Rochor MRT station
DT13
Rochor 梧槽 ரோச்சோர் | |||||||||||
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Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station | |||||||||||
General information | |||||||||||
Location | 11 Rochor Canal Road Singapore 188505 | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 1°18′13.55″N 103°51′9.29″E / 1.3037639°N 103.8525806°E | ||||||||||
Operated by | SBS Transit DTL (ComfortDelGro Corporation) | ||||||||||
Line(s) | |||||||||||
Platforms | 2 (1 island platform) | ||||||||||
Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||
Connections | Bus, Taxi | ||||||||||
Construction | |||||||||||
Structure type | Underground | ||||||||||
Depth | 26m | ||||||||||
Platform levels | 1 | ||||||||||
Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
Opened | 27 December 2015 | ||||||||||
Electrified | Yes | ||||||||||
Previous names | Tekka/Ophir | ||||||||||
Passengers | |||||||||||
November 2020 | 5,344 per day[1] | ||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||
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Rochor MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the Downtown Line (DTL) in Rochor, Singapore. Located between Sungei Road and Rochor Canal Road, the station serves landmarks such as Sim Lim Square, The Verge, the LASALLE College of the Arts and Tekka Centre.
First announced in July 2008, construction of the station began in 2009. The construction of the station and the tunnels was one of the most challenging projects on the DTL, involving multiple realignments of the arterial roads and the Rochor Canal. The station opened on 27 December 2015 along with the other DTL Stage 2 (DTL2) stations.
History
Construction
Rochor station was first announced as part of Downtown line Stage 2 (DTL2) on 15 July 2008.[2] Contract 921 for the design and construction of Rochor station and tunnels was awarded to SsangYong Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd for $803.3 million in June 2009.[a] Construction of the station was scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2009 with a targeted completion of 2015.[3] The contract was one of the most costly to be awarded on the DLT2 project because of the intricacies of the project.[4]
During the construction process, the Rochor Canal, which had previously run between Rochor Canal Road and Sungei Road, was temporarily diverted to a 150-metre (490 ft) canal box.[4][5][6] Sungei and Rochor Canal Roads, both arterial routes, were rerouted several times.[4] Steel decks for traffic were installed above the canal since there was little room to divert the roads sideways.[7] The road diversions were done during the night to avoid disrupting traffic during the day.[6]
The underlying layer of soft marine clay extended 30 metres (98 ft) deep and had a thickness similar to "peanut butter".[7][4][5] The station's builders stabilised construction works at the site and prevent any impact on the surrounding buildings, especially the heritage shophouses.[7] Diaphragm walls and other strong temporary earth-retaining structures were erected,[4][5] and cement was pumped into the soil.[7] Additional equipment was installed to monitor ground movement, while heavy machinery had to be moved carefully to avoid endangering or interfering with road traffic.[6]
With the detailed planning and extensive safety procedures in place, the works were completed in 1.6 million man-hours, on schedule and without accidents.[6] In conjunction with the station's construction, a 180-metre (590 ft) long provisional box tunnel was constructed above the station to serve the future North–South Corridor.[4] The Rochor Canal was rerouted to a new tunnel between Clive Street and Sim Lim Tower, while the canal's original route was covered with soil.[4] In recognition of the complexities of the work, the workers involved were awarded an excellence award by the Singapore Concrete Institute on 20 November 2015.[5][6][8] The Ministry of Manpower has praised the construction project for its record of zero accidents and its timely completion.[6]
Opening
On 28 June 2015, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew announced that the DTL2 would be opened earlier than scheduled,[b][9] with 95% of the works completed.[10] In August that year, Lui further announced that the DTL2 segment would open on 27 December 2015.[11][12] As planned, the station opened on 27 December along with the other DTL Stage 2 stations.[13][14]
Station details
Services
Rochor station serves the Downtown line (DTL) and is situated between the Little India and Bugis stations. The station code is DT13 as reflected on official maps.[15] As of January 2021. the station operates between 5:55 am and 12:24 am daily,[16] with headways of 2.75 to 4.5 minutes.[17]
Location
The station is located underground between Sungei Road and Rochor Canal Road.[18] The station serves the retail developments of Sim Lim Square, Peace Centre and Albert Centre, alongside religious institutions such as Church - Our Lady of L'des, Kwang Im Tong Temple and Masjid Abdul Gafoor.[16] It is within walking distance to LASALLE College of the Arts. The station is also close to various hotels and residential developments.[16]
Station design
