Oral Reply by Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan to Parliamentary Question on the Possibility of Expediting the Construction of Jurong Region MRT Line (JRL)

Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Transport whether the construction of Jurong Region MRT Line (JRL) can be expedited by deploying resources from the delayed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail project.

Reply by Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan:

1.     The Jurong Region Line (JRL) will be our seventh MRT Line, after the Thomson-East Coast Line. It is scheduled to open in three stages between 2026 and 2028. It will cover 24 km with 24 stations of which 5 are interchange stations. Its planning and design works have commenced since March 2014. This is a complex project, and its 10-year project implementation timeline has been carefully adopted to ensure the safety and quality of construction. LTA is adequately resourced to meet this challenging timeline.

2.     First, the JRL will run along existing road corridors where there are many underground utilities and services, such as high voltage cables and large diameter water pipes. All these need to be carefully diverted before JRL construction can commence.

3.     Second, the JRL main construction works are complex. For example, the JRL will interchange with existing MRT lines at Jurong East, Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay. The new JRL stations will have to be built to safely and seamlessly interface with these existing stations, which are running live operations with heavy commuter loads. In particular, works at Jurong East Station will involve removal of the existing steel roof structure and the construction of a new roof above live tracks and operating platforms.

4.     Third, some parts of the JRL have tight construction corridors. Extra care needs to be taken for works in these constrained areas, so as not to damage or disrupt existing buildings and structures. There needs to be close coordination with surrounding land and building owners. All these require time.

5.     Safety in construction is our top priority. LTA does not recommend further shortening the construction timeline, even if additional resources are available.