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Woodleigh MRT station

Coordinates: 01°20′21″N 103°52′15″E / 1.33917°N 103.87083°E / 1.33917; 103.87083
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 NE11 
Woodleigh
兀里
உட் லீ
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station
View of the station platforms facing the escalators that connects to the concourse level above the platforms.
Platform level of Woodleigh station
General information
Location400 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 347695[1]
Coordinates01°20′21″N 103°52′15″E / 1.33917°N 103.87083°E / 1.33917; 103.87083
Operated bySBS Transit Ltd (ComfortDelGro Corporation)
Line(s)
  North East Line
Platforms2 (1 island platform)
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus, taxi
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Platform levels1
AccessibleYes[2]
History
Opened20 June 2011; 13 years ago (2011-06-20)
Passengers
June 202411,844 per day[3]
Services
Preceding station Mass Rapid Transit Following station
Potong Pasir
towards HarbourFront
 North East Line Serangoon
towards Punggol
Location
A map of the Singapore rail system, with a color for each line and a red dot highlighting the location of Woodleigh station in Singapore.
A map of the Singapore rail system, with a color for each line and a red dot highlighting the location of Woodleigh station in Singapore.
Woodleigh
Woodleigh station in Singapore

Woodleigh MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the North East line (NEL), in Bidadari, Singapore. The station is underneath Upper Serangoon Road, near the junction with Upper Aljunied Road. Areas served include the Bidadari Estate, Stamford American International School and Woodleigh Residences.

Woodleigh was first announced along with the 16 NEL stations in March 1996. Though it was completed along with the rest of the NEL in June 2003, the station remained closed due to the lack of local developments. It eventually opened in June 2011. As with most of the NEL stations, it is a designated Civil Defence shelter. Woodleigh station features an Art-in-Transit public artwork Slow Motion by April Ng, depicting commuters going about their daily lives, on 30 zinc panels.

History

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The North East line (NEL) project, which was first proposed in 1984,[4] received government approval in January 1996.[5] Woodleigh station was among the sixteen NEL stations announced by communications minister Mah Bow Tan in March that year.[6] To minimise operating costs, Woodleigh was not planned to open along with the other NEL stations.[7] It was intended to build only the structural shell of Woodleigh station, but it was later decided to build it fully, as it would have been more costly to wait until later to complete the station from the structural shell.[8]

The contract for the station's construction and 2.5 km (1.6 miles) of bored tunnels was awarded to a joint venture consisting of Wayss & Freytag, Econ Corporation and Chew Eu Hock Construction. The S$317 million contract (US$342 million in 2022) included the construction of the adjacent Serangoon station and a vehicular viaduct along Upper Serangoon Road.[8][9] Though the station was fully equipped and ready for operations in 2003,[8] transport minister Yeo Cheow Tong explained in July that the station might not open for seven or eight years.[10] The station would begin operating once the area around it was sufficiently developed.[11][12]

With preparations for the station's opening ongoing since the second half of 2010, The Straits Times transport correspondent Christopher Tan speculated that the station would open in mid-2011 to serve new developments in the area.[13] In a parliamentary session in March, Transport Minister Raymond Lim confirmed that Woodleigh station would open on 20 June 2011.[12][14][15] Before its opening, the station was refurbished and repainted, and SBS Transit staff tested the station equipment and lighting.[16][17]

On the opening day, several commuters, who were unaware that Woodleigh station had opened, alighted there by accident, having intended to alight at the adjacent Serangoon station. The operator SBS Transit deployed several staff to assist the confused commuters.[18][19]

Security incident

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On 18 April 2017, Woodleigh station was closed for about three hours after a suspicious substance was found in various areas in the station. All trains skipped Woodleigh station during the closure. The station reopened at 4:20 pm after police established the substance to be baking flour.[20][21] Authorities arrested a 69-year-old man that same day for "causing public alarm"[22] and summoned two other men to help with police investigations. The investigation revealed that the three men were members of the running group Seletar Hash House Harriers, who intended to mark a trail for other runners to follow (known as "hashing").[22][23] The man responsible was fined S$1000 (US$746.3) for causing a public nuisance.[24][25]

