Downtown MRT line

Downtown MRT line
Downtown MRT station, one of the 34 stations on the line.
Overview
Native name	Malay: Laluan MRT Pusat Bandar Chinese: 滨海市区地铁线 Tamil: டவுன்டவுன் எம்ஆர்டி வழி
Type	Rapid transit
System	Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
Status	Operational (Stages 1, 2 & 3) Under construction (DTL3e)
Termini	Bukit Panjang Expo Sungei Bedok (2024)
Stations	34 (Operational) (excluding reserved station for DT4)[1] 2 (Under construction)
Services	1
Daily ridership	470,000 (Q1 2018)
Operation
Opened	22 December 2013 (2013-12-22) (Stage 1) 27 December 2015 (2015-12-27) (Stage 2) 21 October 2017 (2017-10-21) (Stage 3) 2024 (2024) (Stage 3e)
Owner	Land Transport Authority
Operator(s)	SBS Transit DTL[2]
Character	Fully Underground
Depot(s)	Gali Batu Tai Seng East Coast (Future)
Rolling stock	C951/C951A
Technical
Line length	41.9 km (26.0 mi) (Operational)[1] 2.2 km (1.4 mi) (Under construction)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC Third rail
Operating speed	limit of 80 km/h
Route map

The Downtown line (DTL) is a medium-capacity Mass Rapid Transit line in Singapore. It runs from Bukit Panjang in the north-west to Expo in the east. Currently, the line is 41.9 kilometres (26.0 mi) long and has 34 stations, all of which are underground. The line is coloured blue on the rail map.^[2]

The original line was built in 3 stages, which opened in 2013, 2015 and 2017 respectively.^[3][4][5][6] Stage 3e, an extension of the line to Sungei Bedok, is to be completed in 2024.^[7] The line connects the North-Western and Central-Eastern regions to downtown Singapore.

This line is the fifth MRT line on the network to be opened, the third to be entirely underground, and, with 3-car trains, the second medium-capacity line after the Circle line. When fully completed in 2024, the line will be about 44 kilometres (27 mi) long with 36 stations, and will serve more than half a million commuters daily.^[8] It will also be the longest rapid transit line in Singapore to use completely automated, driverless trains,^[1] the longest of such lines in the world and the longest rapid transit line in South East Asia.^[9] Travelling from one end to the other will take around 67 minutes. It is the second MRT line to be operated by SBS Transit after the North East line.

Overview

The line begins in Bukit Panjang, and then goes through the ‘school district’ and food enclaves of Bukit Timah before entering the central area, passing through Little India before reaching the Central Business District via Bugis and Chinatown. After this, it goes to Fort Canning, Geylang Bahru and MacPherson after intersecting itself.

The line then goes eastwards through the industrial areas of Kampong Ubi and Kaki Bukit, before continuing towards the Tampines Regional Centre and ending at Changi Business Park.

Connecting the Downtown line to the Thomson–East Coast line, the DTL3 extension (DTL3e) improves public transport accessibility to the Changi Business Park and Expo area.^[10]

History

On 14 June 2005, the Land Transport Authority announced the Downtown Extension of the Circle line to serve the Downtown at Marina Bay area, where an integrated resort (Marina Bay Sands) and Singapore's second botanical garden (Gardens by the Bay) was to be located. The 3.4-kilometre fully underground line was estimated to cost S$1.4 billion. Construction of the extension began in January 2008. During the construction of the North East line at Chinatown station, platform provisions were built to facilitate an interchange station. In August 2011, SBS Transit won the bid and was appointed to be the operator of the Downtown Line, under a new framework which would see the authority remaining the owner of the line.^[11]

The original line was built in 3 stages, as follows:

Stage 1 of the Downtown Line, stretching 4.3-kilometre (2.7 mi), began service on 22 December 2013,^[12] with its official inauguration made on the day before by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.^[13]

Stage 2 of the Downtown Line was first conceptualized and announced as the Bukit Timah Line. It was supposedly a 20-kilometre line that would connect the new downtown with the Bukit Panjang, Upper Bukit Timah and Bukit Timah corridor, alleviating the heavy traffic travelling along the sector, but a full route was released. Provisions were provided at Nicoll Highway station which would have seen the line terminating there and interchanging with the Circle line.^[14] However, the Nicoll Highway collapse and subsequent feasibility works and deemed the old station unusable.^[15] The stage is 16.6-kilometre (10.3 mi) long with 12 stations connecting Bukit Panjang and Rochor stations, including four interchange stations. Construction for Stage 2 began on 3 July 2009 with a groundbreaking ceremony at Beauty World station.^[16][17][18]

