Cross Island Line Phase 1 Stations: All 12 Stops and Where They Lead from Hougang

The Cross Island Line (CRL) will be Singapore’s longest fully underground MRT line, and its first phase runs straight through Hougang. We already have a guide to what the CRL means for the Hougang interchange. This page does something different: it works as a Cross Island Line map in words, walking through all 12 Phase 1 stations one by one, so you can see where each stop is, what the area is known for, and how far it is from Hougang.

That matters if you are looking at LinkTown Residences (Hougang Central Residences), the Hougang Central integrated development planned with a direct link to Hougang MRT. When Phase 1 opens, Hougang becomes an interchange between the North-East Line (NEL) and the CRL.

Cross Island Line map: Phase 1 at a glance

• 12 stations from Aviation Park in the east to Bright Hill in the west.
• 4 interchanges: Pasir Ris (East-West Line), Hougang (North-East Line), Ang Mo Kio (North-South Line) and Bright Hill (Thomson-East Coast Line).
• 8 new stations serving areas that today rely mainly on buses: Aviation Park, Loyang, Pasir Ris East, Tampines North, Defu, Serangoon North, Tavistock and Teck Ghee.
• Hougang sits in the middle: 6 stops to the eastern end and 5 stops to the western end.

Station table: stops from Hougang

Stop counts are along the planned Phase 1 alignment and are not journey times. Station descriptions are general. Final station details and opening dates are set by LTA.

Eastern stations

Defu (1 stop east)

Defu is Hougang’s immediate eastern neighbour on the CRL. The area is best known as an industrial estate. For Hougang residents, it is mostly a stop on the way east, though it may be handy for people who work in the estate.

Tampines North (2 stops east)

Tampines North is one of Singapore’s newer housing areas. It is where Parktown Residence, the integrated project by UOL, SingLand and CapitaLand Development, is located, next to a future CRL station. That makes it a natural comparison for LinkTown Residences, which is covered in our LinkTown vs Parktown guide.

Pasir Ris (3 stops east)

Pasir Ris becomes an interchange with the East-West Line. That opens up Tampines, Simei and the rest of the eastern corridor with one change. The town is known for Pasir Ris Park along the coast and for Pasir Ris Mall, part of the Pasir Ris 8 integrated development.

Pasir Ris East (4 stops east)

A new station serving the eastern side of Pasir Ris town, which today depends on buses to reach the MRT.

Loyang (5 stops east)

Loyang is known for its industrial area towards the eastern coast. A rail link here mainly helps people who work in the area.

Aviation Park (6 stops east)

The eastern end of Phase 1 serves the Changi aviation cluster. For households with members working in aviation-related jobs in the east, a direct CRL ride from Hougang is a real change from today’s bus-and-train routes.

Western stations

Serangoon North (1 stop west)

Serangoon North is a residential area just west of Hougang. Today it is mainly served by buses, so the new station gives residents there, and visitors from Hougang, a rail option.

Tavistock (2 stops west)

Tavistock sits between Serangoon and Ang Mo Kio. It will serve surrounding homes that are currently some distance from an MRT station.

Ang Mo Kio (3 stops west)

Ang Mo Kio is a mature town with a busy town centre, and the CRL station connects with the North-South Line. From there you can head north towards Yishun and Woodlands or south towards Bishan and the city. Bishan–Ang Mo Kio Park is nearby, one of the larger parks in the heartland. See our parks and nature guide for more green spaces around Hougang.

Teck Ghee (4 stops west)

Teck Ghee is an established Ang Mo Kio neighbourhood. The new station brings rail closer to residents on that side of the town.

Bright Hill (5 stops west)

The western end of Phase 1 connects with the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), which runs through Upper Thomson, Orchard, the city and the east coast. For Hougang residents, Bright Hill is a new route into the TEL corridor without going through the city.

Why Phase 1 matters for Hougang

• 4Four interchangesWith the NEL at Hougang, the CRL links you to the East-West, North-South and Thomson-East Coast lines without passing through the city.
• 3Three stops to Ang Mo KioA cross-town trip that today usually needs a bus or a long detour becomes one ride.
• 3Three stops to Pasir RisDirect access to the East-West Line and the eastern towns.
• 2Two lines at your doorHougang joins the list of stations served by two MRT lines.

Interchange stations tend to attract attention from both home buyers and tenants, because they widen the number of places you can reach without changing more than once. Analysts have pointed to the future NEL–CRL interchange as one reason the Hougang Central GLS site drew strong interest. Still, a transport upgrade is only one factor. Price, unit choice and your own holding period matter too. Our worth-buying review weighs these together, and the commute guide maps specific routes before and after the CRL.

What is still unknown

• The exact opening date of Phase 1. The target is around 2030; LTA will confirm.
• How the CRL platforms at Hougang will connect to LinkTown Residences and the new bus interchange. These details have not been announced.
• Later phases of the CRL, which extend the line further. Check LTA for updates.

LinkTown Residences is expected to complete around 2030/2031, which may be close to the CRL target. If the timings line up, new owners could move in around the time the line opens, but neither date is fixed.

If a future two-line interchange is on your checklist, register your interest and we’ll keep you updated on LinkTown Residences as launch details are released.