Major stretch of passenger, baggage tunnels linking Changi Airport Terminal 2 and 5 completed

Typically, excavated earth has to be transported away using trucks, which could lead to congestion at the airport. The conveyor belt system has eliminated this issue, he added.

T5, built on a plot of land about 20 per cent bigger than Toa Payoh, will have three different parts also connected by a separate line of people movers, while its location could pave the way for air-sea transfers via Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.

When the first phase of the T5 project is completed in the mid-2030s, it will be able to handle about 50 million passengers annually. Changi Airport’s existing four terminals now have a 90 million passenger capacity.

A new MRT station at T5 will serve as an interchange station connecting the airport to the Thomson-East Coast Line and Cross Island Line. At T5, two more tunnels that will connect to the future MRT station are being built, said Dr Wen. 

The new station will be part of the Thomson-East Coast Line extension, which will provide a direct rail link between Changi Airport and the city centre, to areas such as Gardens by the Bay, Maxwell and Orchard.

Changi Airport will be connected to neighbourhoods such as Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Punggol and Clementi via the Cross Island Line.