Caldecott MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) interchange station on the Circle line (CCL) and Thomson–East Coast line (TEL), located in Toa Payoh planning area, Singapore. It is situated underneath Toa Payoh Link near the junction of Toa Payoh Rise, located near the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped, the Caldecott Broadcast Centre and Mount Alvernia Hospital. The station is operated by SMRT Trains.
Initially planned to be a shell station tentatively named Thomson, in 2008, the station was announced to be opened along with the Stages 4 and 5 of the CCL stations. The CCL station opened in 2011. In 2012, Caldecott was announced to be an interchange with the TEL which opened on 28 August 2021 along with the TEL Stage 2 (TEL2) stations.
The CCL station, which is a Civil Defence (CD) shelter, features The Cartography Of Memories by Hazel Lim. Another artwork titled :)(: by Claire Lim is displayed at the TEL station. The TEL platforms are the deepest among the TEL2 stations at 35 metres (115 ft).
As the Bukit Brown will only be operational after the Bukit Brown area has been developed enough, the section of track between Caldecott and Botanic Gardens is the longest on the Circle Line. Trains move at 110 km/h at this stretch.
History[]
Circle line[]
When the Circle line (CCL) was initially planned, this station, tentatively named "Thomson", was planned to be a shell station. The station was to be opened only when the surroundings were more developed. The contract for the construction of rapid transit system facilities for Thomson station was awarded to Taisei Corporation at a sum of S$391.59 million (US$231.68 million).
The station was later announced to be opened with the Stage 4 CCL stations in 2008 and was renamed to "Caldecott" through a public poll. The station opened on 8 October 2011.
Thomson-East Coast Line[]
Caldecott station was first announced to interchange with the 22-station Thomson line (TSL) on 29 August 2012. Contract T213 for the design and construction of the TSL platform and associated tunnels was awarded to Samsung C&T Corporation at a sum of S$285 million (US$227.76 million) in July 2013. Construction started in 2014, with completion initially targeted to be completed in 2020.
It was later announced, on 15 August 2014, that the TSL would merge with the Eastern Region line to form the TEL. Caldecott station was constructed as part of TEL2, consisting of six stations between the Springleaf and Caldecott stations. The station is the terminus of the TEL until the line extends to Gardens by the Bay station in 2022. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the restrictions imposed on construction works led to delays in the TEL line completion, and the date was pushed to 2021.
To facilitate the construction of the interchange station, Exit A of the station was permanently closed from 15 November 2020. Due to the mixed ground conditions of soil and rock and the presence of groundwater, the TEL tunnels at Caldecott station were mined instead of the cut-and-cover method. This construction method also minimised disruption to a service road connecting to St. Joseph's Institution International school. About 160,000 cubic metres (210,000 cu yd) of rock was removed via electronic rock blasting.
On 14 December 2020, it was further announced that the opening of TEL 2 was delayed to the third quarter of 2021 so the rail system software for the line could be reviewed. As announced during a visit by Transport Minister S. Iswaran at Caldecott station on 30 June 2021, the station began operations on 28 August 2021.
Caldecott was only first mentioned when Huang Wen decided to go to Circle Line Open House on 2 October 2011. There is a bus 235 there.
Station Details[]
Services[]
Escalator view of the CCL platforms
Caldecott station is an interchange station on the CCL and TEL. The station code is CC17/TE9 as reflected on official maps. On the CCL, it is between the Marymount and Botanic Gardens stations. The station operates between 5:28 am and 12:30 am. CCL train frequency ranges from 3.5 to 7 minutes depending on peak hours.
With the opening of TEL2 on 28 August 2021, the station is the southern terminus of the TEL after Upper Thomson station. The subsequent station will be Stevens station when the TEL extends to Gardens by the Bay station. Train frequencies on the TEL range from 5 to 9 minutes.
Location[]
Located underneath Toa Payoh Link, the station is near schools such as the Marymount Convent School, Lighthouse School and the Singapore School for the Visually Handicapped. It is also close to community and health-related centres such as the Assisi Hospice, Mount Alvernia Hospital, Orange Valley Nursing Home and the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH).
Station design[]
Caldecott CCL station is one of eleven stations along the Circle line designated as CD shelters, which will be activated in times of national emergency. Apart from reinforced construction, the stations are designed and equipped with facilities to ensure the shelter environment is tolerable for all during shelter occupation. These facilities include protective blast doors, decontamination facilities, ventilation systems, power and water supply systems and a dry toilet system.
The X bracing at the TEL platform.
The TEL station has a unique X architectural design. The platforms are the deepest among the TEL2 stations at 35 metres (115 ft) deep, which are illuminated by natural light. Located near the SAVH, the station has various several features that caters to visually impaired. This included greater colour contrasts at the station platforms and illuminated staircase handrails to enhance visibility. Wheelchair-friendly facilities for the station include backrests and handrails.
Art in Transit[]
Circle Line[]
The Cartography Of Memories by Hazel Lim
The station features two artworks as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit (AiT) Programme, a public art showcase which integrates artworks into the MRT network. The Cartography Of Memories by Hazel Lim is displayed on the lift shaft at the CCL platforms. The artwork depicts a cartographic map of the Thomson area, where the station is located, using written recollections from some 100 local residents and friends recalling their memorable experiences in Singapore.
