Singapore will build its fifth rail line at a cost of 12 billion Singapore dollars (about 7.9 billion U.S. dollars) and complete it by 2018, the government announced on Friday.

The 40 km Downtown Line will be built in three stages, and the first stage will begin at the end of this year and be completed by 2013, Raymond Lim, Singapore's Transport Minister, said at a seminar of the Land Transport Authority.

The twenty-year population scenario of the city-state is 6.5 million people, an increase of 2 million from now. The increase of rail network will provide transportation needs to carry large numbers of people, Lim said.

Singapore has three main Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) lines, namely North South Line, East West Line and Northeast Line, totaling 120 km in length. The fourth 33.3 km Circle Line is still under construction and will operate from 2010.

Source:Xinhua