Last 12 Circle Line stations to open Oct 8
The last 12 stations of the Circle Line will open on Oct 8, bringing to 28 the number of operating stations on the mass rapid transit project.
The final 16.6km, connecting Marymount to Harbour Front, will get commuters to places such as Holland Village, the Botanic Gardens and research hub one-north with ease. More than 320,000 commuters are likely to benefit from the greater connectivity and shortened travel times.
There will also be an increase in train capacity: 13 new trains will be delivered around 2014 to 2015 for the North-South and East-West lines, in addition to the 22 trains to be added by the end of this year. The opening of the Circle Line is expected to ease crowding on those 2 lines by 10-15% by allowing commuters to bypass the busy interchanges of City Hall and Raffles Place.
6 interchanges on the Circle Line – at Harbour Front, Buona Vista, Bishan, S'goon, Paya Lebar and Dhoby Ghaut – will make it possible for commuters to transfer to the North-South, East-West and North-East lines. Commuters will make significant time savings.
For instance, those travelling from Bishan to Buona Vista will take 26 mins, compared to 40 mins on the North-South and East-West lines. Getting from Farrer Road to Raffles Place will take 25 mins by train, compared to 40 mins by bus now. Next year, an extension to the Circle Line will add 2 stations – Bayfront and Marina Bay; a third station to be added is Bukit Brown, which will open only when the area around it is developed.
Source : The Straits Times, 2 Aug 2011
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