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SINGAPORE: The government has approved plans for the S$12 billion Downtown Line, to be completed 2018.
The new rail project will add 40 kilometres to the existing Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, with most of the new stations located underground.
It is part of the plan to provide transportation needs for the projected population of 6.5 million people in twenty years' time.
Currently it is estimated that 63 per cent of all commuters use public transport during the morning rush hour.
The government aims to raise this number to 70 per cent by 2020.
Part of the strategy is the addition of 33 stations on the Downtown Line, ten of which will be near or next to existing interchange stations.
Construction of Phase 1 which will serve the Marina Bay area will begin as early as the end of this year, and be completed by 2013.
This 4.3 kilometre section will connect the North East Line from Chinatown station.
Along the way, it will stop at Cross Street, Landmark, Bayfront, Promenade.
This will then be linked with the East-West line at Bugis Station.
Phase 2 of the Downtown Line or DTL, will extend from Bugis along the Bukit Timah Road corridor.
Mid way, it will also make a stop at the Botanic Gardens, before making a connection with the Bukit Panjang LRT network.
This 16.6 kilometre stretch will have 12 stations, and is likely to be completed in 2015.
It is estimated that a trip from Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang to downtown will be cut by some 15 minutes.
And trips from the Bukit Panjang area to the city centre, which takes 60 minutes currently, will be shortened by a third.
The last stage will connect the rest of the DTL to the Expo Station in the eastern part of Singapore.
It will travel through estates such as Macpherson and Tampines.
At 19 kilometres, this is also the longest portion of the project, and will pass through 15 stations.
Residents travelling from Bedok Reservoir and Tampines to the city will be able to cut their journeys by 10 minutes.
Transport Minister Raymond Lim says, "It's part and parcel of our strategy to try and make public transport a choice mode and the key part of this strategy is to increase the rail density and coverage. In detail it's important because it goes into areas which are not served by the MRT, it takes us from the north side down to the eastern side. So you have northwest into the east.
"The northwestern corridor now will be served by RTS, rapid transit system, so you have Bukit Panjang all the way down to the Bukit Timah corridor… and the Bukit Timah corridor is a heavily congested corridor which we need…and also pushing into the east will serve areas which are not served by the RTS."
LTA expects the number of commuters on the DTL to hit half a million daily.
The decision as to which company will get to run the DTL will be made at a later date.
Circle Line will also be extended from the Promenade Station to Bayfront to enhance accessibility of the Marina Bay Area, and this will likely be completed in 2012.
"I think it is good, that people are coming forward with proposals and suggestions… not just SBST, but others have come forward," says Mr Lim.
"It is good that people come up with proposals, that people debate the issues, engage in this public transport issue.
"And on our part, we'll consider all these various proposals in our ongoing land transport review. But our aim is to ensure we have a more efficient integrated public transport system that will serve commuters well." - CNA/yy
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