SINGAPORE’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded Alstom a contract for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of CBTC on what will become a revised metro connection to Changi International Airport.
Under the contract, Alstom will install CBTC on a 14km extension of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) to the airport, including the station at the under-construction Terminal 5. The supplier will also equip the existing Changi Airport - Tanah Merah section of the East West Line (EWL) with CBTC, including stations at Changi Airport, Expo, and Tanah Merah, which will be incorporated into the TEL.
LTA says preparatory works have been underway to convert Tanah Merah into an interchange between EWL and TEL since 2016 and are due to conclude by the end of this year. Work includes constructing new viaducts, adding a new platform and expanding the concourse area. The signalling and systems upgrades are the next phase of the project, with work set to start by the end of the year.
Alstom will supply its Urbalis CBTC solution, which is already installed on the existing 43km TEL, operational from Woodlands North to Bayshore. ST Engineering also confirmed that it is partnering with Alstom in the contract and will provide a data communication system and platform screen doors. Under a second contract with LTA, ST Engineering Urban Solutions will provide a communication and data system to support future train operations on the extension to TEL. It will also provide an access management system to secure restricted areas at stations.
The extension
The extension of TEL from Bayshore to Sungei Bedok is scheduled to open in 2026. This will be the fifth addition to the line since TEL opened in 2020. A subsequent extension from Sungei Bedok to Terminal 5 and the existing Changi Airport station, is scheduled for completion in the mid-2030s.
Upon completion, TEL will extend for 57km from Woodlands North and the future Johor Bahru - Singapore rapid transit link, to downtown Singapore and key locations including Orchard, Maxwell and Gardens by the Bay, and continuing to the airport. TEL will reduce journey times from Changi Airport to Gardens by the Bay to 40 minutes and Marina Bay to 55 minutes.
Construction of the new airport terminal commenced on May 14 and upon completion in the mid-2030s will serve an additional 50 million passengers every year. The new TEL- Cross Island Line (CRL) interchange station at Terminal 5 will be the centrepiece of a new ground transport centre at the airport, integrating train, bus, taxi and other transport services.
The Terminal 5 station will also be connected to the Cross Island Line via a 5.7km extension from the existing terminus at Aviation Park, offering connectivity to locations including the Punggol Digital District and Jurong Lake District.
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