis to Chinatown via Bayfront - the station that will serve the Marina Bay Sands resort and the new Marina Bay Financial Centre. The target date for completion of this stage is 2013.

    The second stage is 16.6 km long and will serve the Bukit Timah corridor. Its 12 stations stretch from the Bugis station on the East-West Line to Bukit Panjang LRT. This stage comprises the previously announced Bukit Timah Line. The locations of the other stations will only be determined next year. Completion for this stage is targeted for 2015.

    The final stage of the DTL comprises the northern half of the previously announced Eastern Region Line and runs for 19.1 km from the North-east Line's Chinatown station to the East-West Line's Expo station. As with the second stage, its exact alignment and the location of stations will be determined in 2010.

    For an idea of how travel time can be improved, LTA said yesterday that the current 60-minute trip from Bukit Panjang to the city will be slashed by a third. It hopes this will encourage motorists to switch to public transport.

    LTA wants to bring the public in on the future of public transport, so it has launched a series of focus group discussions to get suggestions and feedback.

    It has also launched 'The Great Transport Challenge 2020 - if I were the Transport Minister' - a game in which players get a chance to be transport minister for at least a day.

    Players will have to tackle issues such as the impact of more roads on the environment and the amount of resources that should be allocated to promote public transport.

    Public transport now accounts for 63 per cent of all morning peak-hour trips. The government has said that it aims to raise this to at least 70 per cent by 2020 - and the DTL is the next phase of development in the overall plan.

    LTA said yesterday that tenders for two civil contracts have closed and construction is likely to start later this year or early next.

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    mr funny is offline Any complaints please PM me
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    Default 33-station Downtown Line gets go-ahead, will be ready by 2018

    April 28, 2007

    33-station Downtown Line gets go-ahead, will be ready by 2018

    By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent


    THE Government is embarking on its most ambitious rail project ever: the 40km, 33-station Downtown Line, which will be fully completed by 2018.

    Yesterday, Transport Minister Raymond Lim announced that the project - which was first mentioned in 2001 - has been given the green light, 20 years after the first trains started rolling here.

    At an estimated $12 billion, it costs more than the 33.3km $6.7 billion Circle and 20km $4.6 billion North-East lines put together.

    For every kilometre of track, the price tag is 60 per cent heftier than envisaged six years ago, and it takes into account the cost of concrete, which has nearly trebled in recent months.

    The Downtown Line will be built in three stages:

    # The first is a 4.3km six-stop loop that links mega-projects like the Sands integrated resort and Marina Bay financial centre to the Circle, East-West and North-East lines. The first major contracts will be awarded in the second half of this year, and construction could start by the end of the year. This stage is targeted to be done by 2013.

    # The second stage continues westwards along Bukit Timah Road to end at the Bukit Panjang LRT network. When the 16.6km, 12-stop part is completed in 2015, travel time from Bukit Panjang to the city centre will be cut from 60 minutes today to 40 minutes.

    # The final leg of the Downtown Line swings eastwards, passing the MacPherson, Bedok Reservoir and Tampines areas to end at the East-West Line's Expo station. This 19.1km, 15-stop stretch is due to be up in 2018.

    Bedok Reservoir and Tampines residents going to town will have their commuting time cut by 10 minutes. The line will also serve future students of the University of New South Wales Asia in Changi.

    Like the Circle Line, the Downtown Line trains will have three carriages, instead of six in MRT lines in operation today. Its stations will also be smaller.

    The line will cost 30 per cent more to build if it was to handle heavier loads, such as those of existing networks. Nonetheless, the new line is expected to handle an average of 500,000 commuters a day.

    Mr Lim said more MRT lines will follow.

    'Over the next 10 to 15 years, we will significantly increase the density of our rail network.'

    His ministry is now doing a comprehensive review with the aim of raising public transport's share of journeys from 63 per cent to 70 per cent.

    With a projected 6.5 million population, that would mean 12.7 million daily journeys - from 5.3 million today.

    But Mr Lim said 'to reach the 70 per cent target, we need a holistic approach...we need to do more than rely on the rapid transit system'.

    Asked for his comments on a proposal for the two transport operators here to merge, Mr Lim said, 'we'll consider all proposals'.

    He said it was too early to say who will operate the Downtown Line.

    Meanwhile, The Straits Times understands the Government is still looking at the public-private partnership, or PPP, model to finance new transport projects. This is where a private enterprise builds public infrastructure and partakes of revenue from it.

    LTA chairman Michael Lim said yesterday: 'We've never ruled out PPP. But we've not started deliberating on it.'

    [email protected]

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    Default Re: Govt approves S$12b MRT Downtown Line to be built by 2018

    Residents living near planned Downtown MRT Line welcome service
    By May Wong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 28 April 2007 1846 hrs


    SINGAPORE : Residents living near the future Downtown MRT Line have welcomed the service, saying it is long overdue.

    They also have their own ideas on where the stations should be located.

    Our reporter visited the Bukit Timah area, where the Downtown line will run to find out more.

    Somewhere near Turf City and around crowded areas where schools like National Junior College are located: these are just some of the potential MRT station sites in Bukit Timah which residents proposed.

    But no matter where the stations are, many are just glad they will see a train service headed their way.

    "It's fantastic, it would be much more convenient for the Downtown Line to come up to Bukit Timah area and the MRT station is preferably somewhere near COURTS store," said one resident.

    "Maybe I can sell my car, and I can take public transport now," said another.

    "It makes the whole transport system very accessible because when government is talking about cutting down on the number of cars on the road, then public transport becomes an important thing."

