Possibility of linking Jurong Lake District, Jurong Town Hall stations as interchange being studied: Iswaran
Singapore is studying whether the Jurong Lake District station on the Cross Island MRT line (CRL) and the Jurong Town Hall station on the Jurong Region Line are to be linked as an interchange, Transport Minister S. Iswaran said on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters at the official reopening of the upgraded Ayer Rajah Food Centre and Market in West Coast Drive, Mr Iswaran said: "The engineers and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) team are continuing to study this... we need to create meaningful interconnections in our MRT system for convenience and resilience."
In some instances, train lines may run parallel but they serve different commuter movement objectives, he added.
The Jurong Lake District station is one of six stations under phase two of the CRL, which was announced by Mr Iswaran on Tuesday.
The other five stations are: West Coast, King Albert Park, Maju, Clementi and Turf City.
Construction work on phase two of the CRL is expected to begin in 2023. It is slated to open by 2032.
Once completed, it will benefit 40,000 households, including those living in Sunset Way and West Coast Road, which are currently not served by any MRT line.
Regarding the feasibility study on the West Coast extension to link the Jurong Region Line to the Circle Line along the Haw Par Villa area, Mr Iswaran said: "I would allow our engineers and planners time to do a proper job. It's important that what we do is sustainable both from a physical and an environmental point of view."
Concerning the feedback received about the location of the West Coast MRT station on the CRL, Mr Iswaran said the alignment of the train line has to take into account various considerations.
"The engineers and LTA work with various government bodies. You have to take into account the underground as well as above-ground conditions," he said.
"We also have to look at it from an alignment point of view, how it complements the urban development and the other facilities planned today or for the future."
Concerns have been raised by residents and businesses close to phase two of the CRL about the locations of the new stations and construction-related traffic jams.
Mr Iswaran said the authorities have taken into account feedback from residents and factored it in their discussions and planning.
He added that a major construction project such as phase two of the CRL involves disruptions and some inconvenience.
Mr Iswaran said that in some cases, land acquisitions could be involved, and consideration is taken to minimise the impact on people living in the area.
The West Coast MRT location is close to the upgraded Ayer Rajah Food Centre and residential area.
The upgraded Ayer Rajah Food Centre and Market was reopened in August. It had been closed in May for three months for upgrading works.
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