Teck Lee LRT station near SIT campus in Punggol to open on Aug 15
SINGAPORE – Rail services at Teck Lee LRT station in Punggol will start on Aug 15, almost two decades after the station was constructed.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post on July 31 that the station will improve connectivity to the business park within Punggol Digital District and the new Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) campus.
The LRT station, business park and SIT will be connected by covered linkways for first- and last-mile journeys.
In a video message to the media recorded during a visit to the Teck Lee LRT station on July 31, Mr Chee said that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operator SBS Transit are conducting final-stage testing.
Teck Lee station is the last stop to start operations on the west loop of the Punggol LRT line, which opened progressively from 2005.
Back in 2017 when the Samudera station on the west loop opened, LTA said Teck Lee station was set to open only when its surrounding area was developed.
LTA said on July 31 it will receive 25 new two-car trains for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) progressively from end-2024. This will double the number of two-car trains in the SPLRT fleet.
It will also increase passenger capacity to better serve residents and long-term public transport demand, added the authority.
Mr Chee noted that the Punggol Coast MRT station on the North East Line is on track to open by end-2024, to better connect Punggol North to the city centre, cutting travel time by up to 15 minutes.
This station will be built as an extension of the university’s Punggol campus, which will welcome its first students in September.
SIT will move to the campus in phases, starting from the second half of 2024 and completing the move in early 2025.
An SIT spokesperson previously said the Teck Lee LRT station would provide students and staff with easy access to the campus.
LTA added that the opening of the LRT station and the addition of SPLRT trains complement new two-way bus service 84G/W. The latter was introduced in June to enhance connectivity between the northern parts of Punggol – including Sentul Crescent, Punggol Way, New Punggol Road and Punggol Road – and Punggol bus interchange.
As SIT’s infocomm technology cluster is among the first to move to the institute’s Punggol campus in September, applied artificial intelligence student Sebastian Fernandez said that the opening of Teck Lee LRT station “could not have come at a better time”.
Without the new station, Mr Fernandez said he would need to walk 20 minutes under the “hot sun” from Punggol MRT station to the campus, but now his travel time will be “drastically cut”.
“It will definitely make my journey 10 times better due to the air-conditioning and convenience, especially after a tiring day at school,” said the 23-year-old.
Loi, E. (2024, July 31). Teck Lee LRT station near SIT campus in Punggol to open on Aug 15. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/teck-lee-lrt-station-near-sit-campus-in-punggol-to-open-on-aug-15