I AGREE that a more central location for the Singapore-Malaysia high-speed rail system should be identified ("Central site best for S'pore end of high-speed rail" by Mr Amit Nagpal; Tuesday).
The rail system will benefit only those with convenient access to it. Siting the station in Jurong or Tuas will largely benefit residents and companies in the western part of the island, while disadvantaging those in the east.
It will be better if the station is co-located with a major MRT interchange to reduce the total travel time to different parts of the island.
The areas around City Hall and Raffles City are already very dense, so it makes sense to site the station at an interchange just outside the central core. This will cut down land acquisition and infrastructure costs, as well as minimise inconvenience to people during the construction period.
Japan's Shinkansen is an excellent example of how stations can be constructed in close proximity, but not within the city centre. The Shinkansen stations in Kobe, Yokohama and Osaka are no more than 20 minutes by train from their respective city centres.
Similarly, Singapore's interchange stations such as the Botanic Gardens (Circle and Downtown lines) and Buona Vista (Circle and East-West lines) are better candidates than Jurong and Tuas because they are more accessible by public transport.
The faster that people can access the station, the quicker they will complete their journeys.
This will reduce the overall load on the transport network, as workers are likely to make up the bulk of commuters, especially during peak hours.
A central location will also allow connecting trains to carry passengers in different directions, as opposed to a single direction in the cases of Jurong East and Tuas West.
Other planning considerations also support a more central location for the station. Shorter travel times from the station to convention centres in the Marina Bay and Sentosa regions, the commercial centres in Shenton Way and Bayfront, industrial areas such as Ubi, and residential districts relatively near the station will result in economic benefits to a larger swathe of the population.
Like the former Tanjong Pagar terminal, the high-speed rail will be built only once. We owe it to ourselves to reconsider our options and make the most of it.
Christopher Ledesma Choo Weisen
The rail system will benefit only those with convenient access to it. Siting the station in Jurong or Tuas will largely benefit residents and companies in the western part of the island, while disadvantaging those in the east.
It will be better if the station is co-located with a major MRT interchange to reduce the total travel time to different parts of the island.
The areas around City Hall and Raffles City are already very dense, so it makes sense to site the station at an interchange just outside the central core. This will cut down land acquisition and infrastructure costs, as well as minimise inconvenience to people during the construction period.
Japan's Shinkansen is an excellent example of how stations can be constructed in close proximity, but not within the city centre. The Shinkansen stations in Kobe, Yokohama and Osaka are no more than 20 minutes by train from their respective city centres.
Similarly, Singapore's interchange stations such as the Botanic Gardens (Circle and Downtown lines) and Buona Vista (Circle and East-West lines) are better candidates than Jurong and Tuas because they are more accessible by public transport.
The faster that people can access the station, the quicker they will complete their journeys.
This will reduce the overall load on the transport network, as workers are likely to make up the bulk of commuters, especially during peak hours.
A central location will also allow connecting trains to carry passengers in different directions, as opposed to a single direction in the cases of Jurong East and Tuas West.
Other planning considerations also support a more central location for the station. Shorter travel times from the station to convention centres in the Marina Bay and Sentosa regions, the commercial centres in Shenton Way and Bayfront, industrial areas such as Ubi, and residential districts relatively near the station will result in economic benefits to a larger swathe of the population.
Like the former Tanjong Pagar terminal, the high-speed rail will be built only once. We owe it to ourselves to reconsider our options and make the most of it.
Christopher Ledesma Choo Weisen
