Changi Airport Terminal 5 breaks ground: PM Lawrence Wong hails bold move, says Singapore must stay connected to the world

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong breaks ground on Changi Airport T5 on 14 May 2025; all SIA, Scoot flights to move there when it opens

By Vanessa Paige Chelvan, The Straits Times, 15 May 2025

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has broken ground on Changi Airport Terminal 5 (T5), an expansion project more than a decade in the making that will position the airport to ride an expected surge in air travel within the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

With the May 14 ground-breaking, work on the mega terminal has begun, following delays owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

National carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its budget arm Scoot will consolidate their operations under one roof at T5 when the terminal opens in the mid-2030s, said operator Changi Airport Group (CAG).

The airlines now operate across Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and SIA Group said the consolidation at T5 will provide space for its future growth and improve “operational synergies”.

There will be room at T5 and other terminals for other carriers to expand their operations, CAG added.

When asked about the other airlines that could operate from T5, CAG said it was too early to tell, as flight operations are dynamic and can change over the next decade.

Designed to handle about 50 million passengers a year, T5 will effectively double the size of Changi Airport and allow it to handle 140 million passengers yearly – boosting its current capacity of 90 million by more than 55 per cent.

Passenger traffic in the Asia-Pacific – already the world’s largest air travel market, taking about a third of the global share – is projected to double in the 2040s.

CAG said the extra capacity at T5 will enable Singapore to take advantage of this growth.

While prize-winning Changi Airport is a source of pride for many Singaporeans, PM Wong said Singapore can never be complacent about its achievements and “cannot presume that our success can continue just on its own”.

Amid sharpening competition from other airports and an uncertain global economy, the Prime Minister said Singapore must continue to work hard and remain connected to the world.

Hence, it is making a “bold move” with T5’s development to ensure Singapore’s air hub stays competitive.

At present, Changi Airport is linked to more than 170 cities. With T5, the airport will be able to reach its target of more than 200 city links by the mid-2030s, said PM Wong.

Construction on T5 will intensify in the next few years and peak around 2029, said Mr Ong Chee Chiau, CAG’s managing director for Changi East.

Works completed so far include a new runway, the airport’s third; an underpass for vehicular traffic; and tunnels for baggage and automated people-mover systems similar to the Skytrain.

With three runways operational by the time T5 opens, a second control tower will be built to manage air traffic, Mr Ong said.

T5 is located within the 1,080ha Changi East development, which is almost as big as the land area of today’s Changi Airport, he added.

In a first for the airport, T5 will house a ground transport centre, bringing together the Thomson-East Coast and Cross Island MRT lines, buses, taxis and other transport services.

State-of-the-art systems

T5 will have overlapping curved roofs with varying heights, in a nod to “Singapore’s unique blend of nature and city”, said CAG.

It will also have natural light and landscaping, giving the terminal “the familiar cosy yet uplifting feel that Changi is known for”.

Besides its facade and interior, the mega terminal will have state-of-the-art systems, and will leverage technology and automation to improve efficiency and passenger experience.

Plans include baggage robots that can operate in poor weather conditions, as well as video analytics and artificial intelligence tools that can track aircraft turnarounds to predict potential delays. A turnaround refers to the time between the arrival of an aircraft and its next departure.

These technologies are being tested now to prepare for their roll-out when T5 opens, said CAG.

To make it easier for passengers to move around, three automated people-mover systems as well as travelators will reduce walking distances.

There will be two people-mover systems within T5 that can connect departing passengers to their gates and arriving passengers to two arrival immigration halls. A third people-mover system will link T5 to T2, facilitating passenger transfers to other terminals.

“Most passengers arriving in Singapore will still be able to hop onto a taxi or the MRT within 30 minutes after leaving the aircraft,” said CAG chief executive Yam Kum Weng.

Meanwhile, transfer passengers at T5 can expect to connect to another flight in less than an hour. “Faster than Changi today,” Mr Yam added.

Passengers departing from T5 will undergo security checks near their boarding gates at the multiple security screening points for each cluster of gates.

This means more flexibility for the airport operator, as it can choose to open or close a particular cluster of gates according to demand, Mr Ong said.

