Serangoon North MRT: Defu, Serangoon North and Tavistock, the New CRL Stations Beside Hougang

People searching for Serangoon North MRT are usually looking for a station that is not open yet. Serangoon North is one of three new stations on Cross Island Line (CRL) Phase 1 that sit next to Hougang: Defu to the east, and Serangoon North and Tavistock to the west. Between them sits Hougang (CR8), which becomes an interchange with the North East Line. That is the station LinkTown Residences (Hougang Central Residences) is planned to link to, so these three neighbours shape what a Hougang Central address can reach from about 2030.

Quick facts

Station	Code	Stops from Hougang	Interchange?	Main area served
Defu	CR7	1 east	No	Defu industrial area
Hougang	CR8	n/a	Yes, NEL (NE14)	Hougang town centre
Serangoon North	CR9	1 west	No	Serangoon North estate
Tavistock	CR10	2 west	No	Western edge of the Serangoon area
Ang Mo Kio	CR11	3 west	Yes, North-South Line	Ang Mo Kio town centre

Codes and order follow LTA’s published station list. Stop counts are not journey times.

Serangoon North MRT (CR9)

Serangoon North is the HDB estate north of Serangoon Central, next to the Serangoon North industrial area and a short distance from Serangoon Gardens. It has no train station of its own today, so most residents ride a bus to Serangoon (NE12/CC13) or Ang Mo Kio. LTA lists Serangoon North among the areas Phase 1 is designed to serve. One condo waiting on the new station is compared in Affinity at Serangoon vs LinkTown Residences.

Schools in the estate include Rosyth School on Serangoon North Avenue 4 and Serangoon Garden Secondary School on Serangoon North Avenue 1, per MOE’s school directory. For families in Hougang whose children attend schools here, a one-stop train ride could replace a bus trip across Yio Chu Kang Road once the line opens.

Tavistock MRT (CR10)

Tavistock sits between Serangoon North and Ang Mo Kio. It will give homes and workplaces on the western side of the Serangoon area, towards Ang Mo Kio, a station where the nearest one today is some way off. From Hougang it is two stops, and one more stop takes you to Ang Mo Kio for the North-South Line.

Defu MRT (CR7)

Defu is one stop east of Hougang and serves the Defu industrial area. For most Hougang residents it will be a station you pass through rather than stop at, on the way to Tampines North (two stops) and Pasir Ris (three stops), where you can change to the East-West Line. For anyone working in the Defu estate, it adds a train option that does not exist today.

What changes for trips from Hougang

Trip from Hougang Central	Today	After CRL Phase 1 (target 2030)
Serangoon North estate	Bus	1 CRL stop
Ang Mo Kio	NEL to Serangoon, then Circle Line and North-South Line, or bus	3 CRL stops, direct
Bright Hill (Thomson-East Coast Line)	Several changes	5 CRL stops, direct
Pasir Ris (East-West Line)	Bus, or NEL and a long detour	3 CRL stops, direct
City (Dhoby Ghaut, Outram Park)	Direct on the NEL	Unchanged, still direct

Phase 1 is 29 km with 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill, and LTA says it will benefit more than 100,000 households. Later phases extend the line west and to Punggol; see our Cross Island Line map for all of them and our CRL opening date guide for the timeline.

Will the new stations change Hougang?

New stations tend to widen the area within easy reach, but the effect on any one home depends on details that are not yet known.

• Walking distance matters more than the station name. Measure from an address to the nearest exit once LTA publishes exits.
• Interchanges usually matter more than single-line stops. Hougang gains a second line. Defu, Serangoon North and Tavistock stay single-line CRL stations.
• Construction years bring road works. Expect diversions around station sites until they open.

For a wider view of what else is planned around the town centre, see our Hougang Master Plan page and the Hougang MRT guide.

What this means for LinkTown Residences

LinkTown Residences is planned with a direct link to Hougang MRT, which becomes the NEL and CRL interchange between Defu and Serangoon North. The project is expected to complete around 2030/2031, close to the CRL Phase 1 target, though neither date is fixed. The launch is expected in early 2027; UOL’s August 2026 results guide a 2H 2027 launch.

Sources: LTA, Cross Island Line; school addresses from MOE, General information of schools (data.gov.sg). Station details and dates are set by LTA and may change.

Register to get LinkTown Residences site plan and CRL connection details as soon as they’re released.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Serangoon North MRT station now?

No. Serangoon North (CR9) is a Cross Island Line Phase 1 station under construction. LTA targets Phase 1 to open in 2030. Until then, Serangoon North residents mostly take a bus to Serangoon or Ang Mo Kio stations.

Is Serangoon North MRT the same as Serangoon MRT?

No. Serangoon (NE12/CC13) is the existing North East Line and Circle Line interchange at NEX. Serangoon North will be a separate station on the Cross Island Line.

How far is Serangoon North MRT from Hougang?

One stop west of Hougang on the Cross Island Line once Phase 1 opens. Tavistock will be two stops west and Defu one stop east.

What are the station codes for Defu, Serangoon North and Tavistock?

LTA lists Defu as CR7, Hougang as CR8, Serangoon North as CR9 and Tavistock as CR10 on the Cross Island Line.