Originally, Lim proposed a collage of pictures depicting the station's surroundings, seen through frames such as grilles on a bridge or through a window. However, the Art Review Panel, in charge of the AiT programme, was not impressed with this idea, due to its lack of effectiveness on the vertical lift shaft. Realising the impact of the station's and line's construction on the surrounding landscape, the artist decided to capture people's responses towards this, using text as an artistic medium. At the same time, the artist was researching faraway places on Google Maps for another artwork. Looking at the satellite view of Thomson, the artist saw the possibility of framing the area depicting the landmarks around the station. These two ideas were combined into the idea of mapping Thomson using written memories.
After collecting the various responses from friends, relatives and LTA staff, Lim selected 40 unique recollections for the work. As Lim fit the sentences of the recollections in the work, she put the more interesting recollections in the lower panels where they could be viewed up close by commuters. For more depth in the artwork, some of the words overlap to represent the developed areas, resulting in a map of "interweaving memories". The artist later explained that the fragmentation of the sentences reflects memories being fragmented as people move on, recalling only "bits and pieces" of such memories.
Lim took up the suggestion from an LTA architect to print the 9.1-metre (30 ft) by 2.9-metre (9.5 ft) artwork without a background, so that the work could be seen in detail from the other side. When it was put up, however, the work was not clearly visible, so a manila background was used. The artist has considered other colours like grey or white, but find grey to be "too cold" and white to be "too stark". Manila, according to the artist, resembles the colours used on envelopes.
This artwork is intended to be a reflection of Lim's response to life in the rapidly changing landscape of Singapore. Through this work, the artist addressed the notions of displacement and the creation of histories, maps and landscapes especially those linked to Singapore. Observing the changes in Singapore, the artist portrays the memories that "slipped through" the gaps of the recent past. In addition, through the concept of framing, the station surroundings could be seen through a less commonly used angle, also used in the artist's works.
TEL artwork[]
The artwork :)(: can be seen all over the walls of the TEL platform.
As we experience the momentum of travelling in our individual daily lives through our senses of looking and hearing, we tend to blend into the platform; nimbly swallowed by automatic doors and moving trains.
‘:)(:’ transforms the station’s walls into a screen which greets us by saying HELLO when we arrive and depart. The station walls appear to be grinning at us, presenting a static performance of dancing strings with smileys. They absorb murmurs while emitting a silent message for audiences today who return as passengers on other days.
The artwork creates a platform for commuters who transform into fascinating characters with unique yet transient appearances, carrying flows of energy and giving meaning to the station which otherwise is just an empty stage.
This artwork is only achievable with valuable contribution from Prof. Stylianos Dritsas (Singapore University of Technology and Design). The appearance of the artwork is configured by a specially designed software which enhances the character, overall mood and sensation of the artwork for everyone to enjoy.
Station layout[]
| L1 | Street Level | MediaCorp Headquarters |
| B1 | CCL Concourse | Faregates, Ticketing Machines, Station Control, Transitlink Counter |
| Paid Link | Paid Link Between CCL and TEL | |
| Concourse | Faregates, Ticketing Service Kiosks, Passenger Service Centre; Unpaid Linkway to Exits 2 & 3 | |
| B2 | Platform 1 | Circle Line towards HarbourFront via Botanic Gardens (No service to Bukit Brown) (→) |
| Island platform, doors will open on the right | ||
| Platform 2 | Circle Line towards Dhoby Ghaut/Marina Bay via Marymount (←) | |
| B3 | Mezzanine | Stairs between TEL Concourse & TEL Platforms |
| B4 | Platform 3 | Thomson-East Coast Line towards Bayshore via Mount Pleasant (→) |
| Island platform, doors will open on the right | ||
| Platform 4 | Thomson-East Coast Line towards Woodlands North via Upper Thomson (←) | |
Passenger Usage Patterns[]
| Platforms | Services |
|---|---|
| Circle Line Platform 1 |
CCL (9) - Holland Village & one-North |
| Circle Line Platform 2 |
CCL (8) - Bartley & Serangoon |
| Thomson-East Coast Line
Platform 3 |
TEL (14) - Orchard & Bayshore |
| Thomson-East Coast Line
Platform 4 |
TEL (13) - Mayflower & Woodlands |
Transport connections[]
Rail[]
| Destination | First Train | Last Train | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon – Sat | Sunday & Public Holiday |
Daily | ||||
| Circle Line | ||||||
| to Dhoby Ghaut | 5.34am | 6.02am | 11.30pm | |||
| to HarbourFront | 5.28am | 5.52am | 11.23pm | |||
| to Pasir Panjang | – | – | 11.53pm | |||
| to one-north | – | – | 12.09am | |||
| to Mountbatten | – | – | 12.07am | |||
| to Bartley | – | – | 12.30am | |||
| Thomson-East Coast Line | ||||||
| to Woodlands North | 5.52am | 6.12am | 12.23am | |||
| to Bayshore | 5.48am | 6.08am | 11.52pm | |||
| to Marine Terrace | - | - | 11.58pm | |||
| to Gardens by the Bay | - | - | 12.04am | |||
| to Outram Park | - | - | 12.10am | |||
| to Orchard | - | - | 12.22am | |||
References[]
External links[]
- Template:Official website
| {{{header}}} |
|---|
| {{{body}}} |