Commonwealth MRT station

Last updated

Commonwealth
 EW20 


联邦 [a]
காமன்வெல்த் [b]
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station
EW20 Commonwealth station Exit 20200805 202645.jpg
An entrance to the station with the exterior view in the background.
General information
Location375 Commonwealth Avenue
Singapore 149735
Coordinates 1°18′9.21″N103°47′53.61″E / 1.3025583°N 103.7982250°E / 1.3025583; 103.7982250
Operated by SMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Corporation)
Line(s)
  East–West Line
Platforms2 (1 island platform)
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus, Taxi
Construction
Structure typeElevated
Platform levels1
ParkingYes (external)
AccessibleYes
History
Opened12 March 1988;37 years ago (1988-03-12)
ElectrifiedYes
Previous namesQueenstown
Passengers
June 202411,905 per day [1]
Services
Preceding station Mass Rapid Transit Following station
Queenstown
towards Pasir Ris
East–West Line Buona Vista
towards Tuas Link
Location
SGMRT-LRT (zoom) map.svg
Red Dot.svg
Commonwealth
Commonwealth station in Singapore

Commonwealth MRT station is an above-ground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the East West line in Queenstown, Singapore. Operated by SMRT, the station serves nearby landmarks such as the Delta Swimming Complex and Thye Hong Centre.

Contents

First announced in May 1982 as Queenstown, it swapped names with Commonwealth in March 1987. The station commenced operations along with the entire MRT system on 12 March 1988 by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Half-height platform screen doors and high-volume low-speed fans were installed by August 2011 and the first quarter of 2013, respectively.

Like other elevated stations on the Tiong Bahru– Clementi stretch, the station feature grilles and horizontal louvres. Despite its name, Redhill features a pink colour scheme. Its roof also has clerestory windows.

History

Commonwealth station was first included in the early plans of the MRT system in May 1982. [2] Initially meant to be part of Phase II of the system, it was later announced in June 1983 to be part of Phase IA, an extension of Phase I from Tiong Bahru to Clementi stations, of the MRT as Queenstown. [3] [4] [5]

By October 1983, eleven local companies, nine of which were joint ventures with foreign businesses, were chosen in the pre-qualification stage for the design work of the Tiong Bahru-Clementi Stretch out of 38 applications. [6] In January 1984, it was announced that a five member team consisting of Mott, Hay and Anderson, Sir William Halcrow and Partners, BSK-BS Konsult, DP Architects, and the Public Works Department (PWD), won a S$ 5.99 million ( US$ 4.47 million) contract for architectural and engineering consultancy as well as the design of said stretch. [7]

External Media
Searchtool.svg Site of Commonwealth's location By The Straits Times

Ten single tenderers and joint ventures were prequalified for Contract 203 by October 1984, which detailed the construction of Queenstown and Buona Vista stations as well as viaducts from Queensway Circus to Clementi Road, [8] with the MRTC awarding the contract to Kah Ngam Construction and Aoki Corporation in January 1985 for S$ 70.27 million ( US$ 31.94 million). [9] In March 1987, it was announced that Queenstown and Commonwealth stations will swap names as Commonwealth station is closer to areas with the name "Queenstown" and vice versa. [10] [11] In February 1988, it was announced that Commonwealth, along with Queenstown station, will have an open house on 20 and 21 February, with expected operations to start by the middle of March. [12] [13] On 12 March 1988, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew officially launched the entire system, including stations in the Tiong Bahru-Clementi stretch. [14]

Following a rise in track intrusions as well as commuters slipping when rushing for the train, the LTA and SMRT decided to install platform screen doors. [15] After several successful tests, half-height platform screen doors were eventually installed and commenced operations at Queenstown station by August 2011. [16] The station was installed with high-volume low-speed fans by the first quarter of 2013. [17] A new overhead bridge and two new exits were constructed starting mid-2012 and opened on 23 August 2015, the same day as Queenstown MRT station. [18] [19]

Details

Commonwealth station is on the EWL with the station number of EW20, situated between Queenstown and Buona Vista stations. [20] When it opened, it had the station number of W6 before being changed to its current station code in August 2001 as a part of a system-wide campaign to cater to the expanding MRT System. [21] [22] [23] As a part of the EWL, the station is operated by SMRT Trains. [24] Like many stations on the initial MRT network, Commonwealth has an island platform and is elevated. [25] [26] The station operates between 5:45 am to 12:12 am daily, with train frequencies varying from 2 to 5 minutes. [27]

Platform level of Commonwealth station. EW20 Commonwealth MRT platforms 20200805 202551.jpg
Platform level of Commonwealth station.

