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Hume MRT station

Coordinates: 1°21′16″N 103°46′9″E / 1.35444°N 103.76917°E / 1.35444; 103.76917
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hume
 DT4 


谦道[1]
ஹியூம்[2]
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station
The station entrance located at the street level. The structure is a rectangular beige building with stripes of grey and black cladding.
Station exit building, with exit 1 on the right and exit 2 to the left
General information
Location371 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 589681[3]
Coordinates1°21′16″N 103°46′9″E / 1.35444°N 103.76917°E / 1.35444; 103.76917[3]
Owned byLand Transport Authority[4]
Operated bySBS Transit[5]
Line(s)
  Downtown Line
Platforms2 (1 island platform)[6]
ConnectionsBus, taxi[7]
Construction
Structure typeUnderground[6]
Bicycle facilitiesYes[8]
AccessibleYes[7]
History
Opened28 February 2025; 2 months ago (2025-02-28)[9]
Services
Preceding station Mass Rapid Transit Following station
Hillview
towards Bukit Panjang
 Downtown Line Beauty World
towards Expo
Location
A map of the Singapore rail system, with a color for each line and a red dot highlighting the location of Hume station.
A map of the Singapore rail system, with a color for each line and a red dot highlighting the location of Hume station.
Hume
Hume station in Singapore

Hume MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the Downtown line (DTL) in Bukit Batok, Singapore. Located at the junction of Hume Avenue and Upper Bukit Timah Road, the station serves surrounding landmarks including Bukit Timah Hill, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, the Rail Corridor, the Rail Mall, and the Former Ford Factory. It is the first underground infill station to open in Singapore.

During the construction of the DTL, only the structural provisions for the station were built due to lack of projected ridership levels. Following petitions from nearby residents advocating for the station's opening, the government announced in March 2019 that Hume station would be built in tandem with the redevelopment of the Rail Corridor. Fitting-out works began in February 2021 and the station opened on 28 February 2025 ahead of schedule. The station features a colour scheme of green, yellow, and white. Andre Wee's Continuity, an artwork depicting the Former Ford Factory, is displayed in the station as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit programme.

History

[edit]

Shell station

[edit]
Underground DTL tunnel with the shell station on the right
The empty shell station in the DTL tunnel in 2020

The Downtown line (DTL) was first announced in 2007,[10] and the stations of DTL Stage 2 were announced in July 2008.[11] The tunnels between the Hillview and Beauty World stations were constructed by SKEC Singapore Branch as part of Contract 915, which was awarded to the company for S$225.2 million in June 2009.[12][13] During the construction of the DTL, only the structural provisions for the future Hume station were built.[14][15] The shell structural provisions were completed in 2014.[16]

In 2014 and 2015, Hume residents petitioned for the station's construction to improve transport connectivity in the area,[17][18][19] while Member of Parliament (MP) Low Yen Ling (who represented Bukit Gombak) raised the issue with transport minister Lui Tuck Yew in March 2015.[15] The Land Transport Authority (LTA), Singapore's transport agency, explained that projected ridership levels in the area did not justify the full construction of the station. The LTA also cited the availability of adequate transport alternatives in the area.[14][20]

In April 2017, The Straits Times reported that construction works were still ongoing at the future station site, speculating that the station would be opened soon, but the LTA clarified that only a station box was being built at the time.[21] Following the opening of DTL Stage 3, another resident petitioned for the station's opening.[22]

During a parliamentary debate on the transport ministry's budget on 7 March 2019, senior minister of state for transport Janil Puthucheary announced that Hume station would open in 2025. The station's opening was planned to coincide with the redevelopment of the former Bukit Timah Fire Station and the Rail Corridor. Janil also acknowledged that the decision was due to Low's repeated appeals for the station's opening.[23][24] Nevertheless, Hume residents interviewed by Today expressed dismay over the six-year wait for the station's opening.[25] A veteran contractor interviewed by The Straits Times in June 2020 suggested that the station retrofitting works could be completed within 1.5 years, making it possible for the station to open before 2025.[26][27]

Station construction and opening

[edit]
Construction site of a train station in 2023 taken from a hill, with machinery and scaffolding
Construction site of the station in 2023

The contract for completing the civil works at Hume station was awarded to JSM Construction Group Pte Ltd for S$34.338 million (US$25.2 million) on 14 January 2021.[28][29] The contract included the construction of a station entrance, ventilation shaft and fitting-out works for the new station.[29][30][31] A groundbreaking ceremony for the station's construction was held on 28 February 2021, with MP Low and health minister Gan Kim Yong in attendance.[32] Most of the works had to be conducted during non-revenue hours at night as the station was being constructed on the operational DTL.[33]

