Woodleigh MRT station

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 NE11 
Woodleigh
兀里
உட் லீ
Woodleigh
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station
NE11 Woodleigh MRT platforms 20211118 125721.jpg
Platform level of Woodleigh station
Location400 Upper Serangoon Road
Singapore 347695
Coordinates1°20′21″N 103°52′15″E / 1.339181°N 103.870744°E / 1.339181; 103.870744Coordinates: 1°20′21″N 103°52′15″E / 1.339181°N 103.870744°E / 1.339181; 103.870744
Operated bySBS Transit Ltd (ComfortDelGro Corporation)
Line(s)
  North East Line
Platforms2 (1 island platform)
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus, Taxi
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Platform levels1
ParkingNo
Disabled accessYes
History
Opened20 June 2011; 10 years ago (2011-06-20)
ElectrifiedYes
Services
Preceding station   Mass Rapid Transit   Following station
towards HarbourFront
North East Line
towards Punggol
Location
Singapore MRT/LRT system map
Singapore MRT/LRT system map
Woodleigh
Woodleigh station in Singapore

Woodleigh MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the North East line (NEL). Situated in Bidadari, Singapore, the station is underneath Upper Serangoon Road, near the junction with Upper Aljunied Road and Youngberg Terrace. Surrounding points of interest include Stamford America International School, Avon Park and the Mount Vernon Columbarium. The station will serve the developing Bidadari estate.

The station was first announced in March 1996 when the stations on the NEL were revealed. Though it was completed along with the rest of the NEL in June 2003, the station remained closed due to the lack of nearby developments at the time. Following more developments in the area, the station opened on 20 June 2011. Like most stations on the NEL, the station is a designated Civil Defence shelter. The Art-in-Transit artwork Slow Motion by April Ng is displayed at this station.

History[]

Entrance of the station with a curved zinc roof, taken on a grass field.
Station entrance pictured in April 2011 prior to its opening

Woodleigh station was among the 16 North East line (NEL) stations announced by communications minister Mah Bow Tan in March 1996.[1] To minimise operating costs on the NEL, Woodleigh was not planned to open along with the other NEL stations. The station would only operate once future developments in the area were completed.[2][3] Originally, the station was planned to be built only as a shell structure. It was later decided to build Woodleigh station in full, as it would have been more costly to install station surfaces within a shell structure.[4]

The contract for the construction of Woodleigh station, and 2.5 km (1.6 mi) of bored tunnels, was awarded to a joint venture consisting of Wayss & Freytag Ag, Econ Corporation and Chew Eu Hock Construction Co Ltd. The S$317 million contract (US$315 million in 2020) included the construction of the adjacent Serangoon station and the vehicular viaduct along Upper Serangoon Road.[4][5] Though the station was fully equipped and ready for operations,[4] transport minister Yeo Cheow Tong explained in July 2003 that the station might not open for about seven or eight years.[6] The Land Transport Authority and operator SBS Transit continued to monitor development plans in the area to assess whether it was feasible to open the station.[3][7]

In January 2011, The Straits Times reported that preparations for the station's opening had been ongoing since the second half of 2010; the newspaper speculated that the station would open in mid-2011 to serve new developments in the area.[8] In a parliament session in March, Transport Minister Raymond Lim confirmed that Woodleigh station would open on 20 June 2011.[9] The opening came after several new developments nearby had been completed.[7] Before its opening, the station was refurbished and repainted, and SBS Transit staff tested the station equipment and lighting.[10]

On the opening day, several commuters alighted at Woodleigh station by accident, having intended to alight at the adjacent Serangoon station and being unaware that Woodleigh station had opened. The operator deployed several staff to assist the confused commuters. Other curious commuters alighted to view the station interior or try an alternative route from the station.[11][12]

Security incident[]

On 18 April 2017, Woodleigh station was closed for about three hours after a suspicious substance was found in various areas in the station. At 1:49 pm, SBS Transit announced that all trains would skip Woodleigh station due to a "security incident", though the station reopened at 4:20 pm after police established the substance to be baking flour.[13][14] Authorities arrested a 69-year-old man that same day for "causing public alarm" and summoned two other men to help with police investigations. The investigation revealed that the three men were members of the running group Seletar Hash House Harriers, who intended to mark a trail for other runners to follow (known as "hashing").[15][16]

Station details[]

Woodleigh station serves the North East line (NEL) and is between the Potong Pasir and Serangoon stations. The station code is NE11.[17] Being part of the NEL, the station is operated by SBS Transit.[18] The station operates daily from about 6:00 am to 12:15 am.[19][20] Train frequencies vary from 2.5 to 5 minutes depending on peak hours.[21] The station is underneath Upper Serangoon Road, near the junction with Upper Aljunied Road.[22] The station has three entrances, serving Stamford American International School, Mount Vernon Columbarium and Mount Vernon Sanctuary, along with various residential developments in the area.[19] Woodleigh station also will serve the developing Bidadari public housing estate.[23] The station is next to the site of a future bus interchange, part of an integrated commercial and residential development that will be the estate's town centre.[24]

Each of the three entrances has a curved canopy with aluminium louvres. These entrances are linked to the taxi stands and bus stops near the station. The windows at the entrances allow commuters to have a view of the station's surroundings.[25] The station is designated as a Civil Defence (CD) shelter.[26][27] It is designed to accommodate at least 7,500 people and withstand airstrikes and chemical attacks. Equipment essential for the operations in the CD shelter is mounted on shock absorbers to prevent damage during a bombing. When electrical supply to the shelter is disrupted, there are backup generators to keep operations going.[28] The shelter has dedicated built-in decontamination chambers and dry toilets with collection bins that will send human waste out of the shelter.[29]

