The Jurong Region MRT Line (JRL) will be the eighth Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore. It is currently under planning and evaluation. The line is coloured turquoise in the map.
It was announced on 9 May 2018 at Canberra MRT Station. It reaches north to Choa Chu Kang, south to Jurong Industrial Estate, east to Jurong East and west to Jurong West. It is 24 kilometres and serves 24 stations. The line will be above ground.
Jurong Region Line had formed parts of Jurong Region Tram, Southwest Line and parts of Holland Line.
Overview[]
The line mainly serves Jurong and the surrounding areas. The line is split into three branches:
- The main line starts at Choa Chu Kang and ends at Jurong Pier, passing through Jurong West.
- The west branch starts from Jalan Bahar and ends at Peng Kang Hill, passing through Jurong West Extension and Nanyang Technological University
- The east branch starts from Tengah and ends at Teban Gardens, passing through Jurong East.
Trains travelling from Choa Chu Kang will terminate at Jurong Pier. Trains travelling from Jurong Pier will terminate at Peng Kang Hill. Lastly, trains travelling from Peng Kang will head towards Choa Chu Kang, with Jalan Bahar will be a roundabout. Transfer to the east branch can only be done at Tengah.
Feasibility studies for the extension to connect to the east branch of the Circle Line at Haw Par Villa is ongoing.
History[]
The towns around Tengah began to develop in the early 1970s as the government resettled the population from slums to apartments. There had been rural settlements across the west region of Singapore, which were replaced with urban areas Jurong West, Jurong East, Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang. Rail transport had been provided by the Jurong Freight Railway from 1965 to 1986, and by the North South Line and East West Line since 1988.
As early as in 1996, consideration was given to provide a railway connection for the Nanyang Technological University from the rest of Singapore, together with more of the Jurong areas such as Joo Koon and Tuas. The white paper published by the Land Transport Authority indicated that the LRT would serve this beyond the end point of the original East West Line terminus, Boon Lay towards the university campus. The JRL was envisaged, into the Concept Plan 2001.
In 2008, the plans for the LRT line was replaced by a tram and Land Transport Authority had decided to build the tram service for the entire population of Jurong, to connect the Neighbourhoods 1 - 9, as the Land Transport Authority had announced that no new LRT lines will be built unless a new township is heavily developed, as the population of Jurong and total yearly demand from NTU deemed that the line was not economically sustainable for it to be built.
In 2011, under the NTU Master Plan 2011, the line was re-proposed as a private light-rail (like monorails, similar to the Sentosa Express and the proposed NUS Monorail, where universities will be getting monorails due to the large size) serving NTU, that would run from Pioneer and into the campus.
On 17 January 2013, this line was confirmed to be built, by 2025. It will be part of the MRT network instead of the initial proposal as a LRT line, serving Tengah and Choa Chu Kang, besides just Jurong when originally announced in 2001.
The first phase was announced on May 2015 after Jeremy Mok had moved out to Tampines GreenTerrace, thus vacating Timothy Mok's room. In addition, MINDEF has already given up Tengah New Town from 13 November 2015, and MINDEF needs to take over the land at Lim Chu Kang. Construction began on 3 January 2016 at the stretch from Tengah to Cleantech Park and is expected to complete in 2020.
On 9 May 2018, LTA announced that the line will be 24 kilometres long and 24 stations. It will open in three phases starting from 2026 to 2028.
Contracts[]
Depot[]
- J101: Jurong Region Line Depot at Tengah (J1018 is earthworks)
Western Branch[]
- J106: Gek Poh and Tawas Stations
- J107: Nanyang East, Nanyang Crescent and Peng Kang Hill Stations
- J115: Peng Kang Hill Station and Stabling Facility
Eastern Branch[]
- J108: Tengah Plantation and Tengah Park Stations, and trackwork at Tengah East
- J109: Bukit Batok West and Toh Guan Stations
- J110: Jurong East Station and trackwork at Jurong East
- J111: Jurong Town Hall and Pandan Reservoir Stations
Central Line[]
- J102: Choa Chu Kang, Choa Chu Kang West and Tengah Stations
- J103: Hong Kah, Corporation and Jurong West Stations, and trackwork at Tengah West
- J105: Jalan Bahar and Boon Lay Stations
- J112: Enterprise and Tukang Stations
- J113: Jurong Hill and Jurong Pier Stations
Operator Contracts[]
| Operator | Notes | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| SMRT Corporation / SG Enable | SMRT Corporation serves all of the key areas in the Jurong Region Line, whereas the SG Enable (Enabling Business Hub) serves Taman Jurong, Choa Chu Kang, Choa Chu Kang West, Tengah, Hong Kah, Gek Poh and Bukit Batok West. | $575,582 |
| SBS Transit / RATP Dev | SBS Transit only serves 142 Verde View, Jurong East and partial of Boon Lay, including certain parts of Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang in the past. | $256,340 |
| Bravo Transport | Bravo Transport had served Trampolene's part of Markono Print Media. | $187,324 |
JRL Overview[]
“This will help to distribute and relieve train loading between Choa Chu Kang and Jurong East stations, so that commuters can enjoy more comfortable rides,” Mr Khaw said.
