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Branch line
Branch line
Overview
Native name	Malay: Laluan MRT Cawangan; Chinese: 地铁支线; Tamil: கிளை எம்ஆர்டி வரி
Owner	Mass Rapid Transit Corporation
Termini	Jurong East; Choa Chu Kang;
Stations	4
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
Services	1
Operator(s)	Singapore MRT Limited
Rolling stock	Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 (KHI); Siemens C651 (SIE)
History
Opened	10 March 1990; 34 years ago
Closed	10 February 1996; 28 years ago (merged with the North South line)
Technical
Line length	6.5 km (4.0 mi)
Character	Fully elevated
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Operating speed	Limit of 80 km/h (50 mph)
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The Branch MRT line, also known as the Bukit MRT line, was originally the third Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore, initially operating as a branch to the existing East–West Line. The line was 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) long with four stations, and was operated by SMRT Corporation.

Travelling from one end of this line to the other end took about ten minutes, and the line was coloured brown and khaki on the rail map. The line now forms a part of the North–South Line, making it the only defunct line in Singapore.^[1] The line used to terminate at the centre track at Jurong East (then platforms C/D, now D/E). Trains operated at a six-minute frequency.

History

The line was conceptualized as the Western line during the early planning stages of the Singapore MRT network.^[2]

On 7 January 1986, the Taiwanese RSEA International and Hock Lian Seng Joint Venture were awarded the contract for the Branch MRT line stations – Bukit Batok, Bukit Gombak, and Choa Chu Kang. The line started operations on 10 March 1990, and was named the Branch line, consisting of four stations.^{[citation needed]}

Fate

The line was subsequently merged into the North–South Line when the Woodlands MRT Extension opened on 10 February 1996, connecting the existing North–South Line at Yishun to the Branch line at Choa Chu Kang.^[3] The station codes for Bukit Batok to Choa Chu Kang stations were changed to N23, N22 and N21 respectively, subsequently to their current code on the North South line with the revamp of the system map on 31 July 2001.^[4]