Punggol LRT Line
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Punggol Light Rapid Transit (PG) is a third light rapid transit line in Singapore within the Singapore Light Rapid Transit system. Its first phase comprises a 10.3km light rail line with 15 stations. Similar to the Sengkang LRT Line, its rolling stock manufacturer and line operator are Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and SBS Transit respectively. Construction began in June 2000 by a consortium comprising SembCorp Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Corporation, at a cost of S$354 million.
When it is completed, the Punggol LRT Line will be able to serve most of the residents in the town and urban planning area of Punggol. Although presently Punggol is actually less densely populated than other towns, there are plans to turn it into a new town, and hence probably house hundreds of thousands of people, an especially large portion of the population of Singapore, especially when development is completed. This will provide a housing capacity will be large enough to accommodate a growing population for the future.
The Punggol LRT Line gives an incentive for development and residence in the area by providing a more rapid and effortless form of transport compared to other forms of transport in Singapore, and is part of the plan to link up Punggol with the integrated public transport system. Punggol LRT Station, the centrepiece of the line, is adjacent to Punggol MRT Station, thus linking up the Punggol MRT Line to the Mass Rapid Transit system that spans the entire island of Singapore.
Contents |
[edit] History
Construction of the first phase was completed in June 2004, and underwent testing by the Land Transport Authority. The system was handed over to SBS Transit on 1 December 2004, who are conducting more trial runs and staff training before the planned opening of the East Loop of the system on January 29, 2005. Stations PE6 Oasis and PE7 Damai, as well as the entire West Loop, will be opened at a later date, once there are more developments within the vicinity of the affected stations.
The second phase of the system will involve a northern spur line branching from PW1 Sam Kee Station or PW2 Teck Lee, with 4 stations.
[edit] Stations
- PTC / NE17: Punggol / 榜鹅 / பொங்கோல் (interchange with North East Line)
- East Loop
- PE1: Cove / 海湾 / கோவ் - Name of Residents' Committee (RC).
- PE2: Meridian / 丽园 / மெரிடியன் - Name of Residents' Committee (RC).
- PE3: Coral Edge - Name of the precinct, comprising a cluster of HDB blocks.
- PE4: Riviera - Reflect the seaside theme.
- PE5: Kadaloor - Means seaside town in Tamil.
- PE6: Oasis (not open) - Name of Residents’ Committee (RC)
- PE7: Damai (not open) - Means peaceful in Malay.
- West Loop (not yet opened)
- PW1: Sam Kee - Name for a former village in this area.
- PW2: Teck Lee - Name of a well-known person (Lim Teck Lee) in Punggol in the past.
- PW3: Punggol Point - Located near the point of Punggol.
- PW4: Samudera - Means sea ub Tamil.
- PW5: Nibong - The name is derived from nibong poles and stilts that marked the humble beginnings of Punggol.
- PW6: Sumang - Name of a famous Malay warrior, Wak Sumang, who started Punggol village.
- PW7: Soo Teck - Name of a former primary school that used to be in the area.
- North Line (not yet built)
- PN1: Not yet named
- PN2: Not yet named
- PN3: Not yet named
- PN4: Not yet named
[edit] Service
Trains on the Punggol LRT run on either one of the two loops, the East loop or the West loop. These loops form a figure-8 with Punggol LRT Station forming a junction between the two loops. Given that the surrounding area covered by the West Loop is still not fully developed, the East Loop is only served in one direction which changes at 3pm daily.
