LTA News Release 16 Jun 11;
1. The site for the Thomson Line (TSL) depot has been gazetted today after extensive engineering studies and site surveys. Located in Mandai, the depot will house the Operation Control Centre and provide stabling and maintenance facilities for TSL trains. Construction for the depot is scheduled to commence in end- 2012.
2. The construction of the TSL is part of plans to develop a comprehensive rail network system to meet future travel needs. It will improve rail accessibility along the North-South corridor and improve connectivity to the other lines.
3. The proposed TSL is fully underground, and will run along the North-South corridor, from Woodlands through the CBD to Marina Bay. There are plans for the line to interchange with the North-South Line at the existing Woodlands MRT station, and for the northernmost terminal station to be located in the vicinity of Republic Polytechnic. The proposed Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link between Singapore and Johor Bahru is planned to integrate with the TSL at the northernmost terminal station. The TSL is currently under detailed engineering study. Details of the TSL will be released at a later date after the study is completed.
4. While all efforts have been made to minimise land acquisition, one farm will have to be acquired to facilitate the construction of the depot. The Singapore Land Authority has gazetted the land affected by acquisition today.
Annex A: Artist Impression of Thomson Line Depot (pdf)
Thomson Line to terminate near Republic Polytechnic
It will integrate with rail system to Johor; land for depot in Mandai gazetted
Neo Chai Chin and Wayne Chan Today Online 17 Jun 11;
SINGAPORE - Residents in Woodlands could see greater interest in their properties, while Singapore's largest orchid farm in Mandai will have to relocate, following the latest plans for the 30-kilometre Thomson Line (TSL) that will start running by 2018.
If the proposed Rapid Transit System Link between Singapore and Johor Baru goes according to plan, the two lines will be integrated at the TSL's northern-most terminal station, which the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced yesterday: At a site near Republic Polytechnic.
The station will be north of the Woodlands MRT Station, which will be the future interchange for the Thomson and North South lines, the LTA said.
Further details of the TSL, such as its alignment and the sites of other stations, will be released after detailed engineering studies are completed.
The four-carriage trains that will ply the fully underground line will be able to transport 40,000 passengers per hour in each direction. The new line was reported in 2008 to have 18 stations and will bring commuters to the Marina Bay area, passing through estates such as Ang Mo Kio, Sin Ming and Thomson.
With LTA's announcement, Dennis Wee Group director Chris Koh expects property prices near the future terminal station to rise once the Rapid Transit System Link is completed. Citing the heavy passenger movement between Singapore and Johor Baru daily, Mr Koh said: "I won't be surprised if prices go up by five to 10 per cent easily."
The LTA has also gazetted a site in Mandai for TSL's depot. Construction on the 32-hectare depot, set to be the largest here, will begin at the end of next year.
Singapore's fifth train depot - after Bishan, Changi, Ulu Pandan and Tuas (to be completed in 2016) - will house up to 90 trains.
As a result, the 43-hectare Orchidville farm - equivalent to the size of 60 football fields - will have to move. It has been on a 20-year lease from the Government since 1993.
Its owner Joseph Phua, 56, who will be entitled to statutory compensation under the Land Acquisition Act, told MediaCorp yesterday that over half of the 1.5 million plants - including some rare ones costing up to S$600 each - at the farm may have to be disposed of.
He also said he will likely have to downsize his operations to a fifth of what it is now, as it would be difficult to find a equivalent-size piece of land. The farm, which employs about 100 workers, will then have to retrench some employees.
Mr Phua will meet the authorities next month to discuss compensation and hopes to secure an alternative site in Mandai. He also hopes the cost of relocating could be defrayed.
"There are so many plants for us to move and to develop the piece of land isn't a matter of one month or two months. (The application process) already takes more than six months ... for a piece of land," he said.
Mr Phua said the farm, which receives about seven to eight tour groups a day and has a restaurant for corporate functions, will remain open till the end of next year.
Singapore-Johor rapid transit link by 2018
Channel NewsAsia 27 Jun 11;
SINGAPORE: The Singapore and Malaysian governments plan to open a rapid transit link between the city-state and the neighbouring city of Johor Bahru in Malaysia's south by 2018, both governments said in a joint statement on Monday.
"The terminating stations of the (rapid transit system) link will be in the vicinity of JB Sentral, Johor Bahru and in the vicinity of Republic Polytechnic, Singapore," the statement said.
"It is targeted that the RTS link will be operational by 2018. The RTS link will have a co-located (customs, immigration and quarantine) facility in Singapore and another co-located CIQ facility in Johor Bahru so that commuters need to clear immigration only once for each way of travel."
The announcement comes as Malaysia and Singapore officially sealed the Points of Agreement (POA) on Malayan railway land in Singapore.
The signing ceremony took place in Putrajaya, Malaysia on Monday.
Foreign Minister K Shanmugam signed on behalf of Singapore while Malaysia's side was represented by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nor Mohamed Yakcop.
The signing officially marks an end to year-long negotiations on implementation details that kickstarted following the landmark announcement of the POA breakthrough by the prime ministers of both countries in May 2010.
The joint statement by the prime ministers of Singapore and Malaysia said that preparations for the relocation of Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) from Tanjong Pagar to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint on July 1 are on track.
A joint venture company, called M+S Pte Ltd, and Iskandar JV Company will be established by Thursday.
M+S will develop the four land parcels in Marina South as an integrated development and the two land parcels in Ophir-Rochor, also as an integrated development.
Iskandar JV will undertake two wellness developments in Iskandar Malaysia.
In addition, Khazanah and Temasek will jointly consider other potential developments which are commercially viable in Iskandar Malaysia of up to 500 acres of land, inclusive of the said 215 acres.
Also on schedule is the implementation of the work plan to hand over the waterworks under the 1961 Water Agreement by Singapore free of charge and as a matter of goodwill after the expiry of the agreement on 31 August 2011.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed appreciation and satisfaction on the work done by the ministers and officials in achieving the historic breakthrough in the POA.
Both prime ministers also reiterated their commitments towards further strengthening bilateral relations.
They noted that the resolution of the POA would pave the way for the two countries to explore new areas of cooperation.
- CNA/ir