He added that the JRL will help develop the Jurong Lake District into the largest commercial hub outside the central business district. It will also support the development of the Jurong Innovation District into a next-generation industrial estate.
“Together with the upcoming Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail, commuters will have convenient connections not just within western Singapore, but also to Malaysia. When all these plans come together, Jurong will be a waterfront business hub nestled in greenery, served by good public transport connections, as well as amenities to support active mobility. This is our vision for Jurong,” he said.
Increase of Rental[]
The new JRL is likely to have the most positive impact on the industrial sector, due to the improved accessibility to the Jurong Innovation District, Jurong Industrial Estate, International Business Park, and CleanTech Park, said Ms Christine Li, senior director of research at Cushman & Wakefield. It will also indirectly improve the linkage of these areas to the Tuas mega port via the East-West Line.
As a result, industrial rents in these areas will experience an uplift, said Ms Li.
The commercial sector is also likely to see some benefit, as will the retail sector, with major malls at interchange stations such as Jurong Point, JEM, and Westgate likely to experience an increase in footfall and sales, Ms Li added.
The announcement of the JRL also complements the planned KL-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR).
“With both the JRL and HSR in operation, Singaporean and Malaysian businesses will have the added incentive of the offices and manufacturing activities in the Jurong Lake District and surrounding industrial estates”, Ms Li said.
The residential sector, however, could face pressure.
“Existing residential areas may not see close improvement as they are already in close proximity to existing stations on the EWL and NSL. Residential rents may also be depressed over the next decade due to noise from the construction activities," Ms Li said.
Stations[]
| Station Name | Interchange/Notes |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 (Under planning, to be ready by 2027) | |
| Choa Chu Kang | Interchange with the North South Line and Bukit Panjang LRT |
| Brickland | |
| Tengah | Interchange with the East Branch |
| Hong Kah | |
| Corporation | |
| Jurong West | |
| Jalan Bahar | Interchange with the West Branch |
| Boon Lay | Interchange with the East West Line |
| Gek Poh | |
| Cleantech | |
| Stage 2 (Under planning, to be ready by 2028) | |
| Tengah Plantation | |
| Tengah Park | |
| Bukit Batok West | |
| Toh Guan | |
| Jurong East | Interchange with the East West Line and North South Line |
| Jurong Town Hall | |
| Teban Gardens | |
| Stage 3 (Under planning, to be ready by 2029) | |
| Enterprise | |
| Tukang | |
| Jurong Hill | |
| Jurong Pier | |
| Nanyang East | |
| Nanyang Crescent | |
| Peng Kang Hill | |
Depot[]
There will be a depot at Tengah, located on a 40 hectares site next to Pan Island Expressway. Rolling stock will be kept at that location, which would have the JRL operations control centre, maintenance workshops and carriage sidings.
Proposed expansion[]
West Coast Extension[]
This proposed extension from West Coast to Haw Par Villa via Pasir Panjang would connect the JRL to the Circle Line and improve the connectivity between the western part of Singapore and the Southern Waterfront City. It would support the future developments along the JRL, while enhance the overall resilience of the Mass Rapid Transit network. New stations would be added in West Coast and Pasir Panjang. The plan was announced in 2015, and as of 2017, feasibility studies are ongoing for the proposed extension. If built, the extension would be ready in 2030.
On 5 March 2025, transport minister Chee Hong Tat confirmed the West Coast extension and that it will go ahead in two phases. The first phase, planned to be completed in by the late 2030s, will extend the JRL to West Coast station on the Cross Island Line. In the early 2040s, the subsequent phase would extend the JRL to Kent Ridge station on the Circle Line.
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