Update on Feasibility Studies for Seletar MRT Line

10 Mr Ng Chee Meng asked the Acting Minister for Transport what is the progress of feasibility studies on the Seletar MRT Line where plans were first announced in 2019.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Acting Minister for Transport): Mr Speaker, Sir, feasibility studies for the Seletar Line are still ongoing, including on land use, engineering feasibility and environmental impact. We will provide further details when ready.

Mr Speaker: Mr Ng.

Mr Ng Chee Meng (Jalan Kayu): Mr Speaker, I have been rolling this Parliamentary Question (PQ) over since Monday, because transport connectivity is important. I have heard from Minister Jeffrey Siow that connecting to the Cross Island Line is a possibility, but currently, it is still very congested and honestly, connectivity in Jalan Kayu Fernvale can be improved.

So, two quick supplementary questions. I understand the complexities, but can we have a more definitive timeline? After all, it has been six years since the studies have begun.

The second supplementary question is: in the meantime, would the Ministry of Transport (MOT) be putting in better bus connectivity? While I understand it is not the most efficient, this would be needed for the long interim.

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his supplementary questions and I am very well aware that he has rolled over this question several times. I know he is very, very concerned for his Jalan Kayu residents and also, residents in the North East area.

I will first say that rail projects, as we all know, are major public investments and they do require careful consideration of a variety of factors. This include current and future land use needs, and that is why we also need to look at engineering feasibility and also potential environmental impacts. We have to work with the relevant planning agencies to assess the demand and the implementation timeline of the project so as to be able to support existing and future developments along the corridor, as well as sourcing for suitable sites for a train depot, which are large facilities.

This is followed by detailed engineering studies to ascertain the engineering feasibility and the appropriate corridor and station locations to maximise the catchment while trying to minimise inconveniences and disruptions as much as possible, during the construction phase.

We are already doing this as quickly as we can, but at the same time, are making sure that no stones are left unturned. We are working in close consultation with other land use agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Housing and Development Board, and JTC.

On the Member's second question with regard to concerns that residents currently have on transport accessibility, we have shared earlier in the House that when the Cross Island Line Phase 1 and Punggol Extension open in the early 2030s, residents in the North and North East will have more options for travelling to many locations.

While the works for the Cross Island Line are happening, in the meantime, we are looking to implement other measures to increase public transport capacity in the North East region. So, the Member has talked about buses. Indeed, since the launch of the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has introduced five new peak hour bus services as alternative options to the NEL and has also enhanced the five existing peak hour bus services. In addition, the LTA has enhanced the travel smart journeys programme earlier this year to encourage commuters in the North East to shift their commutes to off peak periods, or to remode their journeys to eligible express bus services.

Lastly, I would also like to mention that we will continue to make enhancements to the bus services under the programme, which I have shared, the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme. This includes introducing more peak hour express bus services as alternative options for residents to complement busier Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) lines like the North East Line. And we will be sharing more details as we are progressively identifying and introducing these enhancements.

Mr Speaker: Mr Andre Low.

Mr Low Wu Yang Andre (Non-Constituency Member): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have filed a PQ on the Seletar Line for subsequent Sitting, so I will just ask my supplementary question today.

I understand that feasibility studies are still ongoing. The original indicative timeline that was initially announced for the Seletar Line was sometime in the 2040s. Given that the NEL overcrowding issues are quite bad already today, and I understand the Cross Island Line is upcoming, but the proposed routing for the Seletar Line is likely to be more of a direct parallel and provide more direct loading relief for the NEL. So, given that, will the Ministry consider accelerating the timeline of the Seletar Line's development?

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his question. As I have shared, the feasibility studies are ongoing and where the studies confirm that the line is feasible, we expect to complete the line in phases from the 2040s.