T5 will be powered by more clean energy to reduce the airport’s carbon footprint. Its rooftop solar system – one of Singapore’s largest – will have the potential to generate enough energy to power up to 20,000 four-room Housing Board flats for a year.

It will also be ready to support viable alternative jet fuels, including sustainable aviation fuels.

From 2025, all new light vehicles, forklifts and tractors on the airside will be electric, and T5 will be able to support a fully electric airside fleet, CAG said. The airside is the part of the airport beyond passport control, where aircraft operate.

Cross Island MRT Line to run directly under Central Catchment Nature Reserve; Phase 1 construction commences on 18 Jan 2023

Direct route cuts travel time and is cheaper to build; tunnel will be 70 metres deep to protect reserve
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent and Audrey Tan, Environment Correspondent, The Straits Times, 5 Dec 2019

The MRT Cross Island Line (CRL) will run directly under Singapore's largest nature reserve, instead of skirting around it.

Announcing its decision yesterday, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) said the direct alignment will see the tunnel going 70m, the height of a 25-storey HDB block, below the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. Initial plans called for a tunnel at a depth of around 40m.

Both options - going directly under or skirting around the reserve - were considered viable after an in-depth study, but nature groups had strongly called for the skirting alignment to avoid affecting flora and fauna in the gazetted reserve near MacRitchie Reservoir.

The MOT said the direct alignment will result in total travel time being six minutes shorter than for the skirting option. For those travelling through the middle segment of the line, the direct alignment will also result in lower fares. The construction cost is expected to be $2 billion less for the direct route.

The ministry added that the direct route will be more environmentally friendly in the long run as it "has lower energy consumption".

The 50km CRL will run from Changi to Jurong, and will serve estates such as Pasir Ris, Ang Mo Kio and Clementi. It is expected to have an initial ridership of 600,000 a day when it is completed by 2031.

The line was announced in early 2013 and preliminary plans showed it running under primary and secondary forests in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.



Nature groups, alarmed by the potential environmental harm from the construction and operation of an underground MRT line right across the reserve, suggested that it be built along Lornie Road, skirting the reserve.

The Land Transport Authority commissioned a two-phase Environmental Impact Assessment for both alignment options in 2014.

Yesterday, the MOT also outlined measures to mitigate the line's environmental impacts. Tunnelling as deep as 70m below the reserve will ensure work is carried out through hard rock, far from flora and fauna on the surface. No surface works will be done in the reserve, it said, noting that MRT tunnels are typically 20m to 30m underground.

There will be two worksites outside the reserve: one along Island Club Road and another on the western edge of the reserve across from the Pan-Island Expressway.

In a Facebook post, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said the Government had agonised over the alignment as the reserve is "a special part of Singapore", but skirting the CRL around the nature reserve would "cost taxpayers and commuters dearly".

Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min told reporters "the environment assessment has shown that both alignments are feasible", but the skirting option would result in longer travel time, additional construction cost and expected higher commuter fares.

"We have therefore decided on the direct alignment," he said.



Asked about a potentially unfavourable effect the direct alignment would have on network capacity factor - a fare adjustment component which takes into account the capacity of a transport service vis-a-vis actual usage - because it goes through nearly 4km of unpopulated area under the nature reserve, Dr Lam said: "That is a separate issue... We will address that subsequently."

Former diplomat Joseph Koh, who is a nature lover, said he would have preferred the skirting alignment, but "it is reassuring that some of the measures we have advocated have been spelt out". These include tunnelling deeper.

Cross Island Line's first phase to be completed by 2029

29km stretch from Changi to Sin Ming will have 12 stations - four of them interchanges
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 26 Jan 2019

The first phase of the Cross Island Line - Singapore's longest fully underground MRT line - will be completed by 2029 and span 12 stations from Changi to Sin Ming.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday that the alignment of the 29km first phase has been finalised. When it is completed, more than 100,000 households will enjoy better access to the rail network and shorter travelling times.

Bright Hill, a station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, "will further expand to become an interchange station with the Cross Island Line".

Phase 1 will have three other interchanges - at Ang Mo Kio with the North-South Line, at Hougang with the North East Line and at Pasir Ris with the East-West Line.

