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SINGAPORE - The new 30km long Thomson MRT line is set to open in three stages from 2019, and will have 22 stations - six of which will be interchanges connecting to all MRT lines and the upcoming Downtown Line (DTL).
Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew announced the finalised plans for the Thomson Line (TSL) at a DTL event earlier today.
Fully underground, the new line is expected to be built at an estimated cost of around $18 billion and anticipated to have a daily ridership of about 400,000 commuters in the initial years.
He said that Singapore's sixth MRT line will run through the "north-south corridor, starting in the Woodlands North area, passing through the industrial estate of Sin Ming, down to the residential Thomson area and the shopping districts of Orchard and Marina, before ending at Gardens by the Bay"
The six interchanges include the Woodlands and Orchard stations which connect the TSL to the North-South Line. It will also run through Caldecott and Marina Bay stations which will connect commuters to the Circle Line.
Outram Park station will link the TSL to North-East Line and East-West Line while the sixth interchange station is Stevens on stage two of the upcoming Downtown Line.
Minister Lui added that the Thomson Line would be a four-car system, instead of a three-car system, "allowing for additional capacity to cope with any increase in long-term demand".
When fully operational, an estimated 60,000 households will be within 400m, and another 100,000 households between 400m and 800m from one of the Thomson Line Stations - about 10 to 12 minutes walk away.
Expected to be completed in three stages, the first stretch (three stations from Woodlands North to Woodlands South) is set to be completed in 2019.
The second stretch (six stations from Springleaf to Caldecott) will be completed in 2020 and the final stretch (13 stations from Mount Pleasant to Gardens by the Bay) in 2021.
Four lots will have to be acquired by the Government to make way for the new line. These properties include a post office along Upper Thomson Road and two landed properties along Stevens Road and Robin Close.
Pearls Centre at Eu Tong Sen Street will also be affected as a TSL tunnel will run under part of the building. It will be acquired and amalgamated with the adjoining State land for a high-density mixed-use development.
dassa@sph.com.sg
Locations of stations along the Thomson MRT line
Click on thumbnail to view. (Photos: LTA) |
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