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Heralding a key milestone in Sentosa’s long-term
rejuvenation programme to transform the resort island into a world-class
leisure destination, Sentosa has started work on a light rail system that will
provide visitors with seamless and efficient connections to and through the
island in comfort. |
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The $140-million air-conditioned Sentosa Express
is the island’s biggest infrastructure investment to date. It is an integral
part of the strategy to enhance the island’s transport system and will
significantly improve Sentosa’s access from all corners of Singapore. |
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Since 1972, when Sentosa started being developed
as a resort destination, the island has seen a six-fold increase in visitors
to a record 4.123 million visitors last fiscal year. And to gear up for the
expected eight million visitors annually when the island’s redevelopment
projects are completed in 2012, improvements to the island’s transport access
will better support incoming developments on Sentosa. |
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The island’s transport network has evolved since
the early days when the only way to get to Sentosa was by the ferry and cable
car. When the 710-metre long causeway-bridge opened for land access in 1992,
it offered a vital and direct link to Singapore. With the new Sentosa Express,
travelling to Sentosa promises to be so convenient that it will become the
main mode of visitor access. |
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"The Sentosa Express connecting the HarbourFront
MRT Station to Sentosa will give a whole new experience to the sense of
arrival to the island. Soon, we can bring visitors practically hassle-free
from their doorstep in any part of Singapore right into Sentosa," said Darrell
Metzger, Sentosa’s Chief Executive Officer, at the ground-breaking ceremony.
"This is part of our continual initiatives to make more customer-focused
improvements as we redevelop and revamp Sentosa." |
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When it becomes operational in 2006, visitors can
easily transfer from the North-East MRT Line at HarbourFront Station onto the
Sentosa Express, which will bring them directly into the island in well under
four minutes. |
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Optimistic that this will in turn attract
investors and business partners to Sentosa, Director of Property Gurjit Singh
said, "Good access is a key issue in providing the right business climate for
the island’s potential investors, and the Sentosa Express will actively and
positively address this issue. Upgrading the island’s infrastructure will
serve as a springboard to attract future private sector investments." |
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Elevated on 2-way tracks and encompassing a
2.15km-route, the new Sentosa Express will be a driver-operated, fully
computerized system with a capacity to carry 3,000 passengers per hour in each
direction. Plying through four stations, it will start from the new
HarbourFront MRT Station and continue across the Sentosa Causeway-Bridge to
reach three other stations located at strategic points servicing key activity
areas, namely:- |
- the Northern Entertainment Precinct’s
Arrival Plaza
- the Central Green Hub
- the Southern Beaches
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From these areas, visitors can easily connect onto
various modes of transport to get to the various parts of the island and
beaches. The current monorail on the island – which will have served the
island for 23 years – is scheduled to be dismantled by 2005* to make way for
this more efficient and comfortable system. |
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Undertaking the build-and-design contract of
Sentosa Express is Hitachi Asia Ltd, the Japanese company behind several other
successful rail systems such as the one in Tokyo Disneyland Resort and the
Tokyo Monorail, currently operating from Haneda Airport. |
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"The construction of the Sentosa Express is the
result of a win-win partnership between Sentosa and Hitachi," says Mr Shunsuke
Ohtsu, Managing Director of Hitachi Asia, Ltd. "The Sentosa Express will
enhance Sentosa’s transport system and access to the island, and at the same
time showcases Hitachi’s best-of-breed monorail systems for which it is
world-renowned." |
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Ground works on the Sentosa Express kicked off on
5 Jun 2003 at a simple ground-breaking ceremony held at the East Mall next to
the Fountain Gardens. By 2006, the new rail system will seamlessly link
Sentosa to the new North-East Line at HarbourFront MRT station. |
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More.....
(Factsheet) |
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Source:
Sentosa Media Release 5 Jun 2003 |
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*The existing Monorail system closes on Tuesday 15
Mar 2005. |
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Related Article: |
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New high-tech monorail on Sentosa opens in January 2007 |
Sentosa Express to replace old monorail system
