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LTA Awards Final Civil Contract for Cross Island Line-Punggol Extension

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Singapore Train

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the final civil contract for the Elias station and tunnels under the Cross Island Line-Punggol Extension (CPe) to a joint venture of construction companies CES_SDC and Chip Eng Seng Contractors. Work on the underground station is scheduled to commence in the second half of 2023, with passenger service commencing in 2032.

About the New Elias Station

Elias station will be built at a depth of about 40m and have five entrances. The CPe Elias station is located along Pasir Ris Drive 3 and will be located 40 meters below the surface. The CPe is a 7.3-km-long extension of the Cross Island Line (CRL) and will include four stations, including Punggol, Riviera, Elias, and Pasir Ris. It will improve rail connectivity in Pasir Ris and Tampines North, Punggol, and Sengkang. A 1.4km long tunnel will link Elias and Pasir Ris stations, with the deepest section approximately 50m below ground.

How Elias CPe will Help Singaporeans

The CPe will provide better rail connectivity for Singaporeans living in eastern areas such as Pasir Ris and Tampines North along with northeastern areas such as Punggol and Sengkang. More than 40,000 households are expected to benefit from the line.

Once fully operational in 2032, commuters travelling from Elias to the Hougang residential area will have their average journey time halved from 40 minutes to 20 minutes.

About the Cross Island Line

The Cross Island Line (CRL) is Singapore’s eighth MRT line. It will be constructed in three phases. CRL Phase 1 is 29km long and comprises 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill. Construction is underway and is scheduled to be completed by 2030. CRL Phase 2, announced in September 2022, is approximately 15km and comprises six underground stations. Engineering studies for CRL Phase 3 are ongoing.

About the Contractors

CES_SDC Pte. Ltd. and Chip Eng Seng Contractors (1988) Pte Ltd are established construction and civil engineering contractors. CES_SDC Pte. Ltd. was involved in the construction of the Marina South station for the Thomson-East Coast Line and the company is currently involved in the construction of two stations along the Jurong Region Line. Meanwhile, SMRT Corporation, a leading public transport operator, started passenger operations along Stage 3 of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), with the help of LTA and system suppliers.

Commenting on the same, SMRT CEO, Ngien Hoon Ping, said: “Through strong partnership, sincere engagement, and efficient planning, we will continue to renew and re-engineer our railway infrastructure, trains systems, and operations to achieve operational and service excellence.” SMRT CEO further added: “We will implement Project Overwatch to improve rail reliability on the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) and the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL).”

Conclusion

The CRL will be constructed in three phases. The line will have almost half of its stations as interchanges with other rail lines, making it easier and more convenient for commuters to travel across the rail network. As the final civil contract is now awarded by LTA, construction works for the CPe Elias station and tunnels will start in the second quarter of 2023 with passenger service targeted to commence in 2032.

About the Author

Jiwon Lee

Jiwon has been working in the education sector for the past 10 years. Previously, she lived in Malaysia for five years and then moved to Singapore in 2012. She loves city life and enjoys writing about her travel experiences with people.

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