Without direct above-ground access, construction materials for the station had to be transported 700 m (2,300 ft) from Hillview station, while heavier materials were delivered via a special engineer's train from Gali Batu Depot.[34] Excavators removed 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 ft) of soil to access the shell station, parts of which were dismantled to allow entry points for workers and materials from street level. Flood barriers were installed around the station's work site.[16] To separate the construction site from live rail operations, fire-resistant walls were installed before the station's access panels were removed.[16][34] These walls also shielded the tracks from potential fires in the construction zone.[34]

Noise and vibration monitoring instruments were also deployed to minimise inconvenience to nearby residents. Testing and integration works for critical systems, including signalling, communications, and tunnel ventilation, could only take place within limited engineering hours between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.[34] The installation of high-voltage and traction power equipment at the station had to be done carefully as the station is located between the operational Hillview and Beauty World stations.[16]

In December 2024, transport minister Chee Hong Tat said the station was expected to open in the second quarter of 2025.[35] However, on 24 January 2025, the LTA announced that the station's opening date would be shifted earlier to 28 February.[36][8][37] Just before the station's opening on that day, The Straits Times reported that a crowd of more than 100 people were already waiting outside of the entrance.[38] Murali Pillai, the minister of state for law and transport, officiated the opening of the station with Gan and Low in attendance.[9] Low also credited the "patience and perseverance" of Hume residents for the station's opening.[39]

Details

[edit]

Hume station serves the DTL and is situated between Hillview and Beauty World stations, with a station code of DT4.[40] As with the rest of the DTL, it is operated by SBS Transit.[5] The station runs alongside Upper Bukit Timah Road and Hume Avenue and has two exits serving various landmarks including the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, the Bukit Batok Nature Park, the Former Ford Factory, The Rail Mall, and the Rail Corridor.[7] Two bus stops and one taxi stand are accessible from Exit 1.[7] The station is also close to various condominiums including The Hillside and Parc Palais.[25] Trains operate in both directions every 3–5 minutes from 5:35 a.m. to 12:43 am.[41]

Hume station is the first underground infill station in Singapore,[34][42] with previously built infill stations – Canberra and Dover – being elevated rail stations.[43] The station's interior has a colour scheme of green, yellow, and white – an homage to nearby landmarks such as the Rail Corridor, the quarries, and the Former Ford Factory.[16] Near the station's entrances are 60 bicycle parking spots for cyclists.[8]

The station is designed to be barrier-free with wider fare gates that allow easier access for wheelchair users into the station, and a tactile system that guides visually impaired commuters through the station.[7] The station's lifts are also equipped with rear-panel mirrors to assist wheelchair users when reversing out. Hume station has also been awarded the Building and Construction Authority's Green Mark Gold Certification, incorporating features such as rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, and a hybrid cooling system.[9]

Commissioned as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit programme, Continuity by Andre Wee is displayed at the station.[16] The artwork presents a stylised cross-sectional view of the nearby Former Ford Factory, a national monument which involved significant events during World War II.[44] The depiction of the internal structure showcases the building's historical purpose while the outside presents its current function as a venue for public visits and ceremonies for National Service recruits.[16][44] Wee intended for commuters to reflect on the factory's solemn past and its ongoing role in preserving Singapore's history.[44][45]

  • A brightly lit MRT station platform. Passengers are seen using escalators and walking on the platform. The platform has a clean, modern design with a black and white tiled floor.
    The completed station platforms on the opening day
  • The interior of Hume station with a color scheme of green, yellow, and white. The walls and ceiling are decorated with panels in these colors. An escalator leads down from the concourse to the lower platform level.
    The station interior has a colour scheme of green, yellow, and white.