Station details

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Entrance of the station with curved zinc roofs, with buildings under construction in the background
Exit A of the station in front of the developing Bidadari Estate

Woodleigh station serves the North East line (NEL) of the Singapore MRT and is between the Potong Pasir and Serangoon stations. The station code is NE11.[26] Being part of the NEL, the station is operated by SBS Transit.[27] The station operates daily from about 6:00 am to 12:15 am.[28][29] Train frequencies vary from 2.5 to 5.0 minutes.[30] The station is underneath Upper Serangoon Road, near the junction with Upper Aljunied Road.[1] The station has three entrances, serving Stamford American International School, Mount Vernon Columbarium and Mount Vernon Sanctuary, along with various residential developments in the area such as Avon Park.[28] Woodleigh station will also serve the developing Bidadari public housing estate.[31] The station is next to Woodleigh Residences – an upcoming integrated commercial and residential development part of the estate's future town centre which will include a bus interchange.[32][33][34] The bus interchange was expected to be completed at the end of 2024 after a three year delay due to engineering challenges and the COVID-19 Pandemic.[35]

Each of the three entrances has a curved canopy with aluminium louvres; these are linked to the taxi stands and bus stops near the station. The windows at the entrances allow commuters to have a view of the station's surroundings.[36] The station is designated as a Civil Defence (CD) shelter:[37][38] it is designed to accommodate at least 7,500 people and withstand airstrikes and chemical attacks. Equipment essential for the operations in the CD shelter is mounted on shock absorbers to prevent damage during a bombing. When electrical supply to the shelter is disrupted, there are backup generators to keep operations going.[39] The shelter has dedicated built-in decontamination chambers and dry toilets with collection bins that will send human waste out of the shelter.[40]

Like all other NEL stations, the platforms are wheelchair-accessible. A tactile system, consisting of tiles with rounded or elongated raised studs,[41] guides visually impaired commuters through the station.[2] Dedicated tactile routes connect the station entrances to the platforms.[28][42]

Public artwork

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The artwork in the background, with an open view of the platforms one level below, taken from the concourse level
The station's artwork at the concourse level

Commissioned as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit programme, a showcase of public artworks on the MRT network, April Ng's Slow Motion is displayed on the station walls at the concourse level.[43] A "snapshot" of Singapore's urban life,[44][45] the work is printed on thirty zinc panels, and depicts commuters going about their daily lives.[36]

Ng had previously used photo etching to create pictures of her friends as their farewell gifts; the gifts were well-received and hence she decided to use the technique again for Slow Motion.[36] Ng used photos that showed the diversity of Singapore's culture, representing people of all races and ages. She took the photos herself, using LTA staff and the Woodleigh station construction crew as subjects, along with photos of her friends and her husband and son. The LTA wanted the Art-in-Transit works to have a "wayfinding" element to help guide commuters towards the platforms or out of the station, and Ng attempted to achieve this by making sure that some of the photos were of people moving in the appropriate direction.[46]

