The Singapore Government announced that facilities for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high speed rail, the Cross Island Line (CRL)’s western depot and other transport related needs, will be located at the current site of Raffles Country Club (RCC).
The Singapore and Malaysia Governments are working towards commencing HSR operations by 31 December 2026. Most recently, at the Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat on 13 December 2016, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak agreed that the HSR will cross the Straits of Johor via a bridge.
The RCC site is the most suitable location to run the at-grade HSR tracks immediately after the bridge crossing, and to place the tunnel portal leading to the underground tunnels that would take the HSR to the Jurong East terminus. The site will also be used for required HSR crossover tracks and a HSR siding facility to temporarily house a train near the border for safety or operational reasons, if necessary.
The RCC site is also required for the CRL’s western depot for stabling and maintenance facilities, as well as other transport related needs, which may include train testing facilities. Further details of the projects will be given after detailed feasibility and engineering studies.
In December, the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR bilateral agreement was signed in Putrajaya, Malaysia, setting the stage for design and construction until service begins by 2026.
The USD 16 billion project involves the construction of a 350 km double-track line cutting the time travel between the Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to 90 minutes with the high-speed train travelling at speeds of over 300 km/h. Both Governments agreed that each will take responsibility for developing, constructing and maintaining the civil infrastructure and stations within their own countries, which will be undertaken by MyHSR Corporation and LTA (as InfraCos) in Malaysia and Singapore respectively.
Share on:
