The Land Transport Authority (LTA) marked the start of construction for the Cross Island Line – Punggol Extension (CPe) today with a ground-breaking ceremony. The event was officiated by Acting Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat at the site of the future CPe Riviera MRT station.
2 The 7.3-kilometre CPe comprises four stations, namely Punggol, Riviera, Elias[1], and Pasir Ris. Three of the stations will serve as interchanges with other rail lines. CPe Pasir Ris station will link to the East-West Line, CPe Punggol station to the North East Line while CPe Riviera station will link to the Punggol LRT Line. The extension will provide better rail connectivity and greater accessibility for residents living in eastern Singapore, such as Pasir Ris and Tampines North, as well as those residing in the north-east, such as Punggol and Sengkang. More than 40,000 households are expected to benefit from this extension. New growth areas such as Punggol Digital District and Changi Aviation Park will also benefit from this direct rail connectivity. The CPe is expected to be completed and open for passenger service by 2032.
Time savings and greater accessibility for commuters in the East and North-East
3 When completed, the CPe will result in significant time savings for residents in the North East travelling to the East, and vice versa. For instance, commuters from Punggol can reach Pasir Ris within 15 minutes, less than half the journey time of around 40 minutes by bus today. The CPe will also halve the time for commuters travelling from Punggol North to Loyang Industrial Area, from a 45-minute bus journey today to a 20-minute train ride.
4 The CPe will connect to the main Cross Island Line (CRL) at Pasir Ris station. Construction works for the 12 CRL Phase 1 stations (Aviation Park to Bright Hill) commenced in January this year. LTA is progressively calling tenders for CRL Phase 2 which comprises six stations from Turf City to Jurong Lake District. Engineering studies are ongoing for the third phase of the CRL.
Engineering innovations and construction methods
5 As the CPe will be constructed near existing residential and industrial areas, innovative technologies and construction methods will be adopted to minimise inconvenience to stakeholders and to deliver the project effectively. For example:
a. Equipment that emits less noise such as electric excavators and battery power pack generators will be used at some sections of the worksite.
b. A robotic shotcrete machine will be deployed to construct a mined section of the tunnel, which will improve safety and productivity while reducing reliance on manpower.
c. Customised reinforcement bars, known as head-bars, will also be installed at appropriate sections of Riviera station, to streamline installation and increase productivity.
d. A large diameter Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) will be deployed to construct the tunnels between Elias station and Punggol station, via Riviera station. The 12.6-metre TBM will only have to bore through the ground once to create sufficient space for two MRT tracks.
e. Technological tools such as virtual reality and augmented reality will be used to enhance the design and coordination process, and further optimise the design of CPe stations. Design and coordination works would be supported by the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools, which help designers to coordinate and deconflict the locations of different services in the complex network of systems around the stations.
6 LTA and our contractors will monitor the works closely to ensure that they are carried out safely while striving to minimise noise and inconvenience to affected stakeholders.
Sustainability efforts
7 CPe stations will incorporate active energy-saving features, including solar photovoltaic panels on entrance structures as well as hybrid cooling systems for public areas. The hybrid system uses fans in tandem with air-conditioning to keep stations comfortable for commuters while reducing overall energy consumption. Low-carbon concrete will also be used for some station structures. These measures will contribute to a greener and more sustainable land transport network for Singapore.
Annex A: Cross Island Line alignment map
Annex B: Artist impressions of CPe stations
Annex C: Examples of time savings via travel on CPe