    But what about the traffic congestion likely to occur during construction?

    "I don't mind really. I think the benefits that comes along after outweighs the inconvenience in the meantime. I just hope it's faster," said one resident.

    The Downtown Line comprises three stages.

    The first is a loop to link places like the Integrated Resort at Marina to the other MRT lines, like the East-West track.

    The second part will head westwards along Bukit Timah Road, stopping at places like Botanic Gardens and ending at Bukit Panjang LRT.

    The last section will connect east to the Expo Station, passing through estates like Macpherson and Tampines.

    Part of the new Downtown Line is expected to be constructed along Bukit Timah Road.

    Currently, there are no MRT stations there.

    Residents said the nearest MRT station is the Newton station.

    So with the upcoming Downtown Line, residents say not only will it be more convenient, but they are also looking forward to a boost in their property prices.

    "The property price sure will go up unless it's too near to it and it's noisy. If not the case, it'll be convenient. So it should add value."

    "Of course it'll enhance their property values, And besides that there're quite a few good schools along this track."

    So residents in Bukit Timah can soon tap their way into the train carriages when part of the MRT line for the area is ready in 2015. - CNA/ch

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    mr funny is offline Any complaints please PM me
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    Default Re: Govt approves S$12b MRT Downtown Line to be built by 2018

    April 29, 2007

    Residents hail new line, but want it sooner

    Property values near Downtown Line's 33 stations may rise once project is ready

    By Melissa Sim & Cheryl Tan


    THE new Downtown Line will be just the ticket for student Joan Ang, who has to chop and change on three different trains to get from Bukit Panjang to Bugis.

    It will be a direct route on the new track - and probably cheaper as the distance is less - but not for another eight years.

    'It's a pity the new line can't be up sooner,' said Ms Ang, 16, who often travels to the east for fencing training.

    The $12 billion line and its 33 stations will be built in three stages and finished by 2018, it was announced on Friday.

    It will run from Bukit Panjang to Bugis, loop around the Marina Bay area, pass through Chinatown, head east to Tampines and end at the Singapore Expo.

    Travel time from Bukit Panjang or Tampines to the city will be cut by 10 minutes.

    Residents who would benefit from the line welcomed the decision to go ahead with the network, which was first mentioned in 2001.

    Bukit Timah housewife Jennifer Woodford, 48, said she would save money if she could take the MRT to town instead of a taxi.

    Others felt the new line would benefit the environment, as it would reduce road traffic.

    Bedok Reservoir resident Brenda Lee, 49, a dental nurse, said: 'I'm pro-environment. I would give up my car and take the train if the MRT station is next to where I stay.'

    Madam Lee will have even more to cheer about if the station is near her home.

    PropNex chief executive Mohamed Ismail said properties near MRT stations usually sell for 10 per cent more than similar ones in the area that are further from the stations.

    But ERA president Jack Chua added that property prices would not rise until the exact location of the stations is determined.

    MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Baey Yam Keng said the line would attract people to regional centres.

    'It's a two-way flow of people. It's also good for tourists to get around Singapore,' he said.

    Bukit Panjang MP Teo Ho Pin felt Bukit Panjang would become a hub.

    He said: 'Recent renovations at Bukit Panjang Plaza have increased traffic 50 per cent. Hopefully the MRT will give it another boost.'

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    'It's a pity the new line can't be up sooner.'
    STUDENT JOAN ANG, 16. The line is scheduled to be finished by 2018
    Attached Files Attached Files

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    Default Residents living near planned Downtown MRT Line welcome service

    Residents living near planned Downtown MRT Line welcome service

    By May Wong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 28 April 2007 1846 hrs


    SINGAPORE : Residents living near the future Downtown MRT Line have welcomed the service, saying it is long overdue.

    They also have their own ideas on where the stations should be located.

    Our reporter visited the Bukit Timah area, where the Downtown line will run, to find out more.

    Somewhere near Turf City and around crowded areas where schools like National Junior College are located: these are just some of the potential MRT station sites in Bukit Timah which residents proposed.

    But no matter where the stations are, many are just glad they will see a train service headed their way.

    "It's fantastic, it would be much more convenient for the Downtown Line to come up to Bukit Timah area and the MRT station is preferably somewhere near the COURTS store," said one resident.

    "Maybe I can sell my car, and I can take public transport now," said another.

    "It makes the whole transport system very accessible because when government is talking about cutting down on the number of cars on the road, then public transport becomes an important thing."

    But what about the traffic congestion likely to occur during construction?

    "I don't mind really. I think the benefits that comes along after outweighs the inconvenience in the meantime. I just hope it's faster," said one resident.

    The Downtown Line comprises three stages.

    The first is a loop to link places like the Integrated Resort at Marina to the other MRT lines, like the East-West track.

    The second part will head westwards along Bukit Timah Road, stopping at places like Botanic Gardens and ending at Bukit Panjang LRT.

    The last section will connect east to the Expo Station, passing through estates like Macpherson and Tampines.

    Part of the new Downtown Line is expected to be constructed along Bukit Timah Road.

    Currently, there are no MRT stations there.

    Residents said the nearest MRT station is the Newton station.

    Residents say not only will it be more convenient with the upcoming Downtown Line, but they are also looking forward to a boost in their property prices.

    "The property price sure will go up unless it's too near to it and it's noisy. If not the case, it'll be convenient. So it should add value."

    "Of course it'll enhance their property values, And besides that there're quite a few good schools along this track."

    So residents in Bukit Timah can soon tap their way into the train carriages when part of the MRT line for the area is ready in 2015. - CNA/ch

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