In October 2014, it was announced that Stage 2's opening would be pushed back to the first quarter of 2016. It had to be delayed when main contractor Alpine Bau went bankrupt in mid-2013.^[19] On 28 June 2015, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew announced that the delay was "completely resolved" by the authorities and Stage 2's opening date was reverted to 27 December 2015.^[20]

Stage 3 of the Downtown Line goes from Chinatown to Expo. The station locations and finalized route were unveiled on 20 August 2010.^[21] Stage 3 of the Downtown line is 21-kilometre (13 mi) long and serve 16 stations.^[1] It started operations on 21 October 2017, officially opened by the Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.^[22]

To serve the line, the Gali Batu Depot was opened in December 2015 to stable 42 trains. It is situated at part of the former Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery off Woodlands Road.^[23] Also in February that year, the Land Transport Authority announced that the capacity of the depot will be expanded to stable 81 trains by 2019.^[24]

Final costs of building the line may reach an estimated about S$20.7 billion, up more than 70% from an initial estimation of S$12 billion.^[25] In January 2013, plans for a southern extension which will run from Expo through the East Coast area, interchanging with the Eastern Region line were announced for completion by 2025.^[26] On 31 May 2017, LTA announced that Stage 3 of the Downtown Line commenced operations on 21 October 2017.^[27]

DTL3e was announced on 15 August 2014, in conjunction with the announcement of the Thomson-East Coast MRT line.^[28] Two stations, Xilin MRT station and Sungei Bedok MRT station will be added to the Downtown Line, with Sungei Bedok as an interchange station with the Thomson–East Coast line. It will add an additional 2.2 km (1.4 mi) to the line with the extension.^[28] Due in 2024, Stage 3e will join the current East West and future Thomson–East Coast lines that runs through Marine Parade.^[29]

Stations

Downtown MRT Line
Gali Batu Depot  DT1  BP6  Bukit Panjang  ■ Choa Chu Kang – Via Senja/Petir   DT2  Cashew  DT3  Hillview  DT5  Beauty World Pan Island Expressway  DT6  King Albert Park Bt Timah Canal  DT7  Sixth Avenue  DT8  Tan Kah Kee Farrer Road  ■ HarbourFront – Dhoby Ghaut   DT9  CC19  Botanic Gardens  ■ Sungei Bedok – Woodlands North   DT10  TE11  Stevens  DT11  NS21  Newton  ■ Marina South Pier – Jurong East  Central Expressway  ■ HarbourFront – Punggol   DT12  NE7  Little India  DT13  Rochor Loop  ■ via Bencoolen – via Jalan Besar   ■ Tuas Link – Pasir Ris   DT14  EW12  Bugis  ■ HarbourFront   DT15  CC4  Promenade  ■ Dhoby Ghaut   DT16  CE1  Bayfront  ■ Marina Bay   ■ Jurong East – Marina Bay   DT17  Downtown  ■ Pasir Ris – Tuas Link   DT18  Telok Ayer  DT19  NE4  Chinatown  ■ Punggol – HarbourFront  Singapore River  DT20  Fort Canning  ■ HarbourFront – Punggol   ■ Marina South Pier – Jurong East   ■ HarbourFront – Dhoby Ghaut   DT21  Bencoolen Loop  ■ via Bugis – via Rochor   DT22  Jalan Besar  DT23  Bendemeer Kallang River  DT24  Geylang Bahru Pan Island Expressway  DT25  Mattar  ■ Dhoby Ghaut – HarbourFront   DT26  CC10  MacPherson  DT27  Ubi Kim Chuan Depot  DT28  Kaki Bukit  DT29  Bedok North  DT30  Bedok Reservoir  DT31  Tampines West Canal  DT32  EW2  Tampines  ■ Pasir Ris – Tuas Link   DT33  Tampines East Pan Island Expressway  DT34  Upper Changi  DT35  CG1  Expo  ■ Tanah Merah – Changi Airport  Stage 3e: Open 2024  DT36  Xilin  DT37  TE31  Sungei Bedok  ■ Woodlands North

