AN ORCHID farm in Mandai will have to make way for the construction of a depot for the Thomson Line (TSL) train network due to start at the end of next year.
The 42.5ha Orchidville, located in Lorong Lada Hitam, will be acquired by the Government.
Its owners have a 20-year lease on the land which expires in 2013.
This comes after the depot site was gazetted yesterday, following extensive engineering and site surveys, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
The 32ha depot, to be the largest, will be the nerve centre for TSL trains, providing stabling and maintenance facilities. It will be able to house up to 90 trains.
A Singapore Land Authority spokesman said that statutory compensation for the farm owners, under the Land Acquisition Act, will be based on market value as at the date of acquisition, and the remaining tenure of the property will be considered, among other factors.
Construction of the depot is part of the Land Transport Masterplan, unveiled by LTA in 2008, to develop a comprehensive rail network system to meet future travel needs.
The TSL will be about 30km long, and will run entirely underground. It is expected to be completed by 2018. The TSL will pass through areas like Woodlands, Ang Mo Kio, Sin Ming, Thomson and the Central Business District, and will connect to Marina Bay.
It is hoped that the TSL will improve rail accessibility along the north-south corridor and improve connectivity to other train lines.
Two interchange stations along the TSL were announced at a media briefing held at LTA's headquarters yesterday. One station will be sited at its northern-most terminal, and it will be built in the vicinity of Republic Polytechnic in Woodlands.
The proposed rapid transit system linking Singapore and Johor Baru is planned to integrate with the TSL at this station.
Another station will link up with Woodlands MRT station along the North-South Line.
The TSL is expected to run four-car trains with a capacity of 40,000 passengers an hour, in each direction.
Further details will be released when a detailed engineering study is completed at the end of next year.
The 42.5ha Orchidville, located in Lorong Lada Hitam, will be acquired by the Government.
Its owners have a 20-year lease on the land which expires in 2013.
This comes after the depot site was gazetted yesterday, following extensive engineering and site surveys, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
The 32ha depot, to be the largest, will be the nerve centre for TSL trains, providing stabling and maintenance facilities. It will be able to house up to 90 trains.
A Singapore Land Authority spokesman said that statutory compensation for the farm owners, under the Land Acquisition Act, will be based on market value as at the date of acquisition, and the remaining tenure of the property will be considered, among other factors.
Construction of the depot is part of the Land Transport Masterplan, unveiled by LTA in 2008, to develop a comprehensive rail network system to meet future travel needs.
The TSL will be about 30km long, and will run entirely underground. It is expected to be completed by 2018. The TSL will pass through areas like Woodlands, Ang Mo Kio, Sin Ming, Thomson and the Central Business District, and will connect to Marina Bay.
Two interchange stations along the TSL were announced at a media briefing held at LTA's headquarters yesterday. One station will be sited at its northern-most terminal, and it will be built in the vicinity of Republic Polytechnic in Woodlands.
The proposed rapid transit system linking Singapore and Johor Baru is planned to integrate with the TSL at this station.
Another station will link up with Woodlands MRT station along the North-South Line.
The TSL is expected to run four-car trains with a capacity of 40,000 passengers an hour, in each direction.
Further details will be released when a detailed engineering study is completed at the end of next year.
