The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been studying the West Coast Extension, which involves extending the Jurong Region Line (JRL) for improved rail connectivity in the West.
The initial plan for the West Coast Extension, first mentioned by former transport minister Lui Tuck Yew in 2015, involves extending the JRL to form a new MRT interchange at the existing Haw Par Villa station on the Circle Line (CCL).
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West Coast Extension is given the green light to proceed
During the parliamentary debate on this year’s budget for the Ministry of Transport (MOT) on Wednesday (Mar 5), Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat confirmed that the West Coast Extension will proceed and be implemented in two phases.
The Jurong Region Line will first extend to West Coast station of CRL by the late 2030s and then to Kent Ridge station of CCL by the early 2040s. (Image: SGTrains)
The first phase consists of extending the JRL from Pandan Reservoir station to connect with the Cross Island Line (CRL) at the future West Coast station by the late 2030s.
Following that, the second phase involves extending the JRL further from the future West Coast station to connect with the CCL at Kent Ridge station instead by the early 2040s.
A news article published by The Straits Times mentioned that LTA identified Kent Ridge station to be “a more optimal connection point” after it assessed various factors, such as projected transport demand and future developments in the area.
Mr Chee also confirmed during the parliamentary debate that authorities are looking into the feasibility of opening two new MRT lines, Seletar Line and Tengah Line, which could serve more than 400,000 households in the 2040s.
READ MORE: Seletar, Tengah MRT lines being studied, could be combined into a single line and opened from 2040s »
LTA said the West Coast Extension will provide time savings for residents in the West travelling towards the city centre. It added that the extension will also “strengthen the resilience of our rail network” by providing alternative travel options.
The revival of discussions on the need for the West Coast Extension came after the massive train disruption on the East-West Line (EWL) in September 2024, which paralysed rail connectivity in the West between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations for six days.
RELATED: East-West Line to fully resume services on Oct 1, 2024 »
SEE ALSO: LTA, rail operators to investigate root causes of three unrelated MRT disruptions in a week »
Rejuvenation of older MRT stations on North-South, East-West lines
Mr Chee said LTA is looking into a multi-year programme to rejuvenate the stations on the North-South and East-West lines (NSEWL), which have been in operation for over 30 years. Yishun station on the North-South Line (NSL) will be the first to undergo the programme.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng said this programme ensures that “commuter infrastructure keeps pace with changing needs” as the daily ridership on the NSEWL has grown to 1.6 million from 900,000 when Woodlands Extension opened in 1996.
“Our infrastructure must also be inclusive, especially for seniors and those who need more assistance with navigation,” added Mr Baey.
The programme will involve various improvements, which may include making stations more accessible, with additional escalators and lifts, improving navigation with better wayfinding signages, and upgrading amenities like toilets and services.
Such improvements being studied for Yishun station include extending the station platform to ease peak hour crowding, adding more escalators, lifts, and access points to facilitate commuter flow, and improving the transfer experience to adjacent transport nodes.
Before the case study for rejuvenating Yishun station is completed, Mr Baey said improvement plans have already been made for other NSEWL stations, which will become future MRT interchanges with the JRL and CRL.
These NSEWL stations include Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay stations, with works to be completed in 2027, Jurong East station in 2028, Pasir Ris and Ang Mo Kio stations in 2030, and Clementi station in 2032.
Related Links
Jurong Region Line – SGTrains
Cross Island Line – SGTrains
Circle Line – SGTrains
Future Train Network Map – SGTrains
Future Lines and Extensions – SGTrains
External Links
Expanding our Rail Network and Strengthening Rail Reliability and Resilience – LTA
Speech by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Mr Baey Yam Keng, at MOT Committee of Supply Debate 2025
Images: SGTrains.
This article first appeared on SGTrains.