SINGAPORE - The Jurong Region Line (JRL), which will serve residents in Choa Chu Kang, Boon Lay and future developments in the Tengah area, will have 24 stations and open in three phases starting from 2026.
The 24km-line, which will be above ground entirely, will also link up to the North-South Line at Choa Chu Kang and the East-West Line at Boon Lay.
Details of the island's seventh MRT line were announced on Wednesday (May 9) by Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who said the JRL will improve the resilience of the entire MRT network.
He said the two interchange stations at Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay will offer commuters alternative travel routes, redistributing and relieving train loading between Choa Chu Kang and Jurong East stations so commuters can have more comfortable rides.
The JRL, Mr Khaw said, will go towards achieving the Government's vision for Jurong. It will help develop the Jurong Lake District into the largest commercial hub outside the Central Business District and support the development of the Jurong Innovation District.
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The upcoming Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail in Jurong will also offer commuters connections to Malaysia.
Said Mr Khaw: "When all these plans come together, Jurong will be a water front business hub nestled in greenery, served by good public transport connections, as well as amenities to support active mobility."
He added that the JRL "marks a quantum leap" in the development of the Jurong region, which was until the 1950s, mostly swamps, jungles and fishing villages. The region has, however, been built up into an economic and residential centre, with 300,000 residents and 400,000 workers.
The new MRT line will connect to places such as Nanyang Technological University, Jurong Industrial estate, including Jurong Island and the future Jurong Gateway.
Mr Khaw gave the update on the JRL during a visit on Wednesday to the site of the future Canberra station, which he announced will be open for service by December 2019.
The new MRT line will connect to places such as Nanyang Technological University, Jurong Industrial estate, including Jurong Island and the future Jurong Gateway. ST PHOTO: ADRIAN LIM
Canberra is located between Sembawang and Yishun stations on the North-South Line. It will serve commuters living in nearby estates such as Sembawang Springs, as well as a mix of upcoming public and private residential developments in the neighbourhood.
Around 17,000 households stand to benefit as they will be within a 10-minute walk from the station.
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The Jurong Region Line (JRL) is expected to serve more than 200,000 commuters in its initial years of opening, connecting to areas previously unserved by the rail system, such as NTU.
On Wednesday, the Land Transport Authority unveiled the 24km alignment and 24 stations of the JRL, which will open in stages from 2026.
The JRL will also serve residents of Choa Chu Kang, Boon Lay, Jurong and the future Tengah area, and also connect upcoming areas like the Jurong Innovation District.
Ridership is expected to rise to 500,000, in tandem with the development of the innovation district, Jurong Lake District and Tengah area.
The JRL will have three interchange stations at Boon Lay (East-West Line), Choa Chu Kang (North-South Line) and Jurong East (East-West and North-South).
The first phase of the line to open, in 2026, will be the JRL (West) segment comprising 10 stations linking Choa Chu Kang to Boon Lay and Tawas.
The second phase, to open in 2027, will be the JRL (East) segment with seven stations, providing connectivity between Tengah and Pandan Reservoir.
The final phase in 2028 will see the line extending further into the west to NTU and Jurong Pier in the south.
The medium-capacity line will be fully above ground and use train cars which measure 18.6m by 2.8m, smaller than those used on the Circle Line, which are about 23m by 3.2m.
Each train will have three cars each, that will be powered by a power-supplying third rail.
The JRL system will be designed with a headway, or train interval, of 90 seconds. However, authorities plan to run the trains at intervals of between two and three minute at the start.
To facilitate the construction of the Jurong Region Line, close to 24,000 sq m of land will have to be acquired.
This includes a Housing Board multi-storey carpark with shops at Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4.
Another 19 plots of land will also need to be taken over but these will be a partial acquisition which affects only ancillary features such as green verges and boundary walls or fencing.
SINGAPORE: The new Jurong Region Line (JRL), Singapore’s seventh MRT line, will open in three phases starting from 2026, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Wednesday (May 9).
JRL will be 24km long with 24 stations above ground, Mr Khaw said, adding that the line will connect with the North-South Line and East-West Line with interchange stations at Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay.
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It will serve five key locations in the West namely Choa Chu Kang, Jurong East, Boon Lay/Jurong West, Jurong Industrial Estate and Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
The stations are expected to put 60,000 more households within a 10-minute walk from a train station, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in a media briefing on Wednesday.
Jurong Region Line will be Singapore's seventh MRT line. (Photo: Fann Sim)
SHORTER TRAVEL TIMES
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The new line, which will open in three stages starting 2026, is expected to serve more than 200,000 commuters when the first stretch opens in 2026.
Ridership is expected to grow to 500,000 when the Jurong Innovation District, Tengah area and Jurong Lake District are fully developed, said LTA.
The first phase will see the stations between Choa Chu Kang to Boon Lay and Tawas station open. Followed by seven stations between Tengah and Pandan Reservoir in 2027.
In the last phase, three stations in NTU, as well as stations from Boon Lay to Jurong Pier will open in 2028, LTA said.
JRL will shorten travel times within the western part of Singapore. For instance, a commuter staying in Woodlands and working in Jurong Island will be able to reach Jurong Island Checkpoint in 45 minutes as opposed to 80 minutes today.
For the construction of the line, one HDB carpark at Blk 303 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4 will be acquired, along with slivers of land affecting 19 buildings on those lots.
A temporary car park will be set up and more details will be made available later.
3-CAR TRAINS “SMALLER THAN CIRCLE LINE, BUT BIGGER THAN LRT”
Three-car trains will be used on the JRL, powered by the third rail system, said LTA.
These trains can be expanded to add a fourth car when ridership increases with developments in the Jurong area. All 24 train stations will be built to accommodate four-car trains, Mr Ngien said.
Speaking during a visit to the worksite of Canberra MRT station on the North-South Line, Mr Khaw said the JRL will improve the resilience of the entire MRT network and provide commuters with alternative travel routes.
“This will help to distribute and relieve train loading between Choa Chu Kang and Jurong East stations, so that commuters can enjoy more comfortable rides,” Mr Khaw said.
He added that the JRL will help develop the Jurong Lake District into the largest commercial hub outside the central business district. It will also support the development of the Jurong Innovation District into a next-generation industrial estate.
“Together with the upcoming Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail, commuters will have convenient connections not just within western Singapore, but also to Malaysia. When all these plans come together, Jurong will be a waterfront business hub nestled in greenery, served by good public transport connections, as well as amenities to support active mobility. This is our vision for Jurong,” he said.
INDUSTRIAL SECTOR TO BENEFIT MOST FROM JRL
The new JRL is likely to have the most positive impact on the industrial sector, due to the improved accessibility to the Jurong Innovation District, Jurong Industrial Estate, International Business Park, and CleanTech Park, said Ms Christine Li, senior director of research at Cushman & Wakefield. It will also indirectly improve the linkage of these areas to the Tuas mega port via the East-West Line.
As a result, industrial rents in these areas will experience an uplift, said Ms Li.
The commercial sector is also likely to see some benefit, as will the retail sector, with major malls at interchange stations such as Jurong Point, JEM, and Westgate likely to experience an increase in footfall and sales, Ms Li added.
The announcement of the JRL also complements the planned KL-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR).
"With both the JRL and HSR in operation, Singaporean and Malaysian businesses will have the added incentive to site their offices and manufacturing activities in the Jurong Lake District and surrounding industrial estates," Ms Li said.
The residential sector, however, could face some pressure.
"Existing residential areas may not see significant improvement as they are already in close proximity to existing stations on the EWL and NSL. Residential rents may also be depressed over the next decade due to noise from the construction activities," Ms Li said.