The platforms are wheelchair-accessible. A tactile system, consisting of tiles with rounded or elongated raised studs,[30] guides visually impaired commuters through the station.[31] Dedicated routes connect the station entrances to the platforms or between the lines.[32]

Public artwork[]

The artwork in the background, with an open view of the platforms one level below, taken from the concourse level
The station's artwork at the concourse level

Commissioned as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit programme, April Ng's Slow Motion is displayed on the station walls at the concourse level. Depicting commuters going about their daily lives, the work is printed on 30 zinc panels.[25] The artist intended her work to be a "snapshot" of Singapore's urban life,[33][34] showing future generations people's lives in the 2000s.[35]

Intending to centre her commission around people, Ng recalled the positive reception she received when giving a photoengraved piece of work to her friend as a farewell gift. This experience prompted her to use photo etching for this work.[25] After amassing photos of pedestrians, workers at the station and LTA staff, Ng arranged the photos to guide commuters either to the platforms or out of the station. The idea of depicting people in motion fulfilled the practical wayfinding aspect of her work.[35] The photos were enlarged and reproduced on a specific type of acetate tracing paper.[36]

Zinc was chosen as the figures could be reproduced better on the plates, compared to if copper had been used. The zinc material also reflects the architectural materials used for the station. The zinc plates were degreased before a layer of polymer film was laminated on the plates. Under ultraviolet light, the film was exposed to the photos, and the plates reproduced the images.[35] Due to Singapore's humidity, the polymer films kept sticking to the plates, which made them difficult to adjust. The experts in Edinburgh suggested spraying the film and plates with water, which worked. In the process of creating the work, Ng felt she had an exciting, learning experience, and she gained confidence to grow as an artist and teacher.[36]

References[]

  1. ^ Leong, Chan Teik (5 March 1996). "16 MRT stations for 20-km North-East line". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 1.
  2. ^ Leong, Chan Teik (5 March 1996). "3 stations identified but will not be built yet". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 1.
  3. ^ a b "Question For Oral Answer". mot.gov.sg. Ministry of Transport. 22 October 2007. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Leong 2003, p. 161.
  5. ^ Oon, Diana (25 June 1997). "Econ Int'l net soars 49% to $8.1m". Business Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 15.
  6. ^ "Buangkok, Woodleigh closed until...". Today. Mediacorp. 14 July 2003.
  7. ^ a b "SBS Transit Opens Woodleigh and Damai Stations". sbstransit.com.sg. SBS Transit. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  8. ^ Tan, Christopher (22 January 2011). "Woodleigh station may open by June". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings.
  9. ^ "Plans to ramp up rail capacity on fast track". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 9 March 2011.
  10. ^ Tan, Christopher (11 June 2011). "All aboard for Woodleigh train stop". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 8.
  11. ^ "Woodleigh MRT station finally opens – to some confusion". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 21 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Train finally arrives at Woodleigh MRT station". Channel NewsAsia. Mediacorp. 20 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  13. ^ Kok, Lee Min (18 April 2017). "Woodleigh MRT incident: Man, 69, arrested for leaving substance, which turns out to be flour, at station". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Police, SCDF investigating 'suspicious substance' at Woodleigh MRT, station shut". TODAYonline. Mediacorp. 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Woodleigh MRT station reopens after suspicious substance found to be baking flour". Channel NewsAsia. Mediacorp. 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Woodleigh MRT incident: 3 men involved are part of running group using flour to mark out jogging trail". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  17. ^ "MRT System Map" (PDF). lta.gov.sg. Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  18. ^ "Getting Around – Public Transport – Rail Network". lta.gov.sg. Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Train Service Information". sbstransit.com.sg. SBS Transit. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  20. ^ "First Train/ Last Train". sbstransit.com.sg. SBS Transit. 2 June 2020. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  21. ^ "Transport Tools – MRT/LRT". lta.gov.sg. Land Transport Authority. 6 May 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  22. ^ "Woodleigh MRT Station (NE11)". OneMap. Singapore Land Authority.
  23. ^ "The rise of Bidadari". Channel NewsAsia. Mediacorp. 10 May 2019. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  24. ^ "Bidadari housing estate to have first bus interchange underground". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 1 September 2014. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  25. ^ a b c Tan 2003, p. 114.
  26. ^ "Chemical attack? Clean-up at N-E line". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 14 February 2003.
  27. ^ "List of Public CD shelters as of 31 Dec 2019" (PDF). Singapore Civil Defence Force. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  28. ^ Leong 2003, p. 253.
  29. ^ "Fancy that, dry toilets grab most interest". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 16 February 2003. p. 21.
  30. ^ "Tactile Guiding System: Studs and Strips to Guide Your Way". lta.gov.sg. Land Transport Authority. 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  31. ^ Leong 2003, p. 248.
  32. ^ Leong 2003, p. 249.
  33. ^ "Getting Around | Public Transport | A Better Public Transport Experience | Art in Transit". lta.gov.sg. Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  34. ^ "Art-in-Transit". sbstransit.com.sg. SBSTransit. 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  35. ^ a b c Tan 2003, p. 115.
  36. ^ a b Tan 2003, p. 116.

Bibliography[]

External links[]

Retrieved from ""