Jurong Region Line Stage 1 delayed six months to mid-2028; new station to be added

SINGAPORE: The first stage of the Jurong Region Line (JRL) will open around mid-2028, six months later than the previously targeted end-2027, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said in parliament on Wednesday (Mar 4).

The additional time required is due to construction delays and testing, he said during a speech laying out his ministry's spending plans for the year.

“I know some of my residents, who have already moved into Tengah, will be disappointed,” said Mr Siow, who is also MP for the area. “But we will do our best to complete the works as soon as possible.”

He also announced the addition of another station located between the upcoming Tengah Central and Choa Chu Kang West stations. It is targeted to open in the mid-2030s, in tandem with the completion of future developments surrounding the station.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a press release that it has been working with contractors to deploy more manpower and equipment to overcome delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but some complex works could not be accelerated.

For example, viaduct construction over the Pan-Island Expressway could only be carried out during overnight road closures on designated nights to ensure the safety of road users.

Construction of a separate viaduct over a 25m-wide canal also took longer than planned, as contractors had to implement more extensive ground reinforcement measures than originally anticipated to ensure structural stability.

An interim shuttle bus service will be introduced in end-2027 to improve connectivity in areas due to be served by JRL Stage 1 until it is opened. More details on this will be announced at a later date.

Bus services with direct connections to the central business district and existing rail lines have also been progressively introduced in Tengah, and LTA said it will continue to adjust bus services based on ridership patterns.

Updated opening timelines for Stages 2 and 3 – originally slated for 2028 and 2029 respectively – will be provided as works progress, LTA said.

Ten stations will open under Stage 1, including interchanges at Boon Lay and Choa Chu Kang.

MRT STATIONS OPENING

Mr Siow also updated parliament on stations set to open in 2026.

Three new Circle Line (CCL) stations – Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward Road – are on track to open mid-year, closing the loop on the CCL. Ongoing tunnel strengthening works must be completed before testing and preparatory work for the three stations can resume, LTA said.

Three additional stations under the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and Downtown Line (DTL) are expected to open in the second half of the year. Bedok South station will be on the TEL, Xilin will be on the DTL, while Sungei Bedok will be an interchange station for both lines.

“To prepare for the opening of these new stations, additional engineering hours will be required to integrate the new systems into the existing network,” said LTA. “We will continue to plan our works carefully to minimise the impact on commuters.”

The new stations bring Singapore closer to its goal of having eight in 10 households within a 10-minute walk of a train station by the 2030s, LTA added.

LONGER-TERM RAIL EXPANSION PLANS

Mr Siow also gave updates on the proposed Seletar and Tengah lines, and the third phase of the Cross-Island Line (CRL).

Engineering studies for the proposed Seletar and Tengah lines will begin this year, he said.

The Seletar Line will initially focus on improving travel options for residents in the northeast, with a corridor being explored that serves Sengkang West and Serangoon North, with possible connections to the CRL and CCL.

Engineering studies on a West Coast extension of the JRL – which will link the line to the CRL's West Coast station – will also begin this year.

Engineering studies for Phase 3 of the CRL have been completed. The phase will extend the line westwards to serve Jurong Industrial Estate and residential developments in Taman Jurong, offering commuters alternative routes from the north and northeast to the west.

Construction is slated to begin next year, with completion targeted for the late 2030s.

CRL Phase 1, stretching from Aviation Park station in Changi to Bright Hill in Sin Ming, is targeted to open in 2030. Phase 2, extending the line to Jurong Lake District along with a Punggol extension, is set to be completed in 2032.