The station is on Commonwealth Avenue. It has two exits and serves surrounding landmarks such as Queenstown Primary School, the New Optometry and Ocular Care Centre (NOOCC), Queenstown Stadium, Princess House, and Rainbow Centre Margaret Drive Special School. It also serve several nearby churches such as The True Way Presbyterian Church, Church of the Good Shepherd, Queenstown Baptist Church, and Hephzibah Christian Fellowship. [28] [29] Commonwealth is mostly wheelchair-accessible (except for Exit B) and has bicycle facilities. [29] [30]

Like other stations in the Tiong Bahru-Clementi stretch of Phase 1, it features what The Straits Times has described as "brashly coloured grilles which run right round the station, interrupted only by the regularly spaced columns". [31] The station has blue walls, which was done to make the station "be pleasant to the eye" and to distinguish it from other stations in the stretch. [32]

Notes

  1. ↑ pinyin :Liánbān
  2. ↑ transliteration: Kāmaṉvelt

References

  1. ↑ "Land Transport DataMall". mytransport.sg. Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "Proposed MRT stations". The Straits Times . 23 May 1982. p. 1. Retrieved 23 September 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  3. ↑ "Now first phase takes a step up". The Straits Times . 10 June 1983. p. 1. Retrieved 14 September 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  4. ↑ Wee, Agnes (10 June 1983). "Phase I of MRT modified to cover a wider area". The Business Times . p. 1. Retrieved 7 June 2025– via NewspaperSG.
  5. ↑ "More people can use MRT sooner". The Straits Times . 10 June 1983. p. 15. Retrieved 15 June 2025– via NewspaperSG.
  6. ↑ Sin Giok, Oei (29 October 1983). "11 local builders qualify for first phase of MRT". Singapore Monitor . p. 2. Retrieved 7 June 2025– via NewspaperSG.
  7. ↑ "Five-member team wins $5.99m MRT contract". The Business Times . 12 January 1984. p. 1. Retrieved 9 June 2025– via NewspaperSG.
  8. ↑ Lim, Soon Neo (3 October 1984). "MRTC pre-qualifies 37 companies". The Business Times . p. 2. Retrieved 9 June 2025– via NewspaperSG.
  9. ↑ "Lim Kah Ngam and Aoki win MRT contract". Business Times . Singapore. Retrieved 5 October 2017– via NewspaperSG.
  10. ↑ "Name change for five MRT stations".
  11. ↑ "Five MRT stations renamed to better reflect the locality".
  12. ↑ "Open house at six MRT stations". The Business Times . 5 February 1988. p. 2. Retrieved 11 June 2025– via NewspaperSG.
  13. ↑ "Six East-West line MRT stations to hold open days". The Straits Times . 6 February 1988. p. 25. Retrieved 11 June 2025– via NewspaperSG.
  14. ↑ Dhaliwal, Rav (13 March 1988). "Well done, says PM". The Straits Times . p. 1. Retrieved 11 June 2025– via NewspaperSG.
  15. ↑ Wong, Siew Ying (26 January 2008). "Above-ground MRT stations to have platform screen doors by 2012". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  16. ↑ "Completion of Half Height Platform Screen Doors on East West Line". LTA (Press release). 31 August 2011. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "Enhancing Connectivity and Comfort for Commuters". LTA. 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  18. ↑ "Enhancing Connectivity and Comfort for Commuters". LTA. 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  19. ↑ "New bridges for Commonwealth and Queenstown MRT stations". The Straits Times. 23 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  20. ↑ "System Map" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  21. ↑ "Going to N1, B3, W11, El2, anyone?". The Straits Times . 25 October 1985. p. 21. Retrieved 19 November 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  22. ↑ Salim, Shazalina (3 August 2001). "Red, green and grey". Today . p. 9. Retrieved 15 December 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  23. ↑ "New Signage System For MRT And LRT Network". LTA. Archived from the original on 1 August 2003. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  24. ↑ "Getting Around – Public Transport – Rail Network". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  25. ↑ "Open house at six MRT stations".
  26. ↑ Dhaliwal, Rav (28 April 1987). "Getting to know the network and how it will work". The Straits Times . Singapore Press Holdings. p. 19. Retrieved 19 December 2020– via NewspaperSG.
  27. ↑ "Simei – First & Last Train". SMRT. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  28. ↑ "Redhill – Exits". SMRT Journeys. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  29. 1 2 "Redhill – Map". SMRT Journeys. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  30. ↑ "Redhill – Amenities". SMRT. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  31. ↑ "Lessons in architecture, MRT-style".
  32. ↑ "Overhead MRT stations easy on the eye".
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