Dover MRT station

Dover MRT station (EW22) is an elevated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the East West Line in Queenstown planning area, Singapore.

 EW22 
Dover
杜弗
டோவெர்
Dover
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station
Platform A of Dover station.
Location200 Commonwealth Avenue West
Singapore 138677
Coordinates1°18′40.73″N 103°46′43.17″E
Operated bySMRT Trains (SMRT Corporation)
Line(s)     East West line
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus, Taxi
Construction
Structure typeElevated
Platform levels1
ParkingYes (Singapore Polytechnic)
Bicycle facilitiesYes[1][2]
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station code EW22 
History
Opened18 October 2001 (2001-10-18)
ElectrifiedYes
Previous namesPolytechnic
Services
Preceding station   Mass Rapid Transit   Following station
towards Pasir Ris
East West line
towards Joo Koon or Tuas Link
Location

It was the first infill station added to an existing line on the Singapore MRT network.[3] It is also the first elevated station in Singapore with two side platforms on either side of the tracks, as opposed to having an island platform commonly found in other elevated MRT stations. A similar layout was adopted at Canberra MRT station.

As the second above-ground MRT station built in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, it has a distinctive architectural design. Like most projects of this period, the use of glass and steel is extensive.

Dover station provides MRT access to students and staff of Singapore Polytechnic, as well as residents of the nearby Mount Sinai and Dover estates.

History
An exterior view of the Dover MRT station, which was built around existing elevated railway track and has overpasses leading to Singapore Polytechnic and bus stops on both sides of the road.

Dover MRT Station was announced on 28 July 1997. Adjacent to the Singapore Polytechnic on one side, and undeveloped land on the other, the building of the station was met with reservations by some members of the public over the small area it serviced when construction began in June 1998. There were criticisms over the spending of "taxpayers' money" chiefly for use only by students of one educational institution.[4] The Land Transport Authority, the government department in charge of public transport operations, proceeded with the construction anyway, to serve commuters along Singapore Polytechnic with Dover housing estate.[5][6] Originally, it was named Singapore Polytechnic MRT Station in the planning stage. With the change of plans, it was renamed to Dover, after the nearby Dover Road.

Originally, the station was not assigned a station code. On 18 July 2001, with the introduction of the new MRT map, including new station codes, Dover was assigned with EW22. Trains were running slower due to the construction.[7] There were test runs from 13 to 17 October 2001 when the trains stopped at this station but did not open their doors.[8]

Shuttle buses were provided from this station to National University Hospital (NUH), previously from Buona Vista. However, services ceased with effect from 1 November 2011 due to the opening of Kent Ridge MRT station on the Circle Line, which is located within NUH premises.[9] Half height platform screen doors (HHPSD) were installed in this station and they became operational on 5 August 2011.[10]

Incidents

On 19 September 2009, a retiree Muhammad Osmail Paiman, 61, was pulled out to safety after he fell onto the MRT tracks at the station.[11] A similar incident happened the next day when a retiree Carolyn Quek was saved by a man. The retiree felt giddy and fell into the tracks.[12]

References
  1. "SMRT > Trains > NetworkMap > Dover". www.smrt.com.sg. SMRT. 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017. Station Amenities
  2. "SMRT Journeys". journey.smrt.com.sg. SMRT. 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017. Amenities
  3. Fook Kong, Lau (13 July 2001). "Next Stop: Dover". The Straits Times. p. 8.
  4. Leong, Yit Chun (19 August 2002). "Public should not subsidise new MRT stations". The Straits Times Forum.
  5. "New MRT station at S'pore Poly to be ready by Year 2001". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 29 July 1997. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  6. "Doorstep train". Today news. 5 October 2001. p. 8.
  7. "Trains slower near Dover Station". The Straits Times. 30 May 2000. p. 25.
  8. "Trial Runs at Dover". Today news. 13 October 2001. p. 6.
  9. "Take the Circle Line to NUH". Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  10. Wong, Siew Ying (January 26, 2008). "Above-ground MRT stations to have platform screen doors by 2012". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  11. "Close Call: SMRT staff pulled retiree Muhammad Osmail Paiman to safety". The New Paper. 22 September 2009. p. 8.
  12. "Man who fell onto tracks saved". The Straits Times. 21 September 2009. p. 23.
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