SINGAPORE – The first train for the upcoming Cross Island Line (CRL) has arrived in Singapore.
In a Facebook post on May 31, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the train, which arrived from Qingdao, China, will now undergo tests before the 50km line opens in phases from 2030.
When fully operational, the CRL will connect the eastern, western and north-eastern parts of Singapore, including major hubs such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and the Changi region, said LTA on its website.
As Singapore’s eighth MRT line, the CRL will be connected to all existing lines except the Circle Line. Eight of the CRL’s announced stations will serve as interchanges.
In its Facebook post, the LTA said commuters can expect 44 fully automated six-car trains on the CRL, along with wider gangways (platforms connecting train cars) for smoother passenger movement and a more comfortable journey.
There will also be smart monitoring and diagnostic systems that help detect potential faults early and improve reliability, said LTA of the new line.
The CRL is being constructed in three phases.
Phase one, which is 29km long, involves 12 stations, running from Aviation Park station to Bright Hill interchange station. This will serve residential and industrial areas such as Loyang, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Defu, Hougang, Serangoon North and Ang Mo Kio.
The 15km second phase, comprising six underground stations, includes interchanges with the Downtown Line at King Albert Park station and the East-West Line in Clementi. The other stations are Turf City, Jurong Lake District, Maju and West Coast.
Construction for the first phase of the CRL has commenced and is targeted to be completed by 2030, said LTA on its website. A four-station extension from Pasir Ris to Punggol is set to open in 2032.
Works for phase two, which began in July 2025, are slated to be completed by 2032.
For phase three, past tenders indicate that it will comprise at least four stations, with possible interchanges at Jurong Pier station on the future Jurong Region Line and Gul Circle station on the East-West Line, The Straits Times has previously reported.
The CRL is expected to have a daily ridership of at least 600,000, growing to one million in the long term.