The Cross Island Line, which links Jurong to Changi, will be Singapore's eighth MRT line. Mr Khaw revealed that its depot in Changi East will be a surface depot and not underground as originally planned.

He also announced that the first stage of the Thomson-East Coast Line - a three-station stretch from Woodlands North to Woodlands South - will open before Christmas this year. The rest of the line will open in phases up till 2024.



The Cross Island Line is forecast to have an initial daily ridership of 600,000, and eventually one million, making it Singapore's most heavily used rail line.

Construction of Phase 1 will begin next year, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said. Stations will be designed and built to accommodate eight-car trains, but the line will operate with six-car trains initially.

The stations are in Bright Hill, Teck Ghee, Ang Mo Kio, Tavistock (Serangoon Gardens), Serangoon North, Hougang, Defu, Tampines North, Pasir Ris, Pasir Ris East, Loyang and Aviation Park.

Mr Khaw said the entire Cross Island Line will support hubs outside the Central Business District "so that jobs are nearer homes". It will also redistribute passenger load on the North-South, East-West and North East lines "so that the overcrowdedness that our commuters experience now will be eased".

Mr Khaw added that the new line will give commuters "more journey options" and "improve the resilience of our rail network".

The Cross Island Line will pass through Paya Lebar Air Base, which is slated to be relocated from 2030. An area of some 800ha will be freed up for residential and commercial developments. However, no station has been planned for this stretch.

Upgrading coffee-shop talk - and public policymaking in Singapore

A better grasp of economic thinking can help us come to better decisions, from understanding what is 'value' in a cost-benefit analysis of the MacRitchie MRT proposal, to public online input on broken street lamps
By Euston Quah and Jonathan Tan, Published The Straits Times, 13 Jul 2017

The Government has been increasing its engagement with the public. In turn, as a people, we have the responsibility to help make better decisions.

This is especially important as good public policy processes place value on social impact and seek to understand the behaviour of Singapore's diverse society, as well as make sense and use of increasingly abundant behavioural data.

As Singapore gets more complex, and citizens get better educated and informed, more public voices are able to offer more informed views, drawing from academic disciplines. However, this can be strengthened further through sound economic thinking. Singapore must move towards more rigorous reasoning across all levels of public choice, starting from the grassroots - including at the coffee-shop level.

Here are some principles, drawn from the study of economics, that show how public policymaking can be enhanced, including how the public's views and perceptions on an issue can be more informed in giving feedback.

1. WIN SOME, LOSE SOME

Should we tunnel the Cross Island MRT Line through MacRitchie Reservoir? Let's think beyond the cost of construction and service benefits of the new line. Soil investigations present the risk of pollution despite costly mitigation measures. Aquatic habitats and animals, including the globally vulnerable Johnson's freshwater crab found nowhere else on our planet, are at risk.

The systematic analytical technique of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) can be used to evaluate the desirability of alternatives - including building around MacRitchie - by comparing their costs and benefits in social welfare terms.

Indeed, CBA is fundamental to governmental decisions on how to use society's scarce resources, such as whether a project or programme is worthwhile, and its optimal scale or constraints. It steers our transportation, environmental, agricultural, land-use, urban-renewal, educational and health policy choices.

Monetary and non-monetary incentives drive economic decisions in households, organisations and public policy. The concept of welfare, rather than mere money, is the currency of economic analysis.

Good policy must recognise the trade-offs of available options.

Raffles Country Club to make way for KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail

Second golf club to make way for high-speed rail
Raffles Country Club land will also be used for MRT; site to be handed over by July 31, 2018
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 5 Jan 2017

Raffles Country Club, a 36-hole golfing venue in the west of Singapore, will make way for a massive depot and stable for the upcoming Cross Island MRT line and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project.

The plot - the single largest to be acquired by the Government in recent years - is more than twice the size of Jurong Country Club, which will make way for the HSR terminus.

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) served the 143ha club an acquisition notice yesterday.

The club will have to hand over the site owned by JTC Corp by July 31 next year.

The SLA and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) described the club site as "the most suitable location".

LTA deputy chief executive Chua Chong Kheng said: "Given its size and location, there really isn't any other option for us."

