By rosebell
As a 4km extension of the Downtown Line (DTL), the Downtown Line 2 extension’s (DTL2e) new alignment and station locations has been announced by Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Linking the DTL from its existing terminus at Bukit Panjang station to a new NS6/DE2 interchange station on the North-South Line (NSL) will be up to DTL2e.
Heading northwest, the first station, dubbed DE1, will be built after Bukit Panjang as an underground station along Sungei Kadut Avenue.
Being located between Yew Tee and Kranji stations, DTL’s new terminus (DE2) is due to be an underground interchange station connected to an aboveground NSL station (NS6).
While improving the rail connectivity in the northwestern region, the new stations will extend access to areas such as Yew Tee Village and the future Sungei Kadut Eco-District, along with amenities such as Rail Corridor and Pang Sua Park Connector.
People living in the north-western region of the city, who currently take the NSL or Thomson-East Coast Line to reach the downtown area, can use DTL2e to reach the city centre.
According to Land Transport Authority in its statement: “The DTL2e is expected to reduce the travelling times for commuters between northern and northwestern parts of Singapore. For instance, a commuter travelling from Yew Tee Village to Chinatown will enjoy travel time savings of 20 minutes, from an hour by train and bus today, to 40 minutes on the DTL. In addition, DTL2e will improve rail network resilience in the north-western region, by providing commuters with alternative travel and transfer options for their journeys.”
The scheduled date for commencing construction works on DTL2e is the fourth quarter of 2025, and the new station locations is slated to be inaugurated by 2035.
Including engagement and consultation of nature groups, an Environmental Study has been completed and an Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan will be implemented, which comprises certain measures to mitigate the environmental impact of the construction works at DTL2e.
Building a wildlife corridor along the Rail Corridor during construction to allow continued movement of fauna and monitoring of sensitive habitats by ecologists, is the contents of the measures.
Following completion of DTL2e, DTL will have a total of 39 stations, including the Hume station which will open in Q2 2025 and the DTL 3 extension (DTL3e) featuring Xilin and Sungei Bedok stations that will open in the second half of 2026.
