THERE have been suggestions that the Singapore site for the high-speed rail link from Malaysia should be located in the central region ("Central site best for S'pore end of high-speed rail" by Mr Amit Nagpal; Tuesday, and "Co-locate high-speed rail terminus with MRT interchange" by Mr Christopher Ledesma Choo Weisen; Forum Online, Thursday).
Convenience is the primary reason for these suggestions.
It is important that the Government look at the bigger picture in finalising the location of this terminal and take into consideration the following criteria.
Cost is a big factor and we should not be duplicating resources which could be better spent in other areas such as education, health care and improving Singapore's worker productivity.
The Government should consider co-locating the terminal next to a new MRT station, such as the upcoming Woodlands North station on the Thomson Line.
Ample capacity planning can then be done to adjust the train capacity and rail tracks to support this increased traffic. Leveraging existing MRT interchanges will potentially cause bottlenecks.
Having the terminal located in the central region will impact our environment more than having it on the outskirts of Singapore, such as in Woodlands North or Tuas West.
Having the terminal on the outskirts of the island reduces our risk.
Customs, immigration and quarantine operations have been moved from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands. It makes sense to co-locate the terminal with these operations in Woodlands or Tuas.
In summary, the above three criteria, in addition to convenience, should be taken into consideration in deciding the location of the high-speed rail terminal.
Wong Shih Shen
Convenience is the primary reason for these suggestions.
It is important that the Government look at the bigger picture in finalising the location of this terminal and take into consideration the following criteria.
- First, any large infrastructure project will require a huge economic investment from the Government. We already have major new MRT lines in the works.
Cost is a big factor and we should not be duplicating resources which could be better spent in other areas such as education, health care and improving Singapore's worker productivity.
The Government should consider co-locating the terminal next to a new MRT station, such as the upcoming Woodlands North station on the Thomson Line.
Ample capacity planning can then be done to adjust the train capacity and rail tracks to support this increased traffic. Leveraging existing MRT interchanges will potentially cause bottlenecks.
- Second, Singapore is a small country where land is scarce, so we have to consider the impact on our environment.
Having the terminal located in the central region will impact our environment more than having it on the outskirts of Singapore, such as in Woodlands North or Tuas West.
- Lastly, there is the security aspect, as we have cross-border visitors from Malaysia to Singapore and decisions need to be made on people-control measures to reduce cross-border risks.
Having the terminal on the outskirts of the island reduces our risk.
Customs, immigration and quarantine operations have been moved from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands. It makes sense to co-locate the terminal with these operations in Woodlands or Tuas.
In summary, the above three criteria, in addition to convenience, should be taken into consideration in deciding the location of the high-speed rail terminal.
Wong Shih Shen