The HSR link between Malaysia and Singapore will take the form of a high bridge to be built west of the Tuas Second Link - a stone's throw from Raffles Country Club. The bridge will run 25m above the water for 3km across the Strait of Johor.

From there, the tracks will continue on a flyover across the Ayer Rajah Expressway onto Raffles Country Club, a plot measuring 2km end to end.

Within the existing club grounds, the tracks will go underground towards a passenger terminus on the site of Jurong Country Club.

The Raffles Country Club site will be able to house a spare HSR train, and will allow trains to cross from one track to the other when operations commence by the end of 2026.

To optimise land use, the LTA said a western depot for the upcoming Cross Island MRT line - slated to open in 2030 - will be built on the Raffles Country Club site too.

The seduction of the simple: Devadas Krishnadas

By Devadas Krishnadas, Published The Straits Times, 4 Mar 2016

In democracies, the old saying goes, "you get the government you deserve".

In the US Presidential Election, the rise of Mr Donald Trump to dominance in the Republican primary is putting that saying to an extreme test. However, the groundwork for Mr Trump was laid 15 years ago by Mr George W. Bush.

To any reasonable mind, both men are unqualified for the office of President. Neither was or is knowledgeable about world affairs, interested in the complexity of policy challenges, or has demonstrable moral character, and both operate from the simple premise that only one country matters in this world - America.

The Donald Trump vs. Mitt Romney fight — In one minute
In 2012 Donald J. Trump endorsed Mitt Romney for president. What a difference four years make. http://cnn.it/1RLi1MA
Posted by CNN on Thursday, March 3, 2016

The appeal of both men is the seduction of the simple.

Simple understanding, simple explanations, simple solutions, simple assurances simply made. This holds tremendous appeal to those who have a fear of uncertainty, are themselves ignorant, are prone to believe that someone other than they are to blame for their lack of achievement and who indulge in fantasies in which simplistic divides between right and wrong and good and bad actors define the world.

Democracy is an amoral political system. It sways in whichever direction the majority - variously interpreted depending on the actual democratic mechanism - wills. So while we commonly focus attention on political leaders, it is arguably more pertinent to focus on common folk who vote them into power. Citizenship under democracies must be personally invested. There is a responsibility to be interested, informed and involved.

Singapore is also seeing the rising risk of the seduction of the simple as its politics becomes more populist - even if on a comparative basis we are still much less so than the United States. To an extent, this "populism" is a desirable adjustment from a tone-deaf approach adopted by the old ruling People's Action Party (PAP) to a new PAP with bigger and more sensitive antennae, actively scanning for sentiment and concerns of the electorate. But there are insidious risks if care is not taken to hold citizens to a high standard of restraint when it comes to their interests, wants and biases.

First, if Singaporeans are not interested in the world around them, or too interested only in their own view of matters, then democratic action can easily give way to partisanship and demagoguery. The world is a very complex and interconnected place. Even the domestic social and economic challenges of this small nation are impacted by what happens elsewhere.

Parliament Highlights - 29 Feb 2016

Khaw fleshes out plan for new 30-station MRT line
50km Cross Island Line, with nearly 15 interchanges, will see 600,000 daily trips
By Adrian Lim, The Straits Times, 1 Mar 2016

The 50km Cross Island Line (CRL) will be an important part of Singapore's rail network, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said.

Nearly half of its 30 stations from east to west will be interchanges to other MRT lines, offering commuters many travel options, he added.



Mr Khaw told Parliament yesterday that the line will serve residential areas such as Loyang, Pasir Ris, Hougang, Ang Mo Kio, Sin Ming, Bukit Timah, Clementi and West Coast, and commuters will make at least 600,000 trips on it daily.

But as to whether the underground CRL will be built through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) or route around it - an issue of contention - Mr Khaw said more environmental and engineering studies, along with public consultations, must be done.

These may take over two more years, before a decision on the alignment can be made, Mr Khaw said, in reply to questions from Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) about the CRL.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report to study the effects of site investigation works, released last month, itself took two years to complete.

Mr Khaw said the CRL, which is expected to be ready by 2030, will "significantly enhance" the MRT network's resilience, and its capacity and usage will far exceed that of the existing North-East Line.

