Jurong Region Line

Initial Plans

Jurong LRT Line

First published in the White Paper 1996 released by the Land Transport Authority, there had been a plan to introduce an LRT line which will link to the East-West Line (EWL) near Boon Lay station. In 1998, it was confirmed in the Land Transport Authority's Annual Report that the authority is studying the feasibility to introduce a Jurong LRT line.

On 23 October 2001, at the opening of Dover station of the East-West Line, former transport minister Yeo Cheow Tong officially confirmed plans for the Jurong Region Line, which is "a light rail system" and would serve residents in Jurong, along the East-West Line and would also serve the Nanyang Technological University.

Land Transport Master Plan 2013

In the Land Transport Master Plan 2013 announced on 17 January 2013, the Jurong Region Line is confirmed to be a 20km line that serves Choa Chu Kang, Boon Lay and the future developments in the Tengah area. The line will pass by high-activity areas in Jurong West including Nanyang Technological University, the Jurong Industrial estate and Jurong Island, and the future Jurong Gateway.

The line is to be expected to be completed by 2025, which will enhance connectivity within the Jurong region and connect the region to the existing rail network for faster travel to the rest of the island, relieving the crowd at the existing heavily-used Jurong East interchange.

Final Specifications

On 9 May 2018, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced the finalised alignment of the Jurong Region Line. The line will be a fully elevated MRT line with 24 stations across 24km, which will open in three phases, starting from 2026.

Phase 1 of the JRL will be completed by 2026 with 10 stations linking Choa Chu Kang to Boon Lay and Tawas. The branch line with 7 stations from Tengah to Pandan Reservoir will be part of phase 2, which will be completed a year later in 2027. Phase 3 will be completed by 2028 with 7 stations connecting Jurong Pier to Boon Lay, and Peng Kang Hill to Tawas stations via Nanyang Technological University.

The Jurong Region Line will also be served with three-car trains that are smaller than the existing medium capacity lines, but larger than the LRT trains. The trains will be expanded to a four-car configuration when developments around the Jurong area are completed.

It will bring convenience to Tengah and the Jurong Lake District, as well as the upcoming Jurong Innovation District.

It was announced in the Ministry of Transport (MOT) Committee of Supply (COS) Debate 2021 on 5 March 2021 that the completion of the Jurong Region Line will be pushed back by a year to 2029 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a written reply by the Minister for Transport on 11 May 2021, the JRL is scheduled to be completed by 2029.

The Land Transport Authority announced on 30 November 2024 that SBS Transit and French firm RATP Dev will jointly operate the Jurong Region Line for a period of 9-11 years, making it the first foreign operator to be involved in the rail industry.

West Coast Extension

First mentioned on 25 August 2015 by former transport minister Lui Tuck Yew that LTA is studying a possible West Coast Extension of the Jurong Region Line, connecting to the Circle Line, possibly at Haw Par Villa station. If the West Coast Extension is found to be feasible, the extension will be approximately be 5km long and will serve the West Coast and Pasir Panjang areas, to be completed by 2030.

In the Ministry of Transport's Committee of Supply Debate 2025, it was announced that the West Coast Extension has been given the go-ahead, to be open in two phases. It will extend the Jurong Region Line from Pandan Reservoir station to form new MRT interchanges with the Cross Island Line at West Coast station by the late 2030s and with the Circle Line at Kent Ridge station by the early 2040s, instead of Haw Par Villa, following assessments in projected transport demand and future developments in the area.

Type

Medium capacity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)

Stations / Length

24 stations / 24km (2029)
Phases 1, 2 and 3 (2027-2029) - 24 stations / 24km
West Coast Extension (2030-2040s) - ~5km

Depots

Tengah Depot

Train Length

3 cars (Expansion to 4 cars in future)

Electrification

750V DC from third rail

Operation Type

Fully-automated operation

Signalling System

Moving-block Siemens Sirius CBTC

Related Links

The following are links to other web pages with additional information on this topic.

• Jurong Region Line Land Transport Authority
• Speech by Mr Yeo Cheow Tong at the Official Opening of Dover Station on 23 Oct 2001 National Archives of Singapore
• Jurong may be next to get LRT line The Straits Times, 27 November 1998, Page 50
• Land Transport Master Plan 2013 Land Transport Authority
• Hyundai Rotem Company Awarded Contract for 62 Jurong Region Line Trains Land Transport Authority
• Jurong Region Line Operations Awarded to Joint Venture Between SBS Transit Rail and RATP Dev Asia Pacific Land Transport Authority
• SBS Transit in Partnership with RATP Dev Wins Tender to Operate the Jurong Region Line SBS Transit
• SBS Transit in Partnership with RATP Dev Wins Tender to Operate the Jurong Region Line RATP Dev
• SBS Transit, French firm RATP Dev wins contract to operate Jurong Region Line SGTrains
• Jurong Region Line will extend to link with Cross Island Line, Circle Line under West Coast Extension SGTrains