1. Having completed the advanced engineering studies, LTA is pleased to announce the rail alignment and station locations for Downtown Line 2 (DTL2). This stage of the Downtown Line is a major step towards bringing long-awaited rail access to the north-western area of Singapore.

2. The 16.6km long DTL2 comprises one depot and 12 stations, including three interchange stations at Little India, Newton and the Botanic Gardens. These 3 interchange stations will link to the North East Line (NEL), North South Line (NSL) and Circle Line (CCL) respectively, giving commuters greater accessibility to the rest of the island and significantly improving travel time.

3. Mr Yam Ah Mee, Chief Executive, LTA said, "The Downtown Line 2 will offer commuters significant time savings. For example, the current one-hour journey from Bukit Panjang to the city centre will be reduced by a third - to approximately 40 minutes. DTL2 will also improve accessibility to other parts of Singapore as commuters can conveniently transfer to other MRT lines at the three DTL2 interchange stations"

Benefits of DTL 2

4. Mr Yam added: "DTL2 will link the north-western part of the island through DTL1 directly to commercial, residential and entertainment developments in the Marina Bay area. These include the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, Marina Bay Financial Centre, Sail @ Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay as well as the Central Business District. DTL2 will support the growth of these new developments, and more importantly, make public transport a more viable commuting choice."

5. DTL2 will bring greater convenience to residents living in Bukit Panjang and Bukit Timah as they can look forward to taking the train directly to city areas such as Orchard Road and Clarke Quay that are currently not linked to the Bukit Timah corridor by the rail system. DTL2 will also improve accessibility to other areas with these three interchange stations:

a) Botanic Gardens interchange station will link DTL2 to CCL where commuters can access Holland Village, Kent Ridge, West Coast, Pasir Panjang, Telok Blangah and Thomson.

b) Newton Station interchange station will link DTL2 to NSL for commuters from Bukit Panjang and Bukit Timah to areas such as City Hall, Marina Bay on its southbound route and to Toa Payoh, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang and Yishun towards the northern track.

c) Little India interchange station connects DTL2 to NEL for direct access from Bukit Panjang and Bukit Timah to Hougang, Sengkang and Punggol on its northbound route and to Chinatown and Clarke Quay in the eastbound direction.

Public Contribution to Station Naming

6. With the alignment and station locations finalised, working names based on station location have been assigned to the DTL2 stations for ease of reference. However, we will be seeking feedback and ideas from the public on the naming of the stations (excluding Little India, Newton and Botanic Gardens Stations as they are already official station names).

7. Stations names should:

• Identify the location readily so that all commuters can easily remember the names and identify the area of the station
• Illustrate the history and heritage of the station surroundings if relevant
• Reflect the multi-racial, multi-cultural character of Singapore if possible.

8. The public will be able to send their suggestions to LTA from end July 2008. More details will be provided nearer to the date.

9. The 12 DTL2 stations are:

• Rochor Station*
• Little India Station (Interchange for DTL2 and NEL)
• Newton Station (Interchange for DTL2 and NSL)
• Stevens Station*
• Botanic Gardens (Interchange for DTL2 and CCL)
• Duchess Station*
• Sixth Avenue Station*
• Blackmore Station*
• Beauty World Station*
• Hillview Station*
• Cashew Station*
• Petir Station*

* These are working names only.

Downtown Line

10. Land acquisitions for DTL2 will be minimal and limited to a 2-storey building at Halifax Road and two strips of land at Upper Bt Timah Road. The land to be acquired is gazetted today by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).

11. The Government announced its decision to build the DTL in three stages on 27 April 2007. Since then, LTA has called the tender for the civil construction of DTL 1 and five construction contracts have been awarded. These contracts cover the stations and tunnels between Chinatown and east of Promenade Station.

12. Current work on all five awarded contracts is progressing well.

Annexes: Alignment of DTL and DTL 2 and maps of DTL 2 stations