Singapore LTA’s initiatives to meet projected demand-
The Singapore mass rapid transit (MRT) system is the backbone of public transportation in the city-state. The MRT system is the second oldest metro system in Asia after the Manila light rail transit system in the Philippines, and has been operational since 1987.
Currently, the MRT network, operated by Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA), comprises five lines, which together cover 183 km with 142 stations. As of 2015, on an average, 3 million passengers use the MRT per day. Table 1 gives the network details of the Singapore MRT.
Gearing up for demand
The daily ridership in Singapore is expected to rise from 8.9 million to about 14.3 million by 2020. To meet this rising demand, the Singapore LTA is extensively expanding its MRT network. Overall, five MRT projects are currently at various stages of implementation, while another six MRT projects are planned. Together, these projects will add over 196 km to Singapore LTA’s network. Table 2 provides details of the planned MRT projects in Singapore.
Projects under implementation
At present, five MRT projects are currently at various stages of implementation, together entailing an investment of $22.4 billion.
Downtown Line 2 (DTL2): The line will cover 16.6 km with 12 stations, running completely underground. It will serve northwest Singapore, and connect Bugis to Bukit Panjang. The line will offer interchanges to the North-East Line, North-South Line, and the Circle Line. The project is under construction, and in June 2015, the LTA announced that it is scheduled to open ahead of schedule, in December 2015. The line was earlier scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2016.
Downtown Line 3 (DTL3): The line will cover 21 km with 16 stations, running completely underground. It will serve east Singapore, and connect Bukit Panjang to Expo. The line will offer interchanges to the Circle Line and the East-West Line. It is under construction and is expected to be completed by 2017.
Tuas West Extension: The project involves extending the existing East-West Line by 7.5 km, from the Joo Koon station to Tuas Link. The project involves the construction of the first twin-tier viaduct in Singapore, with the new elevated dual three-lane road designed to relieve Tuas’s infamous heavy traffic load (which is expected to increase when the port is moved there in 2030). It has been under construction since 2011 and is scheduled to be completed by 2030.
North-South Line Extension: The project involves extending the North-South Line by one station (Canberra). The China State Construction Engineering Corporation (Singapore) secured the construction contract in April 2015 and the project is scheduled to be completed by 2019.
Thomson Line: The line will connect the northern part of Singapore to the central business district (CBD) and Marina Bay area. It will cover 32 km with 22 stations, and have interchanges with all MRT lines. The project is under construction and expected to be completed by 2019.
Conclusion
By 2030, the Singapore MRT network is set to double its current coverage. The aim remains that by then eight in 10 households will live within 10 minutes of a train station. With the planned expansions, the Singapore MRT network is expected to surpass those of major cities such as Tokyo or Hong Kong, and be comparable to that of New York City.
