Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced details of the third phase of the Cross Island Line (CRL), alongside new information about the fleet of trains that will operate on the future MRT line.

The latest phase of the project will extend the Cross Island Line by approximately 10 kilometres westwards from Jurong Lake District to Gul Circle, adding four underground stations and introducing a second depot to support operations.

Construction of CRL Phase 3 is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the new stations expected to open in the late 2030s.

The extension will comprise stations CR20 to CR23, with CR21 providing an interchange with the Jurong Region Line and CR23 connecting to the East-West Line at Gul Circle station.

The extension will provide more direct rail connections for residents and workers in western Singapore, reducing journey times by up to 50 minutes on some routes.

A second Cross Island Line depot, covering around 23 hectares, will also be built on the former Raffles Country Club site. The facility will provide maintenance and stabling for the CRL fleet and will be co-located with a multi-storey bus depot offering parking, charging and maintenance facilities for public buses.

Alongside the infrastructure announcement, LTA confirmed that the Cross Island Line will be served by a fleet of 44 fully automated six-car trains, with an option to procure up to 11 additional units to accommodate future passenger demand.

The first train arrived in Singapore in May 2026 and is currently undergoing testing at the Singapore Rail Test Centre. The facility is being used to validate the trains’ rolling stock, signalling, communications and Integrated Supervisory Control System before testing begins on the operational railway.

Following completion of testing, the train will be returned to manufacturers CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd. and Singapore CRRC Sifang Railway Vehicles Service Pte. Ltd. for refurbishment before entering passenger service.

Designed for Singapore’s longest fully underground MRT line, the trains feature five doors on each side of every carriage, compared with four on most existing MRT trains, to support faster passenger boarding and alighting. The trains are also equipped with micro sliding plug doors intended to improve noise insulation.

The fleet will operate using a 1,500V DC overhead conductor rail system and Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling, enabling fully automated driverless operation.

To support maintenance, the trains will include onboard condition monitoring and diagnostic systems capable of identifying potential equipment faults. Selected units will also be equipped with automated track inspection technology to monitor the condition of rails and the overhead conductor rail in real time.

When complete, the Cross Island Line will extend to around 67 kilometres, making it Singapore’s longest fully underground MRT line. The railway will connect key destinations including Changi, Punggol Digital District, Jurong Lake District and Tuas.

Phase 1 of the Cross Island Line is expected to open in 2030, while Phase 2 and the Punggol Extension are scheduled for completion in 2032. An additional extension to Changi Terminal 5 is also under construction.

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