By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent

THE Government will in future not allow completed train stations to remain closed.

Currently, there are 10 LRT stations and one MRT station which are ready but are mothballed.

The MRT station is Woodleigh, on the North-East Line. Of the 10 unopened LRT stations, two are on the Sengkang line and the rest on the Punggol line (mainly the western loop).

But going forward, completed stations will open as soon as trains start rolling, said Transport Minister Raymond Lim.

He told The Straits Times: "The rail system will continue to be the backbone of our public transport system. Going forward, we will ensure that operators open for revenue service all stations that are ready."

He is starting with the Circle Line. Two stations that had their openings 'shelved' - Caldecott in Thomson and Haw Par Villa in West Coast - will now open as soon as the orbital line is completed in 2011.

Purchasing executive Veronica Chua, 41, is thrilled. She and her husband bought an apartment at The Peak@Balmeg, a condominium that is being built and near Haw Par Villa station.

"This is fantastic," she said, adding that the station could bring new life to Pasir Panjang Village. "Parking is limited there. With the MRT, people don't need to drive," she said.

Several years ago, residents in Buangkok lobbied intensely against the delayed opening of the MRT station there. At that time, the reason given was that there were not enough residents living in the neighbourhood to make the station viable.

One advocate of opening rail infrastructure earlier is MP Seah Kian Peng. Mr Seah was among those who pushed for the Circle Line Stage3 to be opened in May this year - even though the short span consisted of five stations.

"The impact for thousands of residents as a result of the early opening is significant. If one can quantify the economic and social benefits it has brought about, I am sure the case for pushing for an early opening is something the Government should look at and not just from an operator's point of view," the MP said.

After nearly five months, daily ridership on the Circle Line Stage3 still averages in the low-30,000s - well below the expected 45,000 to 55,000. Analysts say this is unlikely to improve until the rest of the SMRT Corp-run line opens.

Of the Circle Line's 29 stops, only Bukit Brown station - at a largely unoccupied plot off Lornie Road - will not see the light of day in 2011.

But what about train stations which are completed but will still remain shut?

With new property developments sprouting up around Woodleigh, the unopened station there - with lights and signs on - is drawing attention.

Residents nearby have written to the newspapers to press for an early opening.

Bank officer Lim Wenhui, 28, said: "I live in Joo Seng, which is just three bus stops away from Woodleigh station. Every day, many of us have to take the bus all the way up to Serangoon station and take the train down again."

Commuter Lum Mun Keat, who works in the financial sector and is in his 30s, argued: "When it comes to public transport, some stations can't make money but that doesn't mean you don't open them. If there is one commuter waiting at a bus stop, you still pick up the passenger, right?"

New condominiums in the vicinity include Blossoms@Woodleigh, 8@Woodleigh and Parc Mondrian. In total, they feature 670 units.

North-East Line operator SBS Transit has indicated that it will open Woodleigh station when the Stamford American International School near the station opens. The school is slated to open in August 2011 and is expected to have more than 3,000 students.

But things do not look bright for the mothballed LRT stations. The operator said they are near either empty fields or swamp land.

christan@sph.com.sg

Additional reporting by Yeo Ghim Lay

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.