Toa Payoh MRT station

Toa Payoh MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the North South line (NSL) in Toa Payoh, Singapore. Located within the town centre of Toa Payoh, this station is integrated with the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange and the HDB (Housing and Development Board) Hub. The station is underneath the junction of Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Lorong 2 Toa Payoh and Lorong 6 Toa Payoh.

 NS19 
Toa Payoh
大巴窑
தோ பாயோ
Toa Payoh
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station
Exit D of Toa Payoh MRT station.
Location510 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh
Singapore 319398
Coordinates1°19′57.73″N 103°50′52.11″E
Operated bySMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Corporation)
Line(s)
  North South Line
Platforms2 (1 island platform)
Tracks2
ConnectionsToa Payoh Bus Interchange, Taxi
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Platform levels1
ParkingYes (HDB Hub)
Disabled accessYes
History
Opened7 November 1987 (1987-11-07)
ElectrifiedYes
Passengers
November 202025,731 per day[1]
Services
Preceding station   Mass Rapid Transit   Following station
towards Jurong East
North South Line
Location
Toa Payoh
Toa Payoh station in Singapore

The station was constructed as part of Phase I of the MRT system. In August 1985, Toa Payoh station was the first MRT station in Singapore to have its concrete structure completed. On 7 November 1987, the station was one of the first MRT stations to open for revenue service. The station has a bright yellow scheme with a set of colourful tiles at the concourse level.

History
Platform level of Toa Payoh station
A plaque at this station commemorating the opening of the first phase of the Singapore MRT

Toa Payoh station was one of the first stations to be included in the planning stages of the MRT network.[2] The station was later constructed as part of Phase I of the MRT system,[3] which was given priority as the line passes through areas having a higher demand for public transport, such as the densely populated housing estates of Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio and the Central Area. The line was expected to relief the traffic congestion on the Thomson-Sembawang road corridor.[4][5]

Contract 104 for the construction of the Toa Payoh and Novena stations and 2.329 kilometres (1.447 mi) of tunnels was awarded to Tobishima-Takenaka Joint Venture at a contract sum of S$96.8 million (US$45.81 million) in September 1983.[6][7] Construction started in October 1983, with expected completion in early 1988.[8]

To facilitate the construction of the station, the Toa Payoh Central bus terminal was relocated to an adjacent site.[9] On 6 August 1985, Toa Payoh was the first station to have its structural works completed, with the final bucket of cement poured into the station as part of the topping out ceremony.[10][11][12] Due to various soil conditions, the contractor requested for an extension of eight months and additional claims in November 1985 to construct the tunnels between the Novena and Toa Payoh stations.[13]

In January 1986, it was announced that the first section of the MRT system, from the Yio Chu Kang to Toa Payoh stations, would be opened in early 1988.[14] It was later announced in September 1987 that the section will open on 7 November 1987.[15][16][17] As an effort for people to get familiar with the system, the station was opened for a sneak preview from 10 to 11 October 1987. About 44,000 people visited the station.[18][19][20][21][22]

The station opened for passenger service on 7 November 1989. During the opening, Toa Payoh was reported to be the most visited station out of all the opened stations, with lines forming outside the station as of 11 am.[23][24][25][26] At the opening ceremony, second deputy prime minister Ong Teng Cheong, who backed and commissioned the planning of the MRT system, attended the ceremony as a special Guest of Honour. Dr Yeo Ning Hong, the Minister For Communications and Information, inaugurated the start of MRT operations and announced it to be the "beginning" of the MRT system.[27] On the day itself, however, the emergency button was activated at this station just before 8:30 pm, which halted trains along one of the two tracks leading to the station for about half and hour.[24]

On 8 January 2006, this station was one of four MRT stations which participated in Exercise Northstar V, a mock terrorist exercise.[28] In July 2012, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) called for a tender to enhance the flood prevention measures at this station, alongside 11 other MRT stations.[lower-alpha 1][29][30] From July 2012 to 2014, the escalator at Exit D (the pedestrian underpass linking to Lorong 2 Toa Payoh) has been replaced and upgraded.[31]

Station details

Location and name

The station, as the name suggests, serves the town of Toa Payoh. The name, Toa Payoh, means 'big swamp’ in the Hokkien dialect (with ‘Toa’ meaning ‘big’ and ‘Payoh’ meaning ‘swamp’), a reference to the large swampy area which existed prior to the development of Chinese market gardens in the area.[32][33]

The station is located near the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange, HDB Hub,[34] Toa Payoh Public Library, Toa Payoh Stadium, Toa Payoh Swimming complex and the CHIJ Primary and Secondary Schools. Its is also situated next to two churches: the Church of The Risen Christ and Toa Payoh Methodist Church.[35]

Services
Track layout
to Braddell
to Novena

Toa Payoh station serves the NSL between the Braddell and Novena stations. The station code is NS19 as reflected on official maps.[36] The station operates between 5:41 am and 12:25 am daily.[37] Train frequencies range from 2 to 5 minutes depending on peak hours.[38]

Station design
Concourse level of the station.

