Paya Lebar MRT station

Paya Lebar MRT station is a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) interchange station on the East West line (EWL) and Circle line (CCL) in Geylang, Singapore. Despite the name, this station is not located in Paya Lebar but rather along Paya Lebar Road, near the junction with Sims Avenue. It is located among the developments of the Paya Lebar Central commercial hub and near the Geylang Serai district.

 EW8  CC9 
Paya Lebar
巴耶利峇
பாய லேபார்
Paya Lebar
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station
Exit A of Paya Lebar station
Location30 Paya Lebar Road
Singapore 409006 (EWL)
15 Paya Lebar Road
Singapore 409049 (CCL)
Coordinates1°19′04″N 103°53′33″E
Owned byLand Transport Authority
Operated bySMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Corporation)
Line(s)
  East West Line
  Circle Line
Platforms6 (3 island platforms)
Tracks2 (East West line)
3 (Circle line) - 2 in regular operation
ConnectionsBus, Taxi
Construction
Structure typeElevated (East West line)
Underground (Circle line)
Platform levels2
ParkingYes (Paya Lebar Square, Singpost Centre, Paya Lebar Quarter)
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Fare zone2
History
Opened4 November 1989 (1989-11-04) (East West Line)
17 April 2010 (2010-04-17) (Circle Line)
ElectrifiedYes
Services
Preceding station   Mass Rapid Transit   Following station
towards Pasir Ris
East West Line
towards Joo Koon or Tuas Link
towards Dhoby Ghaut
Circle Line
towards HarbourFront
Location
Paya Lebar
Paya Lebar station in Singapore

The station opened on 4 November 1989 as part of the MRT eastern line extension to Tanah Merah station. The EWL station exterior has the characteristic dome-shaped segmented roof also seen on other elevated EWL stations. The station later interchanges with the Circle line on 17 April 2010, and was the first MRT station to serve both an elevated line and an underground line.

History

East West line
East West line platforms

The contract for the construction of Paya Lebar station and associated viaducts was awarded to Lee Kim Tah Ltd. at a contract sum of S$59.52 million on November 1985. The contractor had partnered with a French company Societe Generale D'Enterprises Sainrapt Et Brice (SGE) for the construction. The contract also includes the construction of the Kallang and Aljunied stations.[1] The station opened earlier than expected on 4 November 1989, serving the East West line.[2][3][4][5][6]

As with most of the above-ground stations along the EWL, the station was built without platform screen doors. Half-height platform screen doors, which prevent commuters from falling onto the train tracks, were installed on 28 October 2011 and commenced operations on 11 January.[7] In addition, high-volume low-speed fans were installed and started operations since 14 July that year together with Kembangan station.[8] Privacy screens were installed at some parts from Paya Lebar Road all the way to Geylang East Central, to minimise the noise impact from residents since October 2016 and completed in May 2017.[9]

Circle line
Circle line platforms

Contract 823 for the construction of Paya Lebar station was awarded to Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte Ltd-Nishimatsu Construction Co. Ltd. joint venture at a contract sum of S$322 million. The contract also includes the construction of the Mountbatten and Dakota stations. Construction of the station started in August 2002.[10][11][12][13]

On 16 March 2003, several roads around the station, including Paya Lebar Road, Eunos Avenue 5 and Tanjong Katong Road, were converted to one-way traffic to facilitate the construction. A bus stop was also temporary relocated in front of Singapore Post Centre.[14] A stretch of Sims Avenue was also temporarily realigned from 26 August 2003 until two months later.[15] When the roads were reinstated, an extra lane for each direction of Paya Lebar Road was added.[16]

The Circle line station faced a major civil engineering challenge with regard to the underpinning of two existing EWL viaduct pillars.[17] The pillars foundations were obstructing the construction works needed for the station.[13] This was the first time such an operation was conducted in Singapore, especially on a live, heavy-capacity MRT line. A concrete wall, a concrete beam and a powerful jacking device were used to transfer the load of the viaduct to other structures. It was followed by the removal of the old piles and construction of new piles to support the viaduct. Many monitoring devices were installed and key engineers looked out for any potential breaches. Additional materials and tools were on standby if the pillars start to tilt when the piles were cut, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) worked out emergency procedures with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).[17] The underpinning works were carried out successfully.[13]

The Circle line station opened on 17 April 2010 when the line extended to Dhoby Ghaut station.[18][19][20]

Incidents

On 4 April 2007, a man died after being hit by a train along the East West line sector at about 10:20 am. Police said the victim, a 52-year old Chinese man, was pronounced dead by paramedics at 10:45 am. East-bound services were disrupted for 41 minutes but resumed by 11:02 am.[21]

Station details

Services

The station serves the EWL between the Eunos and Aljunied stations, and the CCL between the Dakota and MacPherson stations. On the EWL, the station operates between 5:47 am (6.13 am on Sundays and public holidays) and 12:22 am. On the CCL, the station operates between 5:40 am (6.07 am on Sundays and public holidays) and 12:26 am.[22][23]

Design
The EWL station exterior before the construction of the surrounding developments.

