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Katong Park MRT station

Katong Park MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the Thomson–East Coast line (TEL). Situated along Meyer Road and adjacent to Katong Park, the station serves Dunman High School and Singapore Swimming School alongside nearby residential developments. The station is operated by SMRT Trains.

The station was first announced in 2014 and was constructed as part of TEL Phase 4. Constructed in a narrow site, the tunnels had to be stacked with the launch site situated away from the station. The station commenced operations on 23 June 2024. Featuring large skylights that naturally illuminate the upper concourse, Katong Park station has a depth of 26.8 metres (88 ft). An Art-in-Transit artwork Time After Time by Sit Weng San & Tania De Rozario is displayed at this station.

History

On 15 August 2014, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that Katong Park station would be part of the proposed Thomson–East Coast line (TEL). The station would be constructed as part of Phase 4 (TEL4), consisting of eight stations from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore.[3][4] The contract for the design and construction of Katong Park station was awarded to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. (Singapore) Pte Ltd for S$293 million (US$212.09 million) in January 2016. Construction was scheduled to commence in that year with a targeted completion date of 2023.[5] The construction of the 3.6-kilometre (2.2 mi) bored tunnels required the use of 6.35-metre (20.8 ft) diameter Earth pressure balance (EPB) machines.[6]

The station was constructed in a narrow site along Meyer Road, surrounded by residential developments and the historical Katong Park. As the tunnels would be stacked to overcome space constraints, the station has a stacked platform layout.[7][8] The contractors had to construct the tunnel launch shaft away from the station site to an empty area adjacent to Singapore Swimming Club. The contractors excavated the station box after the completion of tunnelling works.[9] The soil conditions at the station is mostly soft marine clay due to its location in reclaimed land. The ground was strengthened with the diaphragm walls extending to a depth of 65 metres (213 ft), below the station box which is only 28 metres (92 ft).[7][9]

The noise barrier south of the station site was removed in July 2021.[10] With restrictions imposed on construction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the TEL4 completion date was pushed by a year to 2024.[11] On 5 March 2024, the LTA announced that the station would open on 23 June that year.[12][13] An open house for the TEL4 stations was held on 21 June, with a booth for SportSG set up at this station.[14][15]

Station details

Exit 2 of Katong Park station

Katong Park station serves the TEL and is between Tanjong Rhu and Tanjong Katong stations, with the official station code of TE24.[16][17] As part of the TEL, the station is operated by SMRT Trains.[18] Located along Meyer Road near the junction of Fort Road and Tanjong Rhu Road, the station serves nearby condominiums such as The Belvedere, The Line @ Tanjong Rhu and The Meyer Place.[19] Other nearby landmarks include Katong Park, Dunman High School, Katong Community Centre and Singapore Swimming School.[20]

The station has a stacked platform layout,[21] and has a depth of 26.8 metres (88 ft).[1] The upper concourse of the station is naturally illuminated by large skylights.[1] Like the other TEL4 stations, hybrid cooling fans at the platform complement the station's air-conditioning to improve air circulation yet lower energy consumption.[22]

Time After Time by Sit Weng San & Tania De Rozario is displayed at this station as part of the Art-in-Transit programme, a showcase of public artworks on the MRT network.[23] The artwork is a set of photographs depicting the present-day Katong Park, with historical photos of the park superimposed on each.[24] Drawing upon the park's history as a military fort and later a swimming spot,[24] the work seeks to explore themes of "memory, archaeology, time, and the body", connecting the past and present and blurring the boundaries between them.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Thomson-East Coast Line". Land Transport Authority. 23 June 2024. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  2. ^ "LTA | News Room | News Releases | Finalised Station Names for Thomson-East Coast Line (East Coast Stretch) and Downtown Line 3 Extension". www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Joint News Release by the Land Transport Authority & Singapore Land Authority – Thomson-East Coast Line: New MRT Links in the East". www.lta.gov.sg. 19 August 2014. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Thomson-East Coast Line". www.lta.gov.sg. 13 February 2020. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  5. ^ "LTA Awards Three Contracts for Thomson-East Coast Line's Tanjong Rhu, Katong Park and Marine Terrace Stations". Land Transport Authority. 25 January 2016. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Project LTA T305 | STECS". stecs2. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  7. ^ a b Yusof, Amir (7 January 2019). "Construction of Katong Park MRT station: Engineers face space constraints, soft ground construction". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  8. ^ Ong, Justin Guang-Xi (22 May 2024). "Tunnelling through crowded areas, how engineers navigated constraints to build 7 new Thomson-East Coast Line stations". CNA. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Factsheet: Thomson-East Coast Line Katong Park Station: Mining Tunnels Through the Station". Land Transport Authority. 7 January 2019. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  10. ^ "Schedule of Station Construction Works Along Meyer Road and Fort Road" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Written Reply by Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung to Parliamentary Question on Updates on Thomson East Coast Line, Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line". Ministry of Transport. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  12. ^ Tjoe, Lee Nian (5 March 2024). "TEL Stage 4 from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore to open for passenger service on June 23". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Thomson–East Coast Line 4 to Welcome Commuters from 23 June 2024". Land Transport Authority. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Factsheet: Explore Seven New Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 4 Stations on 21 June". Land Transport Authority. 10 June 2024. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Annex A: Highlight Activities at TEL4 Stations" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. 10 June 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  16. ^ "System Map". Transitlink. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  17. ^ "System Map" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  18. ^ "Getting Around – Public Transport – Rail Network". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Katong Park – Map". SMRT Journeys. Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Katong Park – Exits". SMRT Journeys. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  21. ^ Ong, Justin (Guang-Xi) (22 May 2024). "Tunnelling through crowded areas, how engineers navigated constraints to build 7 new Thomson-East Coast Line stations". CNA. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  22. ^ Loi, Esther (3 May 2024). "Hybrid cooling fans, underground bike parking areas among new features at TEL Stage 4 stations". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Art in Transit". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  24. ^ a b Soh, Therese (4 May 2024). "'Time After Time': A first look at new Art in Transit installations at TEL Stage 4 stations". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.

External links