North-Easties will soon have an easier time commuting to and from Singapore’s East side.
Construction for the Cross Island-Line-Punggol Extension (CPe) officially began yesterday (10 Oct), after much hype in the past months.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) estimates that construction will be complete by 2032.
As such, passengers can look forward to travelling from Punggol to Pasir Ris in just 15 minutes — a fraction of the journey today.
The CPe comprises of just four stations, Punggol, Riviera, Elias and Pasir Ris.
LTA held a groundbreaking ceremony on 10 Oct to mark the start of the CPe’s construction.
Acting Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat officiated the event at the site of the future CPe Riviera MRT station.
Source: Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook
Apart from Riviera MRT station, the CPe will have just three other stations, namely Punggol, Elias, and Pasir Ris.
Three of these stations will also serve as interchanges with other rail lines, says LTA.
Source: Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook
For instance, CPe Pasir Ris station will connect passengers to the East-West Line while CPe Punggol station is connected to the North-East Line.
Additionally, CPe Riviera will link to the Punggol LRT Line.
LTA estimates that over 40,000 households will benefit from the Punggol extension.
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.
As construction has only just begun, commuters will have to wait a while more before the stations are operationally ready.
The CPe will be open for passenger service by 2032, should all go to plan.
Once it’s ready, however, commuters can look forward to substantially shorter travel times.
Those travelling between Punggol and Pasir Ris will only take 15 minutes as they’d no longer have to change train lines.
Source: Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook
That’s 25 minutes of time saved, compared to the 40 minutes it now takes by bus.
Meanwhile, those commuting between Punggol East/ Riviera Station and Loyang Industrial Area will take 20 minutes via the CPe.
A trip to Hougang from Elias will similarly take 20 minutes.
Across the board, commuters will be saving at least 50% of their travel time thanks to the new extension.
The CPe will connect to the main Cross Island Line (CRL) at Pasir Ris station, with construction having started for 12 CRL Phase 1 stations in January this year.
Source: LTA
For now, Singaporeans can only hope that construction will proceed without a hitch so that they can enjoy the convenience in time to come.
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Featured image adapted from Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook.
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