Designed by Architects61, the station was intended to be utilitarian but aesthetically pleasing, naturally blending in with its surroundings and heralded as a model of contemporary transport infrastructure.[19] Due to its position in a locale known for the arts and technology, the station's platform and ceiling motif is inspired by the interior of a circuit board, with the digital lines representing "fluidity" and "dynamism".[19][20]
The patterns of the ceiling act as wayfinding elements with directional lines engraved into the design.[19][20] The spaciousness of the layout allows ease of movement[20] and improves visual awareness of the platform and concourse.[19] To promote the use of public transportation, the entrances are also integrated with other modes of transportation such as bus, taxis and bicycles.[20] As the site is sloped, the main entrance has ramps to accommodate the height differences. The other entrance (Exit B) features an oval-shaped structure to better resist underground pressure.[19] The entrances were designed to allow future integration with upcoming developments, with provisions for additional underground connections to the station.[20]
Station artwork
Commissioned as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit Programme,[c] Tracing Memories by students from the LASALLE College of the Arts[d] is an artwork displayed on the lift shaft of the station.[22][23] The artwork depicts local vintage objects at the Thieves' Market[24][e] arranged to resemble a motherboard.[22][23] The artwork is intended to contrast and probe into the dual reflections of Singapore's youths: living through a world of technology while having sentimentality for tradition and history.[22]
The vintage objects were bought from the Market by the students for the artwork.[21] The objects were then drawn in three ways: simple pencil drawing, mono-printing and modern digital drawing.[21][23]
Notes and references
Notes
- ^ The contract also included the construction of the adjacent Little India station.
- ^ Due to delays in construction over the insolvency of a contractor Alpine Bau, the date was pushed to 2016. See Tan Kah Kee station for details.
- ^ Public art showcase which integrates artworks into the MRT network.
- ^ The students involved were: Andreas Schlegel, Betty Susiarjo, Chelsea Zhao Xin, Chen Shitong, Luke Heng, Ronald Cheah and Xiuting Yang.[21]
- ^ A flea market which used to operate along Sungei Road.[25]
References
- ^ "Land Transport DataMall". mytransport.sg. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ "Downtown Line 2 Station Sites Named". www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
- ^ "LTA Awards 2 Downtown Line Contracts | Press Room | Land Transport Authority". www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Seow, Joanna (27 November 2015). "Little India businesses eagerly await opening of Downtown Line 2 stations". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d Mohktar, Faris (26 November 2015). "Challenges of constructing Downtown Line's Rochor and Little India MRT stations". ChannelNewasia. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Feng 2017, p. 62.
- ^ a b c d Feng 2017, p. 60.
- ^ "SSYENC". SSYENC. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ "Thumbs Up For Downtown Line's Earlier Opening". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ^ Feng 2017, p. 76.
- ^ "News Room - News Releases - The Rail Report: 12 Stations of Downtown Line 2 to Open on 27 December". www.lta.gov.sg. 6 August 2015. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ Lim, Adrian (7 August 2015). "Phase 2 of Downtown Line to open on Dec 27". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ "LTA | News Room | News Releases | Downtown Line 2 is Coming to Town….this December". www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 4 September 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ Jo, Yeo Sam (28 December 2015). "Thousands check out Downtown Line 2 on opening day". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ "MRT System Map" (PDF). Land Transport Authority (LTA). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ a b c "Train Service Information". SBSTransit. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Transport Tools - MRT/LRT". www.lta.gov.sg. 6 May 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^ "Rochor MRT Station (DT13)". OneMap. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Rochor MRT Station - Projects". Architect61. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Rochor MRT Station: Singapore Mass Rapid Transit". e-architect. 21 September 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ a b c "Traces of Rochor Life" (PDF). www.lta.gov.sg. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ a b c "Getting Around - Public Transport - A Better Public Transport Experience - Art in Transit". www.lta.gov.sg. 26 October 2020. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ a b c "Art-in-Transit". SBSTransit. 13 January 2021. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Downtown Line 2 to feature Singaporean artworks". TODAYonline. 28 November 2015. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Last day of Thieves' Market at Sungei Road on Jul 10". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
Bibliography
- Feng, Zengkun (2017). Downtown Line: Soaring to new heights. Singapore: Straits Times Press Pte Ltd. ISBN 978-981-4747-66-0. OCLC 1003852882.
External links
- Media related to Rochor MRT Station at Wikimedia Commons