Allow high-speed rail to benefit more heartlanders

I refer to the report “New rail terminus will give Jurong fresh impetus: Analysts” (May 6).

The siting of the high-speed rail (HSR) terminus in Jurong East is set to boost the area’s status as a secondary business district, in the spirit of London’s Canary Wharf and Tokyo’s Shiodome.

Unfortunately, it seems to have left residents in the east and north-east of Singapore in the dust.

As of last year, six of Singapore’s 10 most-populated planning areas lie east of the Central Water Catchment. Bedok leads the pack with more than 293,000 residents.

The journey from home to the terminus for residents in these areas could be almost as long as the high-speed journey from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Siglap and Elias residents, for example, now require at least 80 minutes by public transport to reach Jurong East MRT station.

For the HSR service to be relevant to the majority of the population, steps should be taken to facilitate travel from Singapore’s other regions to the terminus.

For example, the Cross Island MRT Line (CRL), slated to be completed by 2030, is set to pass through Jurong, and feasibility studies of express services on the line are under way.

If a direct link is established between the HSR terminus and the CRL station in the Jurong secondary business district, greater connectivity between the terminus and the rest of Singapore can be achieved.

More heartlanders would benefit from the convenience the new rail link will offer.

The connectivity of its service could be further enhanced, to benefit locals and tourists alike, through an express rail link between the CRL and Changi Airport.