The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has commenced civil construction works for Phase 2 of the Cross Island Line (CRL). Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow officiated the ground-breaking ceremony at the site of the future CRL Clementi station.

2.       Phase 2 of the CRL (CRL2), targeted for completion by 2032, will extend the 29-kilometre-long Phase 1 of the CRL by another 15 kilometres westwards. CRL2 will comprise six underground stations. Two of the six stations will be interchange stations, with CRL King Albert Park station and CRL Clementi station connecting commuters to the Downtown Line (DTL) and East-West Line (EWL) respectively.

3.        CRL2 will improve public transport connectivity for residents living in the West, and shorten travel times for commuters travelling to and from the western parts of Singapore. For example, a West Coast resident travelling to work at Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park can save up to 40 minutes on their commute – from more than an hour by train and bus today, to 30 minutes on the CRL.

4.        When completed, the CRL will significantly enhance the resilience of Singapore’s MRT network. As Singapore’s second orbital line connecting to all of our radial MRT lines, it will greatly improve our rail connectivity and expand the network’s overall capacity. Almost half of the CRL stations will be interchanges, which will open up many new travel routes in our network and provide commuters with more alternative ways of getting around, particularly during scheduled maintenance works or unexpected service disruptions.

Deepest station in Singapore

5.        At 50 metres deep (equivalent to 16-storeys) and extending to five basement levels, CRL King Albert Park interchange station will be Singapore’s deepest station when completed. It will surpass the CRL Pasir Ris station which, when completed, will be 47 metres deep and Bencoolen station on the DTL, currently the deepest underground station at 43 metres.

Construction methods

6.        Addition and alteration works will be carried out at the EWL Clementi station and the DTL King Albert Park station to provide commuters with seamless transfers to the CRL.  Construction works for these transfer links will be implemented in phases, and will be monitored closely to minimise any disruptions to existing train services.

7.        A 5-kilometre bored tunnel between CRL Bright Hill and CR14 stations through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) will be constructed using a Large-Diameter Tunnel Boring Machine (LDTBM). Measuring 12.8 metres in diameter, the LDTBM will bore through the ground only once for the construction of the tunnel which houses two tracks, improving productivity and construction efficiency. The tunnelling works towards the CCNR commenced in May this year, along with ongoing ground improvement works.

8.        To enhance environmental sustainability, the CRL2 stations' permanent structures will be built using greener steel and concrete with less embodied carbon. Complementing these green building materials, the projects will also explore the use of electric machinery such as excavators, tipper trucks and cranes to reduce construction-related emissions and noise. The CRL Changi East Depot, which houses the CRL’s Operations Control Centre as well as maintenance facilities for up to 70 CRL trains, will also be fitted with photovoltaic solar panels to generate renewable energy for depot operations.

Biodiversity measures

9.        CRL2 spans a number of biodiversity areas including Eng Neo Avenue Forest, Maju Forest and Clementi Forest. Since 2013, LTA has worked closely with nature group members to discuss the various alignment options, optimise the worksites, and co-create mitigation measures arising from the environmental impact assessment. This partnership has yielded significant improvements, including reducing the size of worksite A1W1 at Windsor Nature Park from 15,000sqm to 7,000sqm and installing aerial rope bridges and underground culverts to facilitate the safe movement of animals across roads (e.g. Island Club Road and Fairways Drive).

10.       Before works commenced, comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) were carried out to assess any potential impact of the construction and operations on the nearby environment. A robust Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan (EMMP) has been implemented at the sites, including several measures such as opaque screens and windows at the site offices to prevent bird collisions, creation of fauna barriers and box culvert crossings to prevent traffic collisions with animals, as well as wildlife proofing of food waste bins. A new freshwater marsh has also been constructed at the CRL King Albert Park site to serve as a habitat for the fauna and flora from the existing marsh.

11.      In addition, a Biodiversity Training Centre has been set up at the Fairways Drive site office to provide mandatory wildlife awareness training for site workers and promote an environmentally responsible culture on site.

12.       LTA will continue to engage with nature groups throughout the construction and operational of the CRL.

About the CRL

The CRL will be Singapore’s eighth and longest fully underground MRT line at more than 50 kilometres long when fully completed. It will serve the existing and future developments in the eastern, western and north-eastern corridors, linking major hubs such as the Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi. When fully completed, the CRL is expected to have a daily ridership of at least 600,000 in the initial years, growing to one million in the longer term. It will be constructed and opened in three phases.

Phase 1 of the CRL is 29 kilometres long and comprises 12 stations.  Construction works are well in progress and expected to be completed by 2030. The 7.3-kilometre CRL-Punggol Extension comprising four stations is targeted for completion 2032. Engineering studies for CRL Phase 3, which will serve the Jurong Industrial Estate, are currently ongoing, and more details will be announced after these studies are completed.


Annex A:  Cross Island Line alignment map
Annex B:  Artist impressions of CRL2 stations
Annex C:  Projected Travel Time Savings with CRL2