The station has two underground levels: The upper level for the concourse and the lower level for the platforms.[39] Like many stations on the initial MRT network, the station has the island platform arrangement.[40] Toa Payoh is also one of the few stations on the initial network to have a lofty ceiling.[41] The size of the platforms and entrances were designed in such a way to facilitate crowd movement. In addition, the station was designed to ensure the safety of commuters using simple designs and aesthetics.[41]

The station has a bright yellow colour scheme reflected on the pillars and canopies.[42] Along the 50-metre (160 ft) concourse, the station features a "rainbow dressing" consisting of 15,000 tiles in various colours. Giving a sense of movement, the rainbow colours represent various races. The rainbow mural was intended to reflect the masses of people of various racial backgrounds moving together in harmony.[43]

The station was featured in the "Uniquely Singapore Edition" of the board game Monopoly.[44]

Notes and references

Notes
  1. The other stations are Braddell, Boon Keng, Somerset, Outram Park, Tiong Bahru, Bugis, Lavender, Bishan, Marina Bay and Changi Airport.

References
  1. "Land Transport DataMall". mytransport.sg. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  2. "Proposed MRT stations". The Straits Times. 23 May 1982. p. 1. Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  3. "Project to go on line in three stages". The Straits Times. 8 July 1986. p. 8.
  4. Annual report / Provisional Mass Rapid Transit Authority, Republic of Singapore. Singapore: Provisional Mass Rapid Transit Authority. 1983. p. 5.
  5. "North-south line off first". The Straits Times. 29 August 1982. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  6. "Japanese win first MRT civil engineering contract". Business Times. 16 September 1983. p. 1. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  7. "Japanese likely to bag first two MRT jobs". Business Times. 6 September 1983. p. 1. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  8. "Work begins on the first part of MRT system". The Straits Times. 29 October 1983. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  9. "The big dig starts in two months". The Straits Times. 4 August 1983. p. 7. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  10. "Toa Payoh MRT station first to be topped out". Business Times. 6 August 1985. p. 12. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017 – via NewspaperSG.
  11. "MRT nears half-way mark". The Straits Times. 31 July 1985. p. 8. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  12. "Speech by Dr Yeo Ning Hong, Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Defence, at the topping out ceremony at the Toa Payoh MRT station on 5 August 1985 at 10.00 am" (PDF). nas.gov.sg. 5 August 1985. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  13. "MRT builder claims additional cost". Business Times. 16 November 1985. p. 12. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  14. "The first residents to ride MRT trains". The Straits Times. 14 January 1986. p. 12. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  15. "MRT trains to roll on Nov 7". The Straits Times. 16 September 1987. p. 1. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  16. "MRT trains may start runs a month early". Business Times. 16 September 1987. p. 2. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  17. "MRT to spend $1.5 m on educating public before trains roll". Business Times. 25 September 1987. p. 2.
  18. "MRT tours for public start today at Braddell and Toa Payoh". The Straits Times. 10 October 1987. p. 16.
  19. "Thousands turn up for first look at MRT stations". The Straits Times. 11 October 1987. p. 14. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
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  22. "Speech by Dr Yeo Ning Hong, Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Defence, at Toa Payoh MRT station open day on Saturday, 10 October 1987 at 9.00 am" (PDF). nas.gov.sg. 10 October 1987. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  23. "MRT: Set to roll". The Straits Times. 6 November 1987. p. 20. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  24. "All aboard for the Subway Age". The Straits Times. 8 November 1987. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  25. "North South Line". www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  26. "MRT system begins operations - Singapore History". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  27. "Speech by Dr Yeo Ning Hong, Minister For Communications and Information And Second Minister For Defence (Policy), at the inauguration of public service of the MRT system at the Toa Payoh Station on Saturday, 7 November 1987 at 9.00 am" (PDF). nas.gov.sg. 7 November 1987. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  28. "Twenty-two agencies in Exercise Northstar V ready for action". Channel NewsAsia. 3 January 2006. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  29. "Anti-flooding measures at 11 more MRT stations". The Straits Times. 30 July 2012. p. 1.
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  34. "HDB Hub". Housing & Development Board (HDB). Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
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  39. "Designs of two MRT stations". Business Times. 21 October 1983.
  40. Rav Dhaliwal (28 April 1987). "Getting to know the network and how it will work". The Straits Times. p. 19. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  41. Sajan, Chantal (29 February 2020). "Early stations' bare essentials". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 4 September 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  42. "Reflections of our lifestyle". The Straits Times. 12 December 1987. Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  43. Rav Dhaliwal (1 March 1987). "Rainbow dressing at Toa Payoh station". The Straits Times. p. 3.
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