LTA calls for tender to study proposed sites for high-speed rail terminal

The Land Transport Authority (LTA), yesterday, called for a tender for a detailed feasibility study on recommended sites for a high-speed rail terminal here.

The call arrives just days after Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, and his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak, echoed their intentions to build a high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore - the first of its kind in the South-East Asian region.

Mr. Lee pointed out Tuas West, Jurong East and the city centre as potential sites for a terminal. The study will assess the transport connectivity of all three and explore feasible corridors for the Singapore leg of the line, which could carry trains reaching speeds of 300km/h.

According to the LTA, the appointed consultant will be required to study the impact of the project on existing land transport facilities. The consultant will also compare the different high-speed rail systems, highlight their pros and cons and recommend a 'suitable' one.

According to The Straits Times, the consultant is also required to look at the concept of the terminal station, in addition to the design of supporting infrastructure - including customs, immigration and quarantine facility and an integrated transport hub. The amount of land required and acquired - if the need arises - for the local project will also be studied.

Projected to be complete next year, the study will "evaluate each of the proposed schemes based on technical, operational, maintenance, environmental, security, safety, cost and any other aspects", said the LTA.

The high-speed rail line might comprise a mix of ground-level, elevated and underground sections. In the meantime, LTA will study potential passenger numbers and the soil profile of the three sites.