Hougang MRT station

NE14  CR8  Hougang 后港 ஹவ்காங்
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station
Platform level of Hougang MRT station
General information
Location	80 Hougang Central Singapore 538758 (NEL)
Coordinates	1°22′17″N103°53′32″E / 1.371292°N 103.892161°E / 1.371292; 103.892161
Operated by	SBS Transit Ltd (ComfortDelGro Corporation) (North East line)
Line(s)	North East Line   Cross Island Line
Platforms	2 (1 island platform) + 2 (1 island platform) (U/C)
Tracks	2 + 2 (U/C)
Connections	Bus (Hougang Central Bus Interchange), taxi
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Platform levels	1 + 1 (U/C)
Parking	Yes (Hougang Mall)
Accessible	Yes
History
Opened	20 June 2003;20 years ago (2003-06-20) (North East line) 2030;7 years' time (2030) (Cross Island line)
Electrified	Yes
Services
Preceding station Mass Rapid Transit Following station Kovan towards HarbourFront North East Line Buangkok towards Punggol Defu towards Aviation Park Cross Island Line Future service Serangoon North towards Bright Hill
Location
Hougang Hougang station in northeastern Singapore

Hougang MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the North East line (NEL) in Hougang, Singapore. Underneath Hougang Central and Hougang Central Bus Interchange, the station serves various landmarks, including Hougang Mall and Hougang Sports Hall.

Hougang was first announced along with the 16 NEL stations in March 1996 and was completed on 20 June 2003. Constructing the NEL station required the relocation of Hougang Bus Interchange and a retirement home. In January 2019, it was announced that the station will interchange with the future Cross Island line (CRL). As with most NEL stations, it is a designated Civil Defence shelter. Hougang station features a public artwork Hands Up For Hougang by Seck Yok Ying, a series of 3000 handprints.

History

North East line

The North East line (NEL) project, which was first proposed in 1984, ^[1] received government approval in January 1996. ^[2] Hougang station was among the sixteen NEL stations announced by communications minister Mah Bow Tan in March that year. ^[3] The contract for the design and construction of the Hougang and Kovan stations was awarded to Samsung Corporation Engineering & Construction Group for S$214.8 million (US$144.7 million) in May 1997. ^[4] The contract included the construction of 1.3-kilometre (0.81 mi) twin-bored tunnels and 700 metres (770 yd) of cut-and-cover tunnels. ^[5] The station opened on 20 June 2003 along with the other NEL stations. ^{[6] [7]}

To excavate the site needed for the station's construction, the Hougang Bus Interchange had to be relocated. ^[8] This also required multiple route diversions of bus services and new bus stops, including three temporary ones leading to the interchange. ^[9] The Home for the Aged Sick, a retirement home near the station site, also had to be relocated as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) feared the noise and dust would impact the residents' health. Many residents moved to a block at the Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital on Serangoon Road, although some had to be sent to other homes due to limited capacity. All residents eventually moved to its present site at Hougang Avenue 1 in 1999. ^{[10] [11]} Part of the construction works included tunnelling underneath terrace houses in Realty Park 13 metres (43 ft) underground. ^[12] LTA installed various instruments to closely monitor any ground settlement, preventing structural damage to the surrounding buildings. ^[5]

Cross Island line

Construction site of the CRL station

On 25 January 2019, the LTA announced that Hougang station would interchange with the proposed Cross Island Line (CRL). The station will be constructed as part of Phase 1 (CRL1), which will consist of 12 stations between Aviation Park and Bright Hill. CRL1 was expected to be completed in 2029. ^{[13] [14] [15]} However, the restrictions imposed on construction works due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to delays and the CRL1 completion date was pushed by one year to 2030. ^[16]

The contract for the design and construction of Hougang CRL Station and it associated tunnels was awarded to Samsung C&T Corporation for S$604 million (US$450.7 million) in March 2021. Besides the construction of the new station and tunnels, the works include alteration works to the existing NEL station. Construction began in the third quarter of 2021, with a scheduled completion date of 2030. ^{[17] [18]} A segment of Hougang Central was closed from 28 August 2022 to facilitate construction works for the CRL. ^[19]

Details

Hougang station serves the North East line (NEL) between the Buangkok and Kovan stations. The official station code is NE14. ^[20] The station operates between 5.48 am and 12.25 am daily with headways of 2.5 to 5 minutes depending on peak hours. ^{[21] [22]}

Located underneath Hougang Central, the station is directly integrated with Hougang Central Bus Interchange. ^[23] The two-level station has three entrances, ^[23] one of which has a circular roof to give the station a modern look. ^[24] Other public amenities surrounding the station include Hougang Polyclinic, Hougang Sports Hall and Aljunied–Hougang Town Council. The station is also near Hougang Mall and residential developments such as Midtown Residences. ^[25]

