Construction begins for Jurong Region Line, with 24 new MRT stations

Set to open in three stages from 2027 to 2029, the 24-station long Jurong Region Line (JRL) is Singapore’s seventh MRT line that is expected to “significantly improve” connectivity in the western part of the country. 

At a groundbreaking and viaduct-launching ceremony on Friday (Jan 13), Transport Minister S Iswaran gave assurance that the JRL will be able to meet ridership demands of more than 500,000 per day. 

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) stated the JRL line “will give commuters substantial time savings”, and Transport Minister added that commuters travelling from Choa Chu Kang to NTU will have their travel time cut from Tengah Plantation EC 60 minutes to 35 minutes.

The JRL will improve public transport connectivity in the West and North-West, with more than 60,000 households within a 10-minute walk of the train station, connecting residential areas such as Gek Poh and Pandan Gardens, to places like Tengah estate, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Jurong Innovation District and Jurong Industrial Estate.

For sustainability, all JRL stations will be fitted with photovoltaic solar panels to generate renewable energy for station operations, plus crossflow natural ventilation to reduce mechanical energy usage from fans and air-conditioning.

JRL trains will also be equipped with sensors to automatically dim lights during the day and make use of a “regenerative braking system”, using energy produced by trains during braking to power nearby trains or stations.

The construction of JRL is intricate as it is travelling through a “densely developed corridor”, with some existing station structures needing to be demolished and strengthened at the interchange stations of Boon Lay, Choa Chu Kang and Jurong East.

To minimise disruptions, construction activities have been carefully staged with Virtual Design and Constructions employed to support detailed planning. Drones and automated instruments, such as 3D scanners, are also being deployed for real-time monitoring of progress for key segments.

Due to “tight curves”, JRL trains will be slightly smaller than Circle Line trains, being 5m shorter in length and 0.45m narrower in width.

Measures to minimise disruptions to traffic and environment have been rolled out, such as traffic diversions along Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3, Jurong East Central and Jurong West Avenue 4, as well as permanent noise barriers installed along viaducts near residential areas.

“As we work hard to complete the JRL, there will inevitably be some short-term inconveniences to the surrounding community,” the Transport Minister said. “We will work with you and do our best to minimise such disruptions.”