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LTA Awards Civil Contract for the Cross Island Line Phase 1 Singapore – The Land Transport Authority of Singapore (LTA) has awarded the civil contract to design and construct the bored tunnel between Aviation Park station and Loyang station for the Cross Island Line Phase 1 (CRL1) to Taisei Corporation – China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited Singapore Branch Joint Venture, at a total contract value of SG$356 million. Taisei Corporation and China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited Singapore Branch have established track records in providing design-and-build construction services which include rail stations and tunnels locally and abroad. Taisei Corporation is currently involved in the construction of Marina Bay station and tunnels for the Annex A Thomson-East Coast Line while China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited Singapore Branch is currently working on the construction of of Keppel Cantonment stations forLoyang Circle Station Line 6, as Location map tunnel and between Aviation Park Station and
*All station names are working names
Location map of tunnel between Aviation Park Station and Loyang Station
well as tunnels for the North East Line Extension. The company had previously completed the construction of Kaki Bukit and Geylang Bahru stations for Downtown Line Stage 3 and Canberra station for the North-South Line. Construction works for the 3.2-kilometre tunnel between Aviation Park Station and Loyang Station is expected to start in the second quarter of 2021. For the first time, LTA will use a large-diameter tunnel boring machine to construct a single tunnel with two tracks in it. CRL1 is slated to commence passenger service in 2030. The CRL, Singapore’s eighth MRT line, is the city state’s longest fully underground line at more than 50 kilometres long. It will serve existing and future developments in the eastern, western, and north-eastern corridors, linking major hubs such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi region. When fully completed, the CRL is expected to have a daily ridership of at least 600,000 in the initial years, growing to one million in the longer term. The CRL will have almost half of its stations as interchanges with other train lines, making it easier and more convenient to travel across the rail network. It will be constructed in three phases. CRL1 is 29 kilometres long and comprises twelve stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill. This will serve residential and industrial areas such as Loyang, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Defu, Hougang, Serangoon North and Ang Mo Kio and benefit more than 100,000 households. With CRL1, common recreational spaces such as Changi Beach Park and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park will be more accessible by public transport. Studies on the details of subsequent CRL phases are ongoing.
MTR launches East Rail Line new signalling system and 9-car trains Hong Kong – MTR Corporation has commissioned a new signalling system and 9-car trains on the East Rail Line (EAL). At the same time, MTR has established a dedicated Shatin to Central Link (SCL) Technical and Engineering Assurance Team, directly accountable to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to monitor the SCL project from both a technical and service readiness perspective and to identify
important unknown issues of the remaining works of the SCL project for timely reporting and follow up. The establishment of the team is an initiative of the Corporation after reviewing the Report of the Investigation Panel (the Report) into the postponement of the commissioning of the EAL new signalling system in mid-September last year.
Multiple contracts awarded by Singapore LTA The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the second civil contract for the construction of Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link to China Communications Construction Company Limited (Singapore Branch) at a contract value of around SG$180 million. This contract covers the construction of the RTS Link viaduct and tunnels in Singapore. The viaduct will stand above the Straits of Johor within Singapore’s territory at a height of 25 metres. It will then continue inland and transition to underground tunnels connecting to the RTS Link Woodlands North station. China Communications Construction Company Limited (Singapore Branch) has 15 years of experience in infrastructure construction, specialising in large-scale rail, road and bridge projects. It has previously completed rail projects in other countries such as China and Kenya. The company is also currently constructing the Boon Lay station on the Jurong Region Line. Construction for the RTS Link viaduct and tunnels is expected Rail Professional
to commence in the second quarter of 2021. The first civil contract to construct the RTS Link Woodlands North station, tunnels and the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) building in Singapore, was awarded on 26 November 2020. The RTS Link is expected to commence passenger service in end 2026. The RTS Link is a four-kilometre rail shuttle service between the Singapore terminus at Woodlands North station and the Malaysia terminus at Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru. It has a large capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Passengers will enjoy a fast and seamless travelling experience between Singapore and Johor Bahru on the RTS Link, and a journey time of about five minutes between the two stations. Furthermore, the CIQ facilities will be conveniently co-located at Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar stations, so that passengers will only be required to clear both Singapore and Malaysia immigration authorities once, at the point of departure. Upon arrival in Singapore, passengers can seamlessly continue their journey by
