The Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced plans to significantly expand the city-state’s rail network while making additional investments to strengthen reliability. The announcement came during the Ministry of Transport’s Committee of Supply debate on 5 March 2025.

The LTA plans to proceed with the West Coast Extension (WCE), which will extend the Jurong Region Line to connect with both the Circle Line and Cross Island Line. Feasibility studies are also underway for new rail lines to improve public transport access across the island.

Several rail projects are already making progress. Hume Station on the Downtown Line opened for passenger service on 28 February 2025, while phase 2 of the Cross Island Line is expected to break ground in the first half of 2025. Circle Line stage 6, which completes the circle between HarbourFront and Marina Bay stations via three new stations, is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2026.

The LTA will implement the West Coast Extension in two phases. The first phase will extend the Jurong Region Line from Pandan Reservoir Station to connect with the Cross Island Line at West Coast Station by the late 2030s. The second phase will further extend the line from West Coast Station to connect with the Circle Line at Kent Ridge station by the early 2040s. This extension is expected to provide residents in western Singapore time savings of up to 20 minutes for journeys towards the city centre.

Two potential new rail lines are currently under feasibility study. The Seletar Line could serve areas including Woodlands, Sembawang, Sengkang West, and the Greater Southern Waterfront. The Tengah Line could supplement transport in western and northwestern regions, serving areas such as Tengah, Bukit Batok, and Bukit Merah. These lines could potentially meet at the Greater Southern Waterfront and might be linked into a single line.

If deemed feasible, these new lines are expected to be completed in phases from the 2040s and could serve more than 400,000 households.

To support rail reliability, the Singapore government intends to invest up to an additional $1 billion over the next five years. This investment will enhance rail asset management and improve workforce capabilities. The funds will be used for condition monitoring capabilities allowing for more proactive maintenance, targeted pre-emptive replacements of subsystems, and new technologies to enhance maintenance efficiency.

The LTA also plans to transform and upgrade the rail workforce through strengthened training programmes and skills upgrading opportunities. The agency will create more opportunities for rail workers and leaders to learn from overseas metro systems and international experts.

These expansion and reliability efforts align with Singapore’s Land Transport Master Plan goal of having 80% of households within a 10-minute walk from a train station by the 2030s.