He also said the longer 9km skirt around the CCNR will incur an extra travel time of six minutes, compared with the more direct 4km route running underneath the reserve.

"An extra 1 minute is a lot of time, let alone 6 minutes": Khaw Boon Wan says having a section of the Cross Island Line skirt the Central Catchment Nature Reserve could add 6 minutes' to commuters' travelling time. http://bit.ly/1VMn8xn
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Monday, February 29, 2016

Alluding to high public expectations of the MRT, Mr Khaw quipped that in a minute's delay, a commuter could post 100 times on Twitter to "flame" the Land Transport Authority and the rail operator.

This extra six minutes could not just be "brushed aside", he said.

Mr Ng said the skirt-around alignment would serve more commuters, but Mr Khaw replied that residents in the area are already served by the Circle Line and the future Thomson-East Coast Line.

CROSS ISLAND LINE: The skirting alignment option will cost about S$2 billion more to build. Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan says more investigations need to be carried out and urges the public to "keep an open mind". http://bit.ly/1VMn8xn
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Sunday, February 28, 2016

Mr Khaw also said a skirt-around alignment would need longer tunnels and ventilation facilities on the surface. This option would cost $2 billion more and could result in land acquisitions.

But for the direct alignment option, 2km will be deep below the CCNR at about 40m - or 12 storeys - below ground level, and there will be no structures built at the surface level, Mr Khaw said.

Mr Ng also asked for the total cost of the CRL project, and which houses and buildings will be acquired.

Mr Khaw replied that it was still too early to know these details, and a second phase of EIA, to look into the impact of construction and running of trains underneath the nature reserve, will be done.

He urged Singaporeans not to take a biased approach to the issue, noting that some comments on the first EIA have been "very toxic".

"Keep an open mind, go with the facts. Keep an open mind and look for the evidence," he said.

Cross Island Line debate: $2 billion extra cost for alternative route skirting Central Catchment Nature Reserve

$2 billion extra cost if Cross Island Line skirts Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Route will require longer tunnels; land and home acquisitions could affect families, says LTA

By Adrian Lim, The Straits Times, 22 Feb 2016

The alternative alignment that routes the Cross Island Line (CRL) around the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) could add about $2 billion to the rail project, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has revealed.

This 9km-long "skirting alignment" will require longer tunnels and extra ventilation facilities, it said, compared with the 4km direct route, of which 2km will cut through Singapore's largest nature reserve.

"Besides land and home acquisitions that could affect families, the extra works could incur $2 billion more in expenditure," said LTA chief executive Chew Men Leong.

In a letter to The Straits Times Forum page, signed by Mr Chew and published today, the LTA reiterated that the Government was studying both alignment options and had not made a decision.

Since a report on the environmental impact of site investigation works for the project was released recently, green groups have been lobbying hard for the CRL - a 50km MRT line that will span Jurong to Changi - to be built around the reserve, instead of through it.

However, this could entail land acquisition, as the MRT tunnels would pass through homes, businesses and buildings. Residents in Upper Thomson who could potentially be affected have called for the line to go through the reserve.

Mr Chew said the Government will consider all factors, including the engineering feasibility of both alignments, distance and travel time for commuters, cost to tax payers, and the impact on the CCNR and on businesses and families.

Details on the CRL, such as the number of stations and the construction cost, have not been announced.

Green groups conceded that the extra $2 billion and the impact on residents are significant, but called for deeper thought on the issue.

Cross Island Line: LTA's Environmental Impact Assessment Phase 1 (2016) & Phase 2 (2019) report

LTA's environment report now online
Responding to feedback, agency makes its MRT impact assessment more accessible
By Audrey Tan, The Straits Times, 20 Feb 2016

The report was open to the public, but to get information on a new environment impact assessment (EIA) for an upcoming MRT line, people had to make their way to the Land Transport Authority's Hampshire Road premises to read the 1,000-page hard copy, with no photography allowed.

Yesterday, after complaints that it was too difficult to access the study, which looked at the potential impact of soil works for the Cross Island Line if it cut through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) put it online.

