Evolution of the MRT

SINGAPORE: The government has unveiled more changes to the country's land transport system.

In the second of three major announcements, after more than a year-long review, Transport Minister Raymond Lim said rail lines will double by 2020.

And the network - which will see 100 new stations being added - becoming even denser than places like Tokyo.

For a start, two new MRT lines will be built.

One of them, the Thomson Line will run from the heart of Marina Bay, through the Central Business District, to Woodlands in the north.

This will connect to another new line, the Eastern Region Line, which will serve residential areas like Marine Parade in the eastern part of the island.

Some existing lines will be extended. The North-South Line will go all the way to the Marina Bay area, while the East-West Line will be extended 14 kilometres into Tuas.

The new rail lines will cost the government some S$20 billion to build. This is over and above the S$20 billion the government has already committed for the on-going Boon Lay extension, the Circle Line and the Downtown Line.

However, the Transport Minister notes that while this complete picture is just 12 years away, people have been asking whether the building of the lines could take place sooner. So certain stages of the Downtown Line and Circle Line will be brought forward.

In other words... It will grow from...

1. Our Parents Generation


2. Our Generation


3. Our Children Generation


WTF are they thinking...

Add 100 freaking stations?! (More than double of current)

In future we might hear these: "Next Stop"

1 - Geyleng!
2 - Pulau Tekong!
3 - Pulau Ubin!
4 - Lim Chu Kang!
5 - Sentosa!
6 - Malaysia!
7 - Batam!

If you're interested, you can read the whole report here for the extensive list of changes...

Some interesting points...

- By 2020, people who live or work in the city and those who shop and find enjoyment there will be able to reach an MRT station within 400m on average, a mere 5-minute walk.

- We will therefore install platform screen doors at all above-ground MRT stations...before rolling this out to all stations by 2012.

- With the CCL 3, Serangoon residents will take only 25 minutes to get to Yishun by transferring to the North-South line at Bishan station, compared to 45 minutes by bus or by taking the NEL all the way to Dhoby Ghaut before transferring to the North-South line.