Cross Island Line extension to link Punggol to eastern areas by 2031

SINGAPORE — Punggol residents will have a direct link to the eastern areas with an extension of the Cross Island Line (CRL) that will be completed by 2031, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Tuesday (March 10).

The fully underground extension, called the Cross Island Line (CRL) — Punggol Extension, will have four stations: Punggol, Riviera, Elias and Pasir Ris.

Average travelling time for more than 40,000 households will almost be halved due to the extension, LTA said.

Some Punggol residents will be able to reach Pasir Ris, Loyang Industrial Area or Hougang within 20 to 25 minutes by train, instead of a 40-minute bus ride now.

Three of the stations of the extension are interchange stations, allowing commuters to transfer between the East-West Line, North East Line and Punggol LRT. The Elias station will be built near the Elias Mall.

Senior Minister of State (Transport and Communications and Information) Janil Puthucheary announced on Tuesday plans to build the extension, for which construction will start in 2022.

Dr Janil said the new extension as part of the Cross Island Line will ensure connectivity to developing growth hubs. He was speaking at the work site for tunnels leading to the Punggol Coast station on the North East Line that will be built by 2023.

“The Cross Island Line provides crucial transport capacity needed to support the development of new and exciting growth hubs outside of the city centre, such as Jurong Lake District and Punggol Digital District,” he said.

He added that inconveniences of its construction will be kept to a minimum.

“As with any major project, there will be some inconveniences to nearby residents and businesses when construction is still ongoing,” he said. “We will be working with residents, grassroot leaders, and Members of Parliament to keep these to a minimum."