"In response to feedback, LTA has made the EIA report available online for interested parties who are unable to come to LTA to view the documents," the authority said in a Facebook post yesterday.

The move was welcomed by environmental groups, scientists and members of the public, who had felt the LTA was not forthcoming with the results of the study. "It is well-received news," said Mr Tony O'Dempsey, a council member of the Nature Society (Singapore), adding that the society had suggested the results be put online during its discussions with the LTA.

Jurong Region Line may be extended to join Circle Line

Engineering studies being done; extension would give residents in the west another way to get to CBD
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 26 Aug 2015

In what may be his last public announcement, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said yesterday that the planned Jurong Region Line - a medium-capacity MRT line serving the west - could be extended southwards to join the Circle Line at Haw Par Villa station.

Mr Lui, who is leaving politics after the elections, said the new 20km line, with some 16 stations, will also stop at the North-South Line's Choa Chu Kang station and at Jurong East to link up with the planned Singapore-Kuala Lumpur high-speed rail terminus, the future Cross Island Line and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).



Mr Lui said engineering studies are currently being done on the Jurong Region Line. The line is estimated to be ready by 2025, while the extension - if found to be feasible - will be completed by 2030.

Mr Lui said the new line will serve areas like Choa Chu Kang, Jurong East, Jurong West, the new Tengah town, Boon Lay as well as NTU.

Its so-called West Coast Extension, roughly 7km long, "will allow those who use the Jurong Region Line a direct connection into the new downtown, Marina Bay and the area around it", he added.

"Those living in the western area will have two avenues to get to the CBD - along the existing East-West Line to City Hall, and also using the Jurong Region Line connecting to the Circle Line into the downtown area," Mr Lui said. This will be possible when the final stage of the Circle Line - a 4km stretch linking HarbourFront station to Marina Bay station to make a complete circle - is completed by 2025.

Mr Lui said the project will make life more convenient for those who live and work in the west, and at the same time "add redundancy and resilience into the (rail) network", so that when there is a breakdown on one line, commuters can switch to an alternative line without travelling too far.

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat explains delay in new junior college to parents at dialogue

By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 10 May 2015

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat on Sunday explained the considerations behind his ministry's recent announcement of a delay to a new but yet-to-be-named junior college at the junction of Sin Ming Avenue and Marymount Road.

Addressing queries from some parents about the fact that the campus will be completed only by the end of 2019, more than a year later than intended, he said at a dialogue at the Bishan Community Club:

"Are we better off starting the programme and running into certain delays in the infrastructure, or are we better off not starting in the first place?"

Mr Heng, who was on a community visit to the Bishan East ward of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, said there were two options to consider with regard to the matter.

One was to get every facility ready and "start only when we're ready in 2020 because we must not take any risk that the building may not be completed in time. Therefore we don't want to disappoint students, parents ..." he said.The other was to say, "let's get going, as long as students benefit, and let's focus on the essence of the programme," he said.

Last week, the Ministry of Education said in a letter to parents that more time was needed more time to incorporate a new traffic infrastructure project in the area into the JC's design and construction. The new institution will take in Integrated Programme (IP) students from Catholic High, St Nicholas Girls', and Singapore Chinese Girls schools.

The ministry had also announced that the old Raffles Junior College campus at Mount Sinai off Holland Road will be refurbished for IP students from the three schools, who will use it as an interim junior college.

Said Mr Heng on Sunday: "I'm not saying that it is ideal when you have a delay, but the truth of the matter is there will be, in life, unforeseen circumstances and we'll get the ministry to explain in greater detail what are the unforeseen circumstances." "The MOE will communicate further with the parents," he told reporters afterwards.

Singapore-KL high-speed rail terminal will be in Jurong East: Leaders' Retreat 2015

Rail link to Kuala Lumpur a 'game-changer' but it won't be finished by 2020
By Rachel Chang, Assistant Political Editor, The Straits Times, 6 May 2015

THE terminus for the high-speed rail link between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur will be sited in Jurong East, a move that is in line with plans for the area to be Singapore's second central business district.

But the ambitious rail link, billed by the leaders of both countries as a "game-changer", will not be completed by the original target of 2020.

