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BUKIT Timah residents and students of more than 30 schools will enjoy faster travel times when the second stage of the Downtown MRT Line is ready by 2015.
Transport Minister Raymond Lim led a ground-breaking ceremony for the Downtown Line 2 (DTL2) at the work site for the upcoming Beauty World station. The station is one of 12 on the 16.6 km DTL2, which will run north-west along the Bukit Timah corridor from Rochor to Bukit Panjang.
DTL2 will connect with the other MRT lines at Little India, which is on the North-east Line, Newton on the North-south Line and Botanic Gardens on the Circle Line. Through these three interchange stations, commuters will have greater accessibility to the rest of Singapore. According to the Land Transport Authority, travel time will improve as much as 30 per cent.
LTA cites the example of a journey from Bukit Panjang to Marina Bay Financial Centre. With direct rail access, it will take about 45 minutes, saving 25 minutes from the existing travel time, which requires a transfer from the North-south Line to the East-west Line.
'Motorists will have a much quicker and more comprehensive public transport option that may well encourage them to leave their cars at home more often,' said Mr Lim. 'Students from the more than 30 schools in this area will also benefit when DTL2 opens.'
LTA says that DTL2 is also expected to 'breathe new life' into businesses along its route, making it more convenient to visit neighbourhood shopping centres such as Balmoral Plaza, Serene Centre, Coronation Plaza, Sixth Avenue eateries, Bukit Timah Plaza, Beauty World Centre and Rail Mall.
'This new line will add to the vibrancy and buzz of the Bukit Timah/Bukit Panjang corridor,' said Mr Lim. 'It will also be one of the major milestones in the Land Transport Masterplan that I unveiled 18 months ago.'
So far, six of the 10 DTL2 contracts have been awarded, with the rest to come later this year.
The entire 40 km Downtown Line will be built in three stages. DTL1 is expected to be completed by 2013, while the target for DTL3 is 2016.
When completed, DTL will allow direct access from the central business district to the north-western and eastern areas of Singapore, as well as support the new developments in the Marina Bay area.
When in full operation, DTL will have a projected daily ridership of more than 500,000.
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