Like most EWL elevated stations on the eastern segment on the line (after Kallang station), Paya Lebar station has the notable feature of the dome-shaped roof, segmented like a caterpillar, over the platform level. The design was an attempt by the MRT Corporation (MRTC) to give the stations on the EWL an "attractive look".[24]

The CCL station design, like all stations on the line, takes into account certain factors such as safety, comfort and convenience, in addition to giving them a stylish modern outlook. The standardised layouts for the stations also make it simpler for commuters to navigate around. Paya Lebar station is also among the few stations with Y-shaped columns supporting the station structure.[25] In addition, there are barrier-free transfers between the EWL and CCL. The CCL station itself, like the other stations on the line, has features such as lifts and wider faregates to make them accessible for wheelchair users.[26]

Public art
Art Seats Matrix at the Paya Lebar CCL platforms.

The artwork The Signs of Times by Salleh Jasper is showcased at the concourse level of the CCL station as part of the Art-in-Transit programme. The artwork showcases abstract pictographs reflecting the varying periods of Paya Lebar's developments from a rural village to a satellite towns. Some icons used includes pigs in a pig sty and an aeroplane taking flight from a nearby airport.[27][28]

The station also features Art Seats, which have creative design to enhance the commuters' experience on the line.[29] Two entries were selected through the International Art Seats Design Competition in 2006. The first entry – Matrix, which received the top prize in the international competition – consists of a series of benches engraved with the name of the station in a dot-matrix style on the seat surface. Another entry, Rain, showcases steel seats in the shape of water puddles. These seats are also displayed in the other CCL interchange stations.[30]

Connectivity

The station is linked directly by underpass to multiple shopping malls in the area, including Paya Lebar Quarter and Paya Lebar Square. Malls and other building in the vicinity that are not linked directly by underpass include Singpost Center and Lifelong Learning Institute.[31]

References
  1. Lye, Jaime (8 November 1985). "Lee Kim Tah wins MRT contract". The Business Times.
  2. "Add soul to the steel". The Straits Times. 4 November 1989. Retrieved 20 October 2017 – via NewspaperSG.
  3. "MRT eastern line to start operating on Nov 18". The Business Times. 4 August 1989.
  4. "On right track". The Straits Times. 4 November 1989.
  5. Dhaliwal, Rav (5 November 1986). "MRT Trains to Pasir Ris from Dec 16". The Straits Times.
  6. "East-enders get ticket to ride as MRT opens line". The Straits Times. 4 November 1989.
  7. 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.
  8. "Enhancing Connectivity and Comfort for Commuters". Land Transport Authority. 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  9. "Railway Noise Barriers on Track". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  10. "Lum Chang - Civil & Infrastructure". www.lumchang.com.sg. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  11. "CPG Consultants - Circle Line Stage 2 - Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Consultancy Services (Contract 823)". www.cpgcorp.com.sg. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  12. "Projects - Rail". www.lta.gov.sg. 4 February 2009. Archived from the original on 19 September 2009.
  13. "Lum Chang Technical Brochure" (PDF). www.lumchang.com.sg.
  14. "Changes To Traffic Scheme And Bus Stop At The Paya Lebar MRT Station Vicinity". www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010.
  15. "Realignment Of Sims Avenue And Paya Lebar Road". www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010.
  16. "ONE.MOTORING - Widening of Paya Lebar Road". www.onemotoring.com.sg. 19 August 2009. Archived from the original on 5 December 2009.
  17. Colin, Cheong (2012). The Circle Line, Linking All Lines. p. 61. ISBN 978-981-4342-02-5.
  18. "Transport minister announces next phase of Circle Line will open on 17 Apr". Channel NewsAsia. 26 January 2010. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  19. "Welcome Remarks By Mr Raymond Lim At The Opening Of The Circle Line From Dhoby Ghaut To Bartley on 16 April 2010". www.mot.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  20. "Circle Line from Bartley to Dhoby Ghaut to Open 17 April". www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 21 June 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  21. Chiang, Gracia (5 April 2007). "Man hits by train dies". The Straits Times.
  22. "SMRT Journeys". journey.smrt.com.sg. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  23. "SMRT > Journey with Us > Trains > NetworkMap > PayaLebar". www.smrt.com.sg. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  24. "Roof to make heads turn". The Straits Times. 20 April 1986.
  25. Colin, Cheong (2012). The Circle Line, Linking All Lines. p. 159. ISBN 978-981-4342-02-5.
  26. Colin, Cheong (2012). The Circle Line, Linking All Lines. p. 149. ISBN 978-981-4342-02-5.
  27. "Getting Around - Public Transport - A Better Public Transport Experience - Art in Transit". LTA. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  28. "Circle Line Art" (PDF). www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2017.
  29. "Singapore Built & Unbuilt". www.mci.gov.sg/. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  30. Zhuang, Justin. Art in transit : circle line MRT-Singapore. Soh, Darren, Singapore. Land Transport Authority. Singapore. ISBN 978-981-07-4982-8. OCLC 854958677.
  31. "Getting to Paya Lebar Quarter". Paya Lebar Quarter. Retrieved 30 November 2020.

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