6 days ago
Work begins on Phase 2 of Cross Island Line in Singapore, set to boost MRT connectivity by 2032
SINGAPORE, July 7 — Construction on Phase 2 of the Cross Island Line (CRL) is officially under way in Singapore, with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announcing today that works are expected to complete by 2032.
Singapore media reported that the new 15km stretch will extend the CRL westward, adding six stations and further integrating the expanding MRT network.
Two new stations — Clementi and King Albert Park — will serve as interchanges linking the CRL to the East-West and Downtown lines.
The remaining four — Turf City, Maju, West Coast and Jurong Lake District — are working names aimed at improving access in the west.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony in Clementi, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said the CRL will 'significantly increase the resilience of our rail network.'
He noted that earlier lines focused on city-bound travel, often requiring commuters to detour through the city to reach other heartland areas.
The CRL, Singapore's second 'orbital line' after the Circle Line, will offer more direct routes and alternative travel paths.
Eight of its 21 stations will be interchanges, helping mitigate service disruptions and creating flexibility for daytime maintenance — a norm in older metro systems like those in London or New York.
It will also be built with future growth in mind. The line will begin operations with six-car trains, expandable to eight.
'There is no, or not a lot more underground space left for another line like this,' Siow reportedly said.
Once fully complete, the CRL will span over 50km, becoming Singapore's longest fully underground MRT line.
Travel times are expected to improve significantly — a West Coast to Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park commute could be cut from over an hour to just 30 minutes.
Phase 1 began in January 2023 with 12 stations and is due by 2030.
A 7.3km Punggol extension is also in progress, while plans for Phase 3, serving the Jurong Industrial Estate, are still under study.
A major engineering milestone in CRL2 will be King Albert Park station, set to be the deepest MRT station in Singapore at 50m — deeper than the future Pasir Ris CRL station (47m) and current record-holder Bencoolen (43m).
CRL1 and CRL2 will be connected via a 5km tunnel beneath the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, bored using a 12.8m-wide machine designed to boost efficiency and minimise disruption.
Challenging geology — granite in Bukit Timah and less stable ground in Jurong — will require advanced tunnelling methods and ground treatment.
LTA is also exploring green construction methods, including electric excavators and solar panels at the CRL Changi East Depot, which will support up to 70 trains.
Given that CRL2 runs through ecologically sensitive areas, LTA has worked with nature groups since 2013 to reduce impact.
This includes shrinking worksites, installing wildlife crossings, building a freshwater marsh at King Albert Park, and rolling out wildlife awareness training for workers.
LTA said it will continue engaging environmental stakeholders throughout the CRL's construction and operation.
