PUBLISHED ONDecember 10, 2024 9:10 AMByKhoo Yi-HangPunggol Coast MRT station has officially opened, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean announced in the station during its opening ceremony on Tuesday (Dec 10) - and it's just minutes away from Coney Island.
The new MRT station, situated beneath the Punggol Digital District, opened for service at 3pm on Tuesday.
The new terminal station of the 22km North-East Line (NEL) is a 1.6km extension from the existing Punggol station, and will bring the total number of stations on the NEL to 17.
It is an approximately 10-minute walk away from Coney Island, which can be accessed by exiting the Punggol Digital District and walking down Punggol Way to enter the island via its west entrance.
For those looking for alternative exercise or exploration spots, the station is also well-integrated with a "comprehensive cycling and walking network", said Teo, who is also an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
"This makes it easier for residents and commuters to get around the Punggol Digital District and to other parts of Punggol Town in an environmentally friendly and convenient manner," he said.
The new station, designed by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), also has covered linkways to the nearby bus stops, taxi stands, as well as the pick-up and drop-points.
300 bicycle parking lots are also available for cyclists at the station's doorstep.
Besides making Coney Island more accessible, Punggol Coast station is also expected to shorten commutes to the city centre by about 15 minutes for residents.
It will now take about 45 minutes to travel from Punggol North to Outram Park, instead of 60 minutes.
The train station will also serve those travelling to the nearby Singapore Institute of Technology’s (SIT) Punggol campus, which is slated to be fully open by 2025.
It will also be the first MRT station to incorporate a public space at its entrance to serve as a venue for events and community programmes.
While the Punggol Digital District has yet to fully open, commuters can expect a bus interchange, mall, residential area and hotel in the area in the near future.
JTC Corporation, the master planner and developer of the Punggol Digital District, said that tenants of JTC Business Park will also move into the area from the first quarter of 2025. The park can accommodate up to 28,000 tenants, it added.
Noting that almost every NEL station is home to a lively town centre, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat, who also attended the ceremony, said: "I have no doubt that before long, Punggol Coast station will be just as vibrant."
More than 200,000 households are within a 10-minute walk from a station along the NEL.
The NEL isn't the only thing getting an upgrade - the Sengkang-Punggol LRT will also see more train carriages beginning in the second half of 2025, announced Chee during his speech.
He shared that the LTA has procured 25 new two-car trains for the LRT line.
The first set of new two-car trains arrived in Singapore last month, which will be the first to progressively replace existing one-car trains come the second half of 2025.
By mid-2028, it is projected that all one-car trains along the Sengkang-Punggol LRT line will be replaced.
"In addition to increasing passenger capacity on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT with two-car trains, we have added six new trains to the NEL since 2023.
"With the opening of Punggol Coast MRT station, the trains can now operate at higher frequency, which means shorter waiting time for commuters, especially during peak hours," Chee said.
Commuters can also look forward to a more comfortable journey on the NEL as LTA continues to refurbish older trains, providing new seats, upgraded flooring and increased standing capacity, he added.
The opening ceremony marks another milestone in the journey of bringing people across Singapore closer through easier travel, Chee stated.
"We hope the station will bring greater convenience and time-savings for our residents and commuters."
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khooyihang@asiaone.com