References

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  1. ^ "System Map 地铁路线图" (PDF) (in Chinese). Land Transport Authority. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  2. ^ "System Map ரயில்பாதை வரைபடம்" (PDF) (in Tamil). Land Transport Authority. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Hume MRT Station (DT4)". OneMap. Singapore Land Authority. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  4. ^ "New Rail Financing Framework". Land Transport Authority. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Getting Around – Public Transport – Rail Network". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Annex B – Hume Station: Platform and Concourse" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Train Service Information". SBS Transit. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "Hume Station to Open on 28 February 2025". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "Speech by Minister of State for Law and Transport, Mr Murali Pillai SC at the Opening of Hume Station". Ministry of Transport (Speech transcript). 28 February 2025.
  10. ^ Tan, Christopher (15 March 2007). "Five Stops Planned for First Phase of Downtown MRT Line". The Straits Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Downtown Line 2 Station Sites Named". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
  12. ^ "Award of Contract C915 – Tunnels Between the Stations at Beauty World and Hillview". Land Transport Authority. 1 June 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  13. ^ "Annex 1 – Map of Contract 915" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  14. ^ a b "Various Transport Options in Hume Area". Today. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Speech by Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Transport, on a Sustainable and High Quality Public Transport-Centric Transportation System, at the Committee of Supply Debate 2015 on 11 March 2015". Ministry of Transport. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Chelvan, Vanessa Paige (16 February 2025). "A First Look Inside Hume MRT Station Before Feb 28 Opening". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 17 February 2025. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  17. ^ Tan, Thomas (17 October 2014). "Why Won't Hume Station Open?". Today. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  18. ^ Tay, Albert (Beng Guan) (23 October 2014). "Opening Hume Station Will Encourage Use of MRT". Today. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  19. ^ Naidu, Varun (9 December 2015). "Adequate Demand to Open Hume Train Station". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  20. ^ "Ridership Projection for Hume Station Under Review". The Straits Times. 18 December 2015. Archived from the original on 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  21. ^ Tan, Christopher (19 April 2017). "New Downtown Line Station Takes Shape". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  22. ^ Chen, Seh Choong (16 May 2018). "Open Hume Station Soon". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  23. ^ Wong, Pei Ting (7 March 2019). "Hume MRT Station to Open by 2025, No Stations for Tuas South and Jurong Island". Today. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  24. ^ Abdullah, Zhaki (7 March 2019). "Hume MRT Station to Open by 2025, Says Janil Puthucheary". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  25. ^ a b Neo, Rong Wei (13 March 2019). "For Many Hume Residents, Six-Year Wait for MRT Station Is 'Too Long'". Today. Archived from the original on 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  26. ^ Tan, Christopher (30 June 2020). "Work on Hume MRT Station on Downtown Line to Start in the Fourth Quarter". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  27. ^ Tan, Christopher (1 July 2020). "Work on Hume Station Could Start in Q4 This Year". The New Paper. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  28. ^ Zhu, Michelle (14 January 2021). "LTA Awards S$34.3m Civil Contract for Hume Station on Downtown Line". The Business Times. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  29. ^ a b "LTA Awards Civil Contract for Hume Station on Downtown Line". Land Transport Authority. 14 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  30. ^ "LTA Awards Civil Works Contract for Downtown Line's New Hume MRT Station". CNA. 14 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  31. ^ Yong, Clement (14 January 2021). "Hume MRT Shell Station to Be Fitted out by JSM Construction Group at $34m". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Construction Works Start on Long-Empty Hume MRT Station". The Straits Times. 28 February 2021. Second photo's caption: Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Low Yen Ling and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong (right) at the ground breaking ceremony in Singapore on Feb 28, 2021
  33. ^ Anisa (2 March 2021). "The Construction of Hume MRT Station Has Officially Begun". Construction Plus Asia. Archived from the original on 23 March 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  34. ^ a b c d e Ong, Justin (Guang-Xi) (16 February 2025). "How Upcoming Hume Station Was Built While Downtown Line Trains Kept Running". CNA. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  35. ^ Kok, Yufeng (6 December 2024). "Hume MRT Station to Open in Q2 2025; Circle Line Stage 6 to Be Ready in First Half of 2026". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  36. ^ Chelvan, Venessa (24 January 2025). "Hume MRT Station on Downtown Line to Open Ahead of Schedule on Feb 28". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  37. ^ "Hume MRT Station on Downtown Line to Open on Feb 28, Ahead of Schedule". CNA. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  38. ^ Loi, Esther; Sheo, Chiong Teng (1 March 2025) [28 February 2025]. "Hume MRT Station on Downtown Line Opens for Passenger Service, Shortening Trips to City Centre". The Straits Times. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  39. ^ Ong, Justin (Guang-Xi) (28 February 2025). "Hume Station Opens After Years of 'Patience and Perseverance' from Residents". CNA. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  40. ^ "System Map" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  41. ^ "LTA | MRT/LRT". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  42. ^ "Boosting Convenience, Connecting Lives". Bukit Gombak. People's Action Party. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  43. ^ Yufeng, Kok (21 November 2024). "New Brickland MRT Stop Between Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak Set to Open in 2034". The Straits Times. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  44. ^ a b c "Art in Transit". Land Transport Authority. Gallery/Downtown Line/DT4:Hume. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  45. ^ "Art in Transit". SBS Transit. 1 March 2025. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
[edit]
External Media
image icon Artist's impression of Hume station Source: LTA
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hume_MRT_station&oldid=1288336955"