Progress of Jurong Region MRT Line Development

19 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) what is the latest progress on the Jurong Region MRT Line (JRL); (b) when is the earliest possible date for Phase 1 of the JRL to be operational.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Mr Murali Pillai) (for the Acting Minister for Transport): Mr Speaker, Sir, in response to the hon Member Mr Ang Wei Neng, as of end August 2025, Jurong Region Line (JRL) Stage 1 is more than 70% complete. We had previously announced that the JRL will open in phases between 2027 and 2029. We will share more details in early 2026 after we reach an important milestone in completion of further civil works on the JRL.

Mr Speaker: Mr Ang Wei Neng.

Mr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast-Jurong West): I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. Many of our Nanyang residents do not have walkable assess to the JRL Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station, although four of the JRL stations are located in Nanyang, because three of the stations are located within the Nanyang Technological University. Will the Ministry of Transport (MOT) consider putting in additional bus services to connect my residents from Jurong West Streets 91 and 93 directly to the upcoming Gek Poh MRT station, in tandem with the opening of the new MRT station?

Mr Murali Pillai: Mr Speaker, Sir, I appreciate the anxiety of Nanyang residents, as expressed by the hon Member. It would be I believe, a matter of time before the JRL is completed and they would see the benefits. As was mentioned by the hon Member, there are four MRT stations that they can access.

At this present moment, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has provided bus services to connect residents to transport nodes and amenities across Jurong region, which includes Nanyang Division. And LTA regularly monitors the travel demand in this region. Through the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, LTA has been improving existing services and introducing new bus services, especially for residents in new estates that are further from existing transport nodes. And we are continually reviewing them as and when the demand is expressed.

Mr Speaker: A short supplementary question, Mr Ang, a final one.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just to clarify with the Senior Minister of State. My point is that there is no direct bus service now connecting the residents from Jurong West Streets 91 and 93, to the upcoming Gek Poh MRT station. So, when we asked LTA whether they will plan for the new bus service, they said they will wait for the new MRT station to be ready; they will plan for it then. So, my point is that, can we plan for it now, so that the new bus service can be ready, in tandem with opening of the JRL Gek Poh station.

Mr Murali Pillai: I am grateful to the hon Member for his clarification. May I just point out that the planning parameters apply not just to Nanyang but across Singapore. It was mentioned by the hon Member the Gek Poh MRT station was not completed. So, we really, at the end of the day, plan bus routes in relation to expressed needs and there is a balance to be struck. I hope that the hon Member will be able to explain that to his residents.