Canberra MRT station

Canberra MRT station (NS12) is an elevated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the North South line, located along Canberra Link at the junction with Canberra Way in Sembawang, Singapore. It is the second infill station on the MRT network (after Dover MRT station), and the first in Singapore with a platform linked directly to an overhead bridge at the same level. With several green features included in the station during construction, it was also the first MRT station to be awarded Platinum for the Building and Construction Authority's Green Mark for Transit Stations, as a result of the construction team's efforts to integrate landscaping and using eco-friendly materials in the construction of the station.[1]

 NS12 
Canberra
坎贝拉
கென்பரா
Canberra
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station
The exterior of Canberra station, which is shaped like a ship.
Location11 Canberra Link
Singapore 756972
Coordinates01°26′35″N 103°49′47″E
Owned byLand Transport Authority
Operated bySMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Corporation)
Line(s)
  North South line
Platforms2 (2 side platforms)
Tracks2
Bus routes117, 169, 883, 883M
ConnectionsBus, Taxi
Construction
Structure typeElevated
Platform levels1
Bicycle facilitiesYes (~500 lots)
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station code NS12 
History
Opened2 November 2019 (2019-11-02)
ElectrifiedYes
Previous namesSimpang
Services
Preceding station   Mass Rapid Transit   Following station
towards Jurong East
North South line
Location
Canberra
Canberra station in Singapore

The station was announced following a successful feasibility study conducted by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) after the idea of a new MRT station between the Sembawang and Yishun MRT stations was raised in the 2013 Land Transport Master Plan.[2] Construction started in April 2015, and it opened on 2 November 2019. The mall opposite the station, Canberra Plaza will be opened at the end of July 2020.

History

Planning
External images
Artist impression of Canberra MRT station and image of the station's construction progress in April 2018 Source: LTA
Annex of the location of crossover track at Canberra MRT station Source: LTA

The North South line, Singapore's first MRT line, opened on 7 November 1987.[3] The stations from Yew Tee to Sembawang were opened in 1996 as part of the Woodlands Extension, with missing station codes NS6 and NS12 reserved for future stations along the line.[4]

Both the Land Transport Master Plan 2013 (launched by then-Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew in October)[5][6] and the Draft Master Plan 2013 (unveiled by the Urban Redevelopment Authority during a public exhibition in November) mentioned the possible addition of a new MRT station between Sembawang and Yishun stations.[7] After a year of review, the Draft Master Plan 2013 was officially gazetted to become the Master Plan 2014 in June of that year.[8]

Between January 2013 and June 2014, in response to these master plans, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) started feasibility studies for a new station between Sembawang and Yishun stations in tandem with developments in the northern part of Singapore.[9] Minister Lui concluded that the station could be built,[10] and on 1 August that year, Canberra station was officially announced by the LTA.[11]

Construction
Construction site of the station.

The estimated cost for the entire station was S$228 million.[12] On 27 April 2015, LTA awarded Contract 158 to China State Construction Engineering Corporation (Singapore Branch) for the Design and Construction of Canberra Station at a sum of S$90 million.[13][14]

Heavy construction work began on 26 March 2016,[15] following the fatal Pasir Ris rail accident on 22 March where two SMRT maintenance workers were killed by an incoming train while performing maintenance on the tracks. This tragedy shined a spotlight on the need for safety for all rail operations involving workers working close to an operational line. As a result of the accident, LTA and SMRT implemented several measures to improve safety such as limiting major work to non-service hours, sheltering the tracks with a temporary enclosure during the roof's construction and creating a full-scale mock-up of the station structure and roof to determine the safest method of construction.[16][17]

By September 2017, the station was 40% complete, with its deep foundation works in place and construction proceeding to the next stage where platform slabs were cast.[18] By May 2018, the station was 55% complete, with most of its roof structure in place.[19] Between 18 and 20 May 2019, a 72-metre-long (236 ft) long rail crossover track was constructed at the northern end of Canberra station to connect the two tracks.[20] The crossover track was built partly to reduce the impact of future rail disruption, such as the power outage that occurred on 7 July 2015,[21] by allowing trains to switch to the unaffected track using the crossover.

During a visit to the station's construction site on 20 May 2019, Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan announced that the station would open on 2 November that year.[22] The station was then officially opened by Khaw on the day before the opening.[23]

Station details
A ticket concourse of the station directly linking it to the Marina South Pier-bound platform. The entrance is connected to the Canberra Plaza via an elevated overhead bridge.
Track layout
to Sembawang
to Yishun

Canberra MRT station is located in the eastern part of Sembawang, next to the residential town of Yishun and near Sungei Simpang Kiri river. An estimated 17,000 households is expected to benefit from the station.[24] The station takes its name from Canberra Link, the road beside which it is located. This road is named after Canberra, the capital of Australia.[25][26]

The station will be linked via an elevated sheltered footbridge built across Canberra Link to Canberra Plaza, a three-story shopping mall project by the HDB as part of a forthcoming mixed-use transit-oriented development. Canberra Plaza is under construction as of April 2020.[27]

Symbiosis created by Tan Zi Xi. The artwork is visible at the Jurong East-bound platform.