Ng chose zinc instead of copper because the photos she took reproduced better in zinc. The choice of zinc fit in well with the station's design, which used zinc in the roof materials. Singapore's high humidity caused problems during the photo-engraving process. To create the images, a polymer film had to be applied to the zinc plates. The humidity caused the film to stick to the plates immediately, so that it could not be adjusted. Ng was able to resolve the problem by spraying the film and plates with water before applying the film.[45]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Woodleigh MRT Station (NE11)". OneMap. Singapore Land Authority.
  2. ^ a b Leong 2003, p. 248.
  3. ^ "Land Transport DataMall". mytransport.sg. Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Study on future north-east line". Business Times). Singapore Press Holdings. 26 September 1984. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021 – via NewspaperSG.
  5. ^ "Immediate Start for north-east line". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 20 January 1996. p. 1. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  6. ^ Leong, Chan Teik (5 March 1996). "16 MRT stations for 20-km North-East line". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 1.
  7. ^ Leong, Chan Teik (5 March 1996). "3 stations identified but will not be built yet". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 1.
  8. ^ a b c Leong 2003, p. 161.
  9. ^ Oon, Diana (25 June 1997). "Econ Int'l net soars 49% to $8.1m". Business Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 15.
  10. ^ "Buangkok, Woodleigh closed until...". Today. Mediacorp. 14 July 2003. p. 3.
  11. ^ "Question For Oral Answer". mot.gov.sg. Ministry of Transport. 22 October 2007. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  12. ^ a b "SBS Transit Opens Woodleigh and Damai Stations". SBS Transit. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  13. ^ Tan, Christopher (22 January 2011). "Woodleigh station may open by June". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings.
  14. ^ Tan, Christopher (9 March 2011). "Plans to ramp up rail capacity on fast track". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 1. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  15. ^ Shafawi, Mustafa (8 March 2011). "Woodleigh MRT Station to open on June 20". Channel NewsAsia. Mediacorp. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  16. ^ Choo, Evelyn (19 June 2011). "Getting ready for opening of Woodleigh MRT station". Channel NewsAsia. Mediacorp. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  17. ^ Tan, Christopher (11 June 2011). "All aboard for Woodleigh train stop". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 8.
  18. ^ Durai, Jennani (21 June 2011). "Woodleigh MRT station finally opens – to some confusion". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 2.
  19. ^ Ramesh, S (20 June 2011). "Train finally arrives at Woodleigh MRT station". Channel NewsAsia. Mediacorp. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  20. ^ Kok, Lee Min (18 April 2017). "Woodleigh MRT incident: Man, 69, arrested for leaving substance, which turns out to be flour, at station". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Police, SCDF investigating 'suspicious substance' at Woodleigh MRT, station shut". Today. Mediacorp. 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  22. ^ a b "Woodleigh MRT station reopens after suspicious substance found to be baking flour". Channel NewsAsia. Mediacorp. 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  23. ^ Lam, Lydia (18 April 2017). "Woodleigh MRT incident: 3 men involved are part of running group using flour to mark out jogging trail". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  24. ^ Chong, Elena (29 November 2017). "Man gets maximum $1,000 fine for leaving white flour at Woodleigh MRT station". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  25. ^ Chua, Alfred (29 November 2017). "Security scare at Woodleigh MRT Station: Runner fined S$1,000". Today. Mediacorp. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  26. ^ "MRT System Map" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  27. ^ "Getting Around – Public Transport – Rail Network". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  28. ^ a b c "Train Service Information". SBS Transit. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  29. ^ "First Train/ Last Train". SBS Transit. 2 June 2020. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  30. ^ "Transport Tools – MRT/LRT". Land Transport Authority. 6 May 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  31. ^ "The rise of Bidadari". Channel NewsAsia. Mediacorp. 10 May 2019. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  32. ^ Toh, Yong Chuan (1 September 2014). "Bidadari housing estate to have first bus interchange underground". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  33. ^ Kok, Denise (28 October 2018). "The Woodleigh Residences: A Japanese-inspired development with green views". The Peak Magazine. Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  34. ^ "The Woodleigh Residences and Woodleigh Mall". DP Architects. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  35. ^ Liew, Isabelle (25 February 2024). "Underground bus interchange in Bidadari to be completed by end-2024 after three-year delay". The Straits Times. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  36. ^ a b c Tan 2003, p. 114.
  37. ^ "Chemical attack? Clean-up at N-E line". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 14 February 2003.
  38. ^ "List of Public CD shelters as of 31 Dec 2019" (PDF). Singapore Civil Defence Force. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  39. ^ Leong 2003, p. 253.
  40. ^ "Fancy that, dry toilets grab most interest". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 16 February 2003. p. 21.
  41. ^ "Tactile Guiding System: Studs and Strips to Guide Your Way". Land Transport Authority. 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  42. ^ Leong 2003, p. 249.
  43. ^ "Art-in-Transit". SBS Transit. 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  44. ^ "Getting Around | Public Transport | A Better Public Transport Experience | Art in Transit". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  45. ^ a b Tan 2003, p. 115.
  46. ^ Tan 2003, pp. 114–115.

Bibliography

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