The new target date will be announced after both sides have agreed on all major issues of the project. And the deadline for this agreement is the end of this year.

* Singapore high-speed rail terminus will be at current Jurong Country Club site

Speaking to reporters after their annual retreat yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his counterpart Najib Razak said the 2020 date was unrealistic owing to the complexity of the 350km route.

But both pledged their full commitment to realising the link, calling it the most important project on the current bilateral agenda.

First conceived at their 2013 retreat, the high-speed link will cut travel time between Singapore and KL to 90 minutes.

The delay, they said, would not be a major one. Datuk Seri Najib estimated the design process would take a year, the tender process another year, and then five years to build the link.

"We're confident it will come through," said PM Lee.

He also said the terminus would "change the face" of Jurong, creating opportunities for businesses and citizens.

In response to reporters' questions, PM Lee explained why Jurong East was chosen over the other options of the city centre and Tuas. While the city centre would be the most convenient for commuters, there is little space left for such an ambitious construction project, he said. And while construction works would be the easiest in Tuas, there are few businesses there, he added.

The Government has ambitious plans for the Jurong Lake District, and the terminus dovetails with them, he said.

Analysts said the news would boost property values and interest in the Jurong Gateway area, with some predicting that multinational companies would relocate their offices there.

Malaysia had previously said its terminus would be sited in the Bandar Malaysia project, 3km from KL's financial district.

NDR 2014: Jurong Lake District

First phase of Jurong Lake Gardens to be ready by 2017: Khaw
The Jurong Lake Gardens will retain the heritage elements of the Chinese Garden and the Japanese Garden, but these will be refreshed as part of the overall development, says National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
By Sharon See, Channel NewsAsia, 18 Aug 2014

Residents in the city-state, particularly in Jurong, can look forward to enjoying the 70-hectare Jurong Lake Gardens "as early as 2017", said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan in a blogpost on Monday (Aug 18).

He wrote that heritage elements at the Chinese and Japanese Gardens will be retained, but refreshed as part of Jurong Lake Gardens. The Gardens will be developed in phases, with Jurong Lake Park being the first to be completed in 2017, and implementation plans will dovetail with the greater plans for Jurong Lake District.

Mr Khaw also called on the public to share their ideas with NParks on how it can develop the area. NParks will invite ideas from planning and landscape design professionals and the local community next year for the development of the Gardens, he said.

Thomson-East Coast Line: New MRT Links in the East

$6.8 billion East Coast line by 2024
9-station extension of Thomson Line will provide access to East Coast Park
By Christopher Tan, The Straits Times, 16 Aug 2014

A NEW addition to Singapore's expanding rail network was announced yesterday - a 13km, nine-station line tracing the east coast shoreline which, for the first time, will allow picnickers to get to East Coast Park by MRT.

Extending from the recently announced Thomson Line - which has now been renamed the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) - it is scheduled to be completed by 2024.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew revealed the plans yesterday at the Marina South Pier station - an extension of the North-South Line which will open soon. He said the eastern leg of the TEL is expected to cost $6.8 billion.

Mr Lui said the line will "run almost parallel" to the East-West Line and the future Downtown Line 3, adding: "When completed, rail capacity along the East-West corridor will increase by about 45 per cent."

Travel pattern studies have shown that this corridor accounts for the bulk of morning peak period volume.

First announced by then Communications Minister Yeo Cheow Tong in 2001, the eastern leg of the TEL will go through areas such as Tanjong Rhu, Marine Parade and Siglap. It will serve several residential estates, such as condos in Tanjong Rhu and Bayshore, Housing Board flats in Marine Parade and Bedok South, and low-rise developments in Amber and Tanjong Katong roads.

Schools near the line include St Patrick's, CHIJ Katong, Tao Nan, Victoria School and St Andrew's Autism School. The line will also serve commercial and recreational facilities, such as the Singapore Indoor Stadium and Parkway Parade shopping centre.

Land Transport Authority chief executive Chew Hock Yong said there will be an underground walkway from Parkway Parade to the Marine Parade Community Building two streets away.

Using existing pedestrian underpasses, commuters will be able to get to East Coast Park, which is currently not near any MRT line.