The NEL station is designated as a Civil Defence shelter. ^{[26] [27]} It is designed to accommodate at least 7,500 people and can withstand airstrikes and chemical attacks. Equipment essential for the operations in the Civil Defence shelter is mounted on shock absorbers to prevent damage during a bombing. When the electrical supply to the shelter is disrupted, there are backup generators to keep operations going. ^[28] The shelter has dedicated built-in decontamination chambers and dry toilets with collection bins that will send human waste out of the shelter. ^[29]

The platforms are wheelchair-accessible. A tactile system, consisting of tiles with rounded or elongated raised studs, ^[30] guides visually impaired commuters through the station. ^[31] Dedicated routes connect the station entrances to the platforms or between the lines. ^[32]

Artwork

Art-in-Transit artwork along the concourse wall

"Hands Up For Hougang" by Seck Yok Ying is displayed at this station as part of the Art-in-Transit programme. ^[33] It consists of 3,000 handprints of diverse backgrounds, including Hougang residents, LTA management and contractors, the artist hoped to connect with people through this artwork. Having worked in the construction industry, Seok also wanted those behind the station's construction to be remembered and hence conceived this artwork so that they could leave their imprint on the work. Seok also designed the platform seats in various shapes, intended to establish a welcoming atmosphere for commuters. ^[34]

The LTA invited 2500 residents for the project conducted through twenty sessions in April 2001. Each hand was soaked in olive oil before imprinting into the clay. ^[35] For entire families joining the project, their handprints were all collected on a shared slab. ^[36] The collected prints were transformed into rubber moulds sourced from the National University of Singapore before being rendered on glass-reinforced cement that can be moulded into panels. ^[34] These panels were then arranged together in cohesive rows of hands. ^[36]

References

1. "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.
2. "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.
3. Leong, Chan Teik (5 March 1996). "16 MRT stations for 20-km North-East line". The Straits Times . Singapore Press Holdings. p. 1. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
4. "Samsung wins $215 million NE job". Business Times. 25 May 1997. p. 5.
5. Leong 2003, p. 175.
6. "North East Line Opens for Passenger Service!". www.lta.gov.sg. 20 June 2003. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007.
7. "It's a smooth ride on NEL – mostly". The Straits Times. 21 June 2003. p. 1. Minor hitches aside, the North-East Line got off to a smooth start yesterday
8. "Hougang interchange to be relocated". The Straits Times . Singapore Press Holdings. 21 May 1998. p. 49.
9. Leong 2003, pp. 169–170.
10. Leong 2003, p. 169.
11. "Contact Us". Society For The Aged Sick. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
12. Leong 2003, p. 173.
13. "LTA | News Room | News Releases | Joint News Release by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) & SLA – Cross Island Line 1: New Links by 2029". 5 March 2020. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
14. Tan, Christopher (5 March 2020). "First phase of Cross Island MRT line finalised; will have 12 stations, Transport News & Top Stories". The Straits Times . Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
15. "First phase of Cross Island Line to open by 2029 with 12 stations". Channel NewsAsia . Mediacorp. 5 March 2020. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
16. "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.
17. "LTA Awards Civil Contract for Design and Construction of Hougang Interchange Station and Tunnels for the Cross Island Line Phase 1". Land Transport Authority. 26 March 2021. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
18. "Hougang MRT station on Cross Island Line to start construction in Q4". CNA. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
19. "Route amendment for services 27, 80, 87, 89, 89e, 107/107M and 161". SBS Transit. 28 August 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
20. "MRT System Map" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
21. "First Train/ Last Train". SBS Transit. 2 June 2020. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
22. "Transport Tools – MRT/LRT". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
23. "North East Line: Kovan Station". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
24. "North East Line: Kovan Station". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
25. "Train Service Information". SBS Transit . Retrieved 11 May 2023.
26. "Chemical attack? Clean-up at N-E line". The Straits Times . Singapore Press Holdings. 14 February 2003.
27. "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.
28. Leong 2003, p. 253.
29. "Fancy that, dry toilets grab most interest". The Straits Times . Singapore Press Holdings. 16 February 2003. p. 21.
30. "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.
31. Leong 2003, p. 248.
32. Leong 2003, p. 249.
33. "LTA | Art in Transit". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
34. Tan 2003, p. 142.
35. Tan 2003, p. 143.
36. Tan 2003, p. 144.

Bibliography

• Leong, Chan Teik (2003). Getting there: The Story of the North East Line. Singapore: Land Transport Authority. ISBN   981-04-5886-X. OCLC   53383062.
• Tan, Su (2003). Art in Transit: North East Line MRT. Singapore: Land Transport Authority. ISBN   981-04-7384-2. OCLC   52771106.

External links

• Media related to Hougang MRT Station at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website
• Hougang to Changi Airport by MRT