Singapore's Land Transport Authority said on Wednesday that the residents of Punggol North will have a new MRT station, the Punggol Coast station by 2023. The new station is believed to cut travelling time to the city by 15 minutes. At present, it takes about 45 minutes to get from Punggol North to City Hall.
In a press release, LTA said that the new station will come with the construction of a 1.6-km extension on the North-East Line (NEL). According to the agency, the extension was originally planned for 2030. But, it was brought forward to support developments in Punggol North such as new estates at Northshore District, Punggol Point District as well as the Punggol Digital District.
"This is part of our overall masterplan - bringing it forward seven years is to match with the urban development of Punggol," Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng told Channel NewsAsia at Boon Lay MRT station on Wednesday. The minister was present there to meet the commuters and LTA staff ahead of the Tuas-West extension opening on Jun 18.
Ng, who is also MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, said that the town is "growing rapidly" and thus completing the MRT station's project early will surely benefit the residents and students. The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is set to have a new campus in Punggol.
With the opening of the new station, the total number of stations on the North-East Line will be 17. LTA will call tenders for the construction this month, and work on the station is expected to start in the first half of 2018.