The line will be the first in Singapore to offer underground bicycle parks at stations in Marine Parade, Marine Terrace, Bayshore and Sungei Bedok.

Stations from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore will be completed by 2023, while Bedok South and Sungei Bedok stations will be ready by 2024 - along with a massive depot to be built next to the existing East-West Line depot in Upper Changi.

LTA to study use of express trains

It will see if service can work on Cross Island Line

By Royston Sim, The Straits Times, 7 Mar 2014

TAKING an MRT train that stops at just a few stations and skips the rest so that travelling time is reduced could become an option for commuters here in future.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will study running both normal and express trains on the Cross Island Line, which will be ready in 2030.

It is calling for an engineering feasibility study for the proposed 50km line, which will run from Jurong industrial estate to Changi.

LTA expects the consultant to propose alignments that would let the line operate with both normal and express trains, a common feature of metro systems in cities such as Tokyo and New York.

Experts say express trains are not viable on existing rail lines, as most stations have just two tracks, making overtaking impossible. Upcoming lines such as the Downtown and Thomson lines are not designed for this either.

Mr Rajan Krishnan, chief executive of engineering firm KTC Group and former LTA head of rail projects, said express trains would be useful for moving commuters rapidly from one interchange station to another, allowing them to make transfers quickly during peak hours.

Transport researcher Lee Der Horng from the National University of Singapore said an express service is logical for the Cross Island Line, which will pass through areas with lower population density.

The Cross Island Line could have between 30 and 34 stations, with nine to 12 interchange stations. It will pass through areas such as West Coast, Clementi, Bukit Timah, Sin Ming, Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Loyang and Pasir Ris. The study would also have to determine the stations an express train should serve.

Professor Lee added: "Singapore really needs to have a much faster connection between east and west. Even though train arrival times are predictable, it can be painful to travel from Joo Koon to Pasir Ris." This journey now takes about 63 minutes, a stretch of 29 stations.

Some 15% of golf club land to make way for other use

About 220ha will be freed up from 2030 for housing and infrastructure

By Rachel Scully, The Straits Times, 17 Feb 2014

SOME 15 per cent of land now occupied by golf courses will be making way for new homes, public amenities and infrastructure.

A total of 219ha of land, equivalent to about a third the size of Ang Mo Kio, will be made available from 2030 after the leases on a number of golf courses expire, the Law Ministry said yesterday.

Some of this land will come from Keppel Club and Marina Bay Golf Course, which is a public golf course. They will not get their leases renewed after they expire in 2021 and 2024 respectively.

It also includes the land from Orchid Country Club in Yishun, which will be offered a lease extension through to 2030, after which the land will be taken back for housing needs.

Other clubs with a decade or less remaining on their leases will be given shorter terms upon renewal, up to 2040 at most. Some will also have to give up part of their land to other developments.

One of Singapore Island Country Club's four courses will become a public course when its lease runs out in 2021. This course at its Bukit location off Lornie Road will be managed by the labour movement.

The announcement puts to rest months of speculation about the fates of clubs whose leases are expiring within the decade, after the Government said early last year that it may take back some land for higher intensity uses.

There are 14 private clubs and three public courses here, with the majority on 30-year leases.

Law Minister K. Shanmugam told the media yesterday that the Government wants people to enjoy golf and make available the facilities for it. "But the question is: how many courses do we need, when a significantly large proportion of the population does not golf? Their needs also need to be taken into account."

Under the proposed changes, Keppel Club will lose its 44ha site in Telok Blangah, while Tanah Merah Country Club and the National Service Resort & Country Club in Changi will lose some land for Changi Airport's expansion.

Marina Bay Golf Course, the only 18-hole public course, sits on 68ha of land slated for commercial and residential uses, and will not have its lease renewed.

These changes are in line with Urban Redevelopment Authority plans to raise the proportion of land allocated for housing from 14 per cent to 17 per cent, and from 13 per cent to 17 per cent for industry and commerce uses by 2030.

Golf courses currently make up about 2 per cent of Singapore's total land area, or about 1,500ha.

The ministry said the Government has informed the stakeholders of lease extensions seven years in advance to facilitate planning and investment decisions.