2-car train system for Sengkang Punggol LRT

By Hetty Musfirah | Posted: 31 October 2012 1232 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Sengkang Punggol LRT will see a 40 per cent increase in capacity to meet rising ridership.


Another 16 new train cars will be added to the system, bringing the total fleet size to 57.

The Land Transport Authority will also be modifying 16 of the 41 existing single train cars to make them suited for two-car operations.

The new two-car train system will start running from 2016.

System upgrading and modification works will start by the middle of next year.

The LRT station at Choa Chu Kang will also undergo some improvement works.

Two platforms will be added specifically for commuters getting off the trains.

The aim is to let the existing platform located in the centre have more space to cater to boarding passengers.

There will also be additional fare gates and a new covered linkway from the LRT station to Lot 1 Shopping Mall.

- CNA/ck

Punggol Post Office

Matilda House gets new life as condo clubhouse

Lim Yi Han
The Straits Times
Saturday, Oct 20, 2012


MATILDA House, the only remaining historical bungalow in Punggol, will get a new lease of life in 2015 as a condominium clubhouse. It had been left abandoned for more than two decades.

The 417 sq m single-storey property opposite Punggol MRT station will house amenities such as a function room, a lounge and a gym for residents of A Treasure Trove condominium.

Two years ago, property developer Sim Lian Group had clinched the condo site when it was put up for sale. The sale conditions included the need to retain and restore Matilda House according to conservation guidelines, and integrate it as part of the housing project.

According to an earlier report, well-known lawyer Howard Cashin, who died in 2009, said the bungalow was built in 1902 by his father Alexander, the son of Mr Joseph Cashin.

The latter, who arrived in Singapore in the 1840s, worked as a lawyer's clerk and later invested in opium farms which were legal in the 1880s. He then put his fortune into real estate.

His son, Alexander, had Matilda House built as a present for his wife. He named the weekend resort for the IrishCashin family after his mother.

But the home, which boasted open verandas and raised floors, had fallen into disuse and was acquired by the Government in the mid-1980s. In 2000, the Urban Redevelopment Authority earmarked it for conservation.

The move to give the property a new lifeline has won support from heritage enthusiasts.

Dr Chua Ai Lin, a historian and committee member of the Singapore Heritage Society, said: "It's a great idea that they are integrating old buildings with modern development.

"Rather than to leave it abandoned or demolish it, it's better to let it become a part of people's lives."

It was also announced on Tuesday that Matilda is one of the seven new waterfront housing districts in Punggol.

The Matilda District will be one of the first to be developed in the next five years.

Facebook Punggol pages

Here's an update of the Punggol groups on Facebook.  If you have an active group on FB and like to be on this list, please drop me an email with the link and I will add it in.  :)
Click below to be redirected to the Facebook pages of some punggol groups.

• Punggol Arcadia
• Punggol Breeze
• Punggol Emerald
• Punggol Lodge
• Punggol ParcVista
• Punggol Regalia
• Punggol Residences
• Punggol Sapphire
• Punggol Spectra
• Punggol Spring
• Punggol Topaz
• Punggol Vista
• Punggol Wave
• Coralinus @ Punggol
• Tree Lodge @ Punggol
• Waterway Brooks
• Waterway Cascadia
• Waterway Ridges & Waterway Banks
• Waterway Sunbeam
• Waterway Sundew
• Waterway Woodcress

Seniors’ Sports Day (04 Nov 2012)

Punggol North Seniors’ Sports Day 2012

Date: 4 November 2012 (Sunday)
Time: 7.30am
Venue: Hardcourt next to Riveria LRT along Punggol East

Programme Highlights
Launching of Brisk Walk Club
Mass Exercise
Telematch Refreshment
Lucky Draw

Boom Time for Punggol

As published in Today's paper
17 Oct 2012

HDB's 5 development revelations for Punggol

As published in the Singapore Business Review 

Waterfront housing districts are under way.

According to HDB, Punggol is at its halfway development mark. Besides being the largest developer, HDB is also the master planner of Singapore’s public housing estates. Working together with partner agencies such as URA, NParks, LTA and PUB, HDB’s vision for the next phase of Punggol’s development will be guided by five new key ideas:

1. Signature Waterfront Housing Districts

The next phase of development in Punggol will see signature waterfront housing districts, each with its own distinct character, created to give residents a stronger sense of attachment to their neighbourhoods. This is also in line with the HDB Roadmap’s first key thrust to develop Well-Designed towns.

Punggol residents can look forward to seven different waterfront housing districts – Waterway East and Waterway West Districts which are currently already under development and new areas at Northshore District, Matilda District, Punggol Point District, Crescent District, and Canal District. Of which, the Northshore and Matilda districts are likely to start development first within the next five years, subject to demand.

2. Punggol Downtown: A New Destination for the North-East Region

As the Punggol community grows, the town centre will be further expanded into the new “Punggol Downtown”. There will be more civic spaces, such as the Punggol Town Square, as well as mixed uses to introduce greater vibrancy into the new downtown area.

Some of the new plans include introducing a waterfront Market Village bordering on the south of the Coney Channel, a Learning Corridor designated to house future educational institutions, as well as a Creative Cluster, designed to host new commercial activities.

3. An Even Greener Punggol

Even as Punggol urbanises and develops, residents at Punggol can look forward to a greener town. More green parks and green corridors will be integrated with the waterfront promenades. As HDB’s first Eco-Town, Punggol continues to serve as a good platform for the pursuit of green initiatives and sustainable solutions. This is in line with our Roadmap’s second thrust to develop sustainable towns.

The existing My Waterway@Punggol and the Punggol Waterway Park will be enhanced, with green spaces expanding towards the north. Collectively, these open spaces, in which the town centre, sports complex and Learning Corridor are located, will form the “Green Heart” of Punggol.

4. Great Places for the Community

As Punggol moves forward in the development of its “hardware”, the importance of building cohesive and resilient communities is not forgotten. In line with the third thrust of HDB’s Roadmap to develop community-centric towns, more civic and recreational spaces will be created to provide the physical setting for community gatherings and events. For instance, a new Town Square will be developed in the heart of Punggol town, in addition to more community facilities and a new hawker centre for residents.

5. Moving Around Punggol

As we witness Punggol’s development unfold and the community grow, there is a need to improve the connectivity within Punggol. The transport infrastructure will be enhanced, and cycling tracks will be built in tandem with new roads to encourage clean commute.