DP Architects and KTP Consultants (the latter of which is now a subsidiary of Surbana Jurong)[28] designed the station with a nautical theme;[29] thus, the station is shaped like a ship when viewed from the outside. This design was inspired by Sembawang's historical role as a British naval base. The station’s roof is modeled after wind blades to convey the speed of Singapore's public transportation.[30] The sides of the station were constructed using glass rather than concrete to allow natural light to enter. Louvers were installed to provide ventilation.[31] For the construction team's efforts to integrate landscaping and the use of eco-friendly materials, the station was awarded a Platinum certification under the Building and Construction Authority's new Green Mark scheme for transit stations. Canberra station is the first MRT station to attain such a rating.[32][33] The artwork in the station, Symbiosis, was painted by Singaporean artist Tan Zi Xi. It aims to emphasise the symbiotic relationship between flora and fauna. Residents and stakeholders from the nearby Sembawang Group Representation Constituency contributed to the artwork by drawing imaginative plants and animals after a workshop that involved a nature walk. Tan developed her drawings further to suit the lively design of the station.[32]

The station has five entrances. Four of these are connected by covered pathways to a pair of bus stops, two passenger drop off and pick-up points and parking for over 500 bicycles. The fifth is a sheltered footbridge built across Canberra Link which allows passengers to bypass the concourse level and access the Marina South Pier-bound (city-bound) platform directly.[19]

References
  1. "MEDIA RELEASE BCA INTRODUCES NEW GREEN MARK SCHEME FOR TRANSIT STATIONS - Canberra Station accorded first BCA Green Mark Platinum award under new Green Mark scheme for transit stations" (PDF). bca.gov.sg. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  2. migration (27 June 2014). "New MRT station for North-South Line: Canberra". The Straits Times. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  3. "Canberra Station". lta.gov.sg. Land Transport Authority. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 14 September 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  4. Naidu Ratnala Thulaja (2003). "Woodlands MRT line". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. National Library Board. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  5. "Launch of Land Transport Master Plan 2013". lta.gov.sg. Land Transport Authority. 7 October 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  6. Land Transport Master Plan 2013 (PDF) (Report). Singapore: Land Transport Authority. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  7. Draft Master Plan 2013: Sembawang (PDF) (Brochure), Urban Redevelopment Authority, archived (PDF) from the original on 29 April 2018, retrieved 29 April 2018
  8. Teng, Amelia (6 June 2014). "URA gazettes Master Plan 2014 after year-long review". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  9. "Two New Rail Lines And Three New Extensions To Expand Rail Network By 2030 (Extension to Areas not Served by Rail Network)". app.ltagov.sg. Land Transport Authority. 17 January 2013. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  10. Sim, Royston (27 June 2014). "New MRT station for North-South Line: Canberra". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  11. "New Addition to North-South Line: Canberra Station". Land Transport Authority]. 1 August 2014. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  12. "Budget 2018 (Ministry of Transport), Page 203" (PDF). singaporebudget,gov.sg. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  13. "Work Starts on Canberra MRT Station". Land Transport Authority. 27 April 2015. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  14. Land Transport Authority. "CO 158 Tender Schedule". lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  15. "Stringent safety controls in place as work on Canberra MRT station begins". TODAYonline. 26 March 2016. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  16. Land Transport Authority. "Work Starts for Canberra MRT Station on North-South Line". lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  17. "Heavy construction at Canberra station begins with enhanced safety measures". channelnewsasia.com. 26 March 2016. Archived from the original on 15 April 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  18. Chong, Clara (11 September 2017). "Canberra MRT station to have crossover track to minimise train service disruptions". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  19. "Factsheet: LTA on Track to Complete Canberra MRT Station by December 2019 | Press Room | Land Transport Authority". lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  20. "Joint LTA-SMRT Media Release: Installation of Crossover Track Near Canberra MRT Station". smrt.com.sg. 10 May 2019. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  21. "Massive SMRT disruption due to leak on rail insulator". The Star Online. 30 July 2015. Archived from the original on 15 August 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  22. Liu, Vanessa (20 May 2019). "Canberra station on North-South Line to open on Nov 2". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  23. "Speech by Minister Khaw Boon Wan at the Canberra MRT Station Opening Ceremony". Ministry of Transport (Singapore). 1 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  24. Lim, Adrian (9 May 2018). "Jurong Region Line, Singapore's 7th MRT line, to open in three phases from 2026". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 10 September 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  25. "How Do Roads in Singapore Get Their Names?". The Finder. 14 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  26. McIlroy, Tom (29 June 2014). "Singapore calls new MRT station Canberra". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  27. "HDB Unveils New Generation of Neighbourhood Centres - Housing & Development Board (HDB)". hdb.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  28. "Our History (June 2015)". surbanajurong.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  29. "Canberra MRT Station - DP Architects". dpa.com.sg. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  30. "Ministry of Transport, Singapore". www.facebook.com. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  31. Seow, Janice (7 January 2015). "Canberra MRT Station Goes Nautical". Indesignlive.sg. Archived from the original on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  32. "Factsheet: Design Elements of the New Canberra Station". lta.gov.sg. 1 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  33. Tan, Christopher (1 November 2019). "Canberra MRT station on North-South Line opens with green features that help reduce running costs". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
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