Active Route Map information system of Downtown Line

Station number	Station name	Image	Interchange and notes	Distance (km) between stations	Total Distance (km)
DT1  BP6	Bukit Panjang		Connected to the Bukit Panjang LRT	0.0	0.0
DT2	Cashew			1.2	1.2
DT3	Hillview			0.9	2.1
DT4	N/A		Located at Hume Avenue; Shell station; Not In Operation
DT5	Beauty World			2.6	4.7
DT6	King Albert Park			1.2	5.9
DT7	Sixth Avenue			1.6	7.5
DT8	Tan Kah Kee			1.3	8.8
DT9  CC19	Botanic Gardens		Interchange with the Circle line	1.1	9.9
DT10  TE11	Stevens		Interchange with the Thomson–East Coast line (2021)	1.1	11
DT11  NS21	Newton		Connected to the North South line	1.6	12.6
DT12  NE7	Little India		Interchange with the North East line	1.4	14
DT13	Rochor			0.5	14.5
DT14  EW12	Bugis		Interchange with the East West line	0.8	15.3
DT15  CC4	Promenade		Interchange with the Circle line	0.9	16.2
DT16  CE1	Bayfront		Cross-platform interchange with the Circle line extension	1.3	18.4
DT17	Downtown			0.9	19.3
DT18	Telok Ayer			0.6	19.9
DT19  NE4	Chinatown		Interchange with the North East line	0.6	20.5
DT20	Fort Canning			1.0	21.5
DT21	Bencoolen			1.0	22.5
DT22	Jalan Besar			0.9	23.4
DT23	Bendemeer			1.3	24.7
DT24	Geylang Bahru			1.4	26.1
DT25	Mattar			1.5	27.6
DT26  CC10	MacPherson		Interchange with the Circle line	0.8	28.4
DT27	Ubi			1.1	29.5
DT28	Kaki Bukit			1.2	30.7
DT29	Bedok North			1.1	31.8
DT30	Bedok Reservoir			1.8	33.6
DT31	Tampines West			1.7	35.3
DT32  EW2	Tampines		Connected to the East West line	1.3	36.6
DT33	Tampines East			1.4	38
DT34	Upper Changi			2.6	40.6
DT35  CG1	Expo		Interchange with the East West line's Changi Airport Branch Line	0.9	41.5
Downtown Line Extension (In 2024)
DT36	Xilin	N/A
DT37  TE31	Sungei Bedok		Interchange with the Thomson-East Coast line (2024)	From Expo 2.2	44.1

The station code "DT4" is reserved for future use.

Rolling stock

The Bombardier MOVIA C951 at Mattar MRT station

Currently, the Downtown Line has one type of rolling stock, the Bombardier MOVIA C951 cars,^[31] running in a three-car formation. They are stabled at Gali Batu Depot after it opened with Stage 2 of Downtown Line on 27 December 2015. For the period between the operation of Downtown Line Stage 1 and Downtown Line Stage 2, trains were stabled at a maintenance facility that was built at Marina Bay as part of the Circle line project. Kim Chuan Depot housed the Operations Control Centre for the Downtown Line Stage 1 until Gali Batu Depot was ready to be used.^[32]

On 12 October 2012, the first of 11 trains for the Downtown Line Stage 1 arrived at Jurong Port. It was transported to Kim Chuan Depot to undergo testing by LTA before it was handed over to SBS Transit.^[33] As of 28 February 2013, Bombardier had delivered five of the 11 trains for Downtown Line Stage 1.^[34] LTA together with the operator, SBS Transit, conducted the necessary tests to ensure safety standards, functional performance and systems compatibility requirements were met before revenue service began on 22 December 2013.^[35]

Testing on the Downtown Line Stage 2 began on 25 October 2015 and rolling stock that was delivered to Gali Batu Depot have commenced service on Stage 1 starting on 21 October 2015. Kim Chuan Depot, together with the adjacent Tai Seng Facility Building will operate on a minor capacity until the Downtown Line Stage 3 opens. A new depot, named the East Coast Integrated Depot will provide additional stabling capacity to the line in 2024.^[36]

Testing on the Downtown Line Stage 3 began on 15 August 2017, after the late opening of Downtown Line from 27 May 2017, exactly two months before Stage 3's Open House, themed "Rail Of Fun".^[37] Most of the other rolling stock that had not carried passengers before and were stabled in Gali Batu Depot as early as 2015 finally entered revenue service progressively from that date onwards. Testing on DTL Stage 3 was restricted from Fort Canning to Expo from 19 September 2017.

Train control

The Downtown Line is equipped with Siemens (previously Invensys before Siemens acquisition) Trainguard Sirius Communications-based train control (CBTC) moving block signalling system with Automatic train control (ATC) under Automatic train operation (ATO) GoA 4 (UTO).^[38][39] The subsystems consist of Automatic train protection (ATP) to govern train speed, Controlguide Rail 9000 Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) to track and schedule trains and Trackguard Westrace MK2 Computer-based interlocking (CBI) system that prevents incorrect signal and track points to be set.^[40][41]

A fall-back signalling system, relying on conventional track-circuit occupancy detection, is included to ensure fully automatic operation and train protection independent of the radio system.

Platform screen doors by Faiveley^[42] provide safety for passengers, offering protection from arriving and departing trains.^[43]

External links

• Downtown Line
• Downtown Line Construction

References