Somerset MRT Station

Somerset MRT Station is an underground station on the North South Line of the Mass Rapid Transit in Singapore, located under 313@Somerset Shopping Centre between Orchard Road and Somerset Road. It was upgraded in 2002, the first phase of station upgrading works on the system. Somerset MRT Station was named in reference to an English playwright, novelist and short story writer, William Somerset MaughamTemplate:Citation needed, who wrote a series of stories on Malaya, Borneo and Singapore while staying at Raffles Hotel during his stay in Singapore in the 1930s

To commemorate Total Defence Day in 2000, the Singapore Civil Defence Force conducted the first ever Shelter Open House at this station on 15 and 16 February.Template:Citation needed

The section of tracks between this station and Dhoby Ghaut is the shortest between any two MRT Stations on the North South Line, taking 1 minute for a train to travel between these two stations. Unlike most other underground stations, the toilets in this station are located on the street level rather than the concourse level.

Opening in 2020, Somerset station will be an interchange station with a new line, Thomson Line.^[1]

History[]

Prior to the construction of the station, it was named Killiney. It was renamed to Somerset in 1985. The construction requires a slight diversion of Somerset Road from January 1984.[1] Somerset MRT Station was completed on 22 July 1985 after the three-month delay that is due to the difficult ground conditions and problems with backup machinery caused by tunneling from the Orchard MRT Station to Somerset MRT Station.

Construction of the lifts started in 28 June 2000 and were completed on 11 July 2002.

A call was made from a public telephone at the station concourse at about 5 p.m. on 26 September 2007 about a bomb at the station. The police arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with the incident two days later on the morning of 28 September 2007 after finding no bomb.

It was upgraded in 2002 under the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP), the first phase of station upgrading works on the system.

Somerset MRT Station is also where the students came out from the Centrepoint in 2006. Asked by the students from Tampines Primary School over the last decade, “this is where we re-grouped into several trains, most of them were seated onto the train floors, and also the fare gates over the first generation time were opened.”

Concourse[]

Faregates are used for automatic fare collection and provides access between paid and unpaid areas of the station, with at least one bidirectional wide-swinging gate for the benefit of passengers-in-wheelchairs and those carrying bulky items or travelling with prams.

Somerset MRT Station is also the station where it trialled the TITAN faregates in April 2010 and were completely replaced in 22 November 2012.

Station layout[]

L1	Street Level	313@Somerset & Orchard Central
B1	Concourse	Faregates, Ticketing Machines, Station Control
B2	Platform 1	North South Line towards Jurong East via Orchard (→)
	Island platform, doors will open on the right
	Platform 2	North South Line towards Marina South Pier via Dhoby Ghaut (←)

Exits[]

Originally it was one entrance to Centrepoint through Exit B, but due to the construction of 313 @ Somerset, the pedestrian walkways were being diverted.

Exits	Nearby
A	Somerset Road, Comcentre, High Commission of India, Killiney Road Post Office, The Red Box, Orchard NPC, Skate Park, TripleOne Somerset, Winsland House
B (YourStudent)	Orchard Road, 313 @ Somerset (Level 1), Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, Concorde Hotel S’pore, Grand Park Orchard, Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre, Hotel Grand Central, Mandarin Orchard Singapore, OG Orchard Point, Orchard Central, Orchard Plaza, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, Peranakan Place, The Centrepoint, The Hereen, Holiday Inn Express Singapore
C (YourStudent)	Orchard Gateway B1 and B2, Emerald Hill, Singapore Visitor Centre
D (Tower Transit)	Orchard Gateway Library, Concorde Hotel Singapore, Cuppage Plaza, Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre, Hotel Grand Central, Hotel Supreme, Orchard Plaza, Orchard Point, The Centrepoint, United House, 51 Cuppage Road, Orchard Central

Passenger Usage Patterns[]

Located within the Orchard Road of the Singapore, Somerset serves a large number of developments like shopping centres, office buildings and condominiums, experiencing moderate to high demand due to the influx of 313 @ Somerset and Orchard Central in 2009, and Orchard Gateway in 2014. The station has showed multi-racial society in demand.

Underground pedestrian walkways connect to the 313 @ Somerset, of which the first shop you will probably see is New Look (now TEMT).

North South Line
NS2 Bukit Batok	Take bus service 106 (B/S 3) to Bukit Batok Interchange.
NS3 Bukit Gombak	Take bus service 106 (B/S 3) to Bukit Batok Interchange and change to bus service 945.
NS4 Choa Chu Kang	Take bus service 190 (B/S 4) to Choa Chu Kang Interchange.
NS5 Yew Tee	Take bus service 190 (B/S 4) to Choa Chu Kang Interchange and change to bus service 302 / 307.
NS9 Woodlands	Take North South Line to Woodlands.
NS13 Yishun	Take North South Line to Yishun.
NS14 Khatib	Take North South Line to Khatib.
NS15 Yio Chu Kang	Take North South Line to Yio Chu Kang.
NS16 Ang Mo Kio	Take North South Line to Ang Mo Kio.
NS17 Bishan	Take North South Line to Bishan.
NS18 Braddell	Take North South Line to Braddell.
NS19 Toa Payoh	Take bus service 143 (B/S 4) to Toa Payoh Interchange. Take North South Line to Toa Payoh.
NS22 Orchard	Walk ~900m along Orchard Road.
NS24 Dhoby Ghaut	Walk 1.8km along Orchard Road.
East West Line
EW1 Pasir Ris	Take bus service 518 (B/S 1) to Pasir Ris Drive 1 (Blk 156).
EW2 Tampines	Take North South Line to City Hall, and change to East West Line to Tampines. Or take bus service 65 to Tampines Interchange, or alternatively take bus service 518 to Tampines Avenue 2 (Blk 141).
EW3 Simei	Take North South Line to City Hall, and change to East West Line to Simei.
EW4 Tanah Merah	Take bus service 14 (B/S 2) to New Upper Changi Road (Tanah Merah Station).
EW5 Bedok	Take North South Line to City Hall, and change to East West Line to Bedok. Or alternatively, take bus service 7 (B/S 2) to Bedok Bus Interchange.
EW6 Kembangan	Take North South Line to City Hall, and change to East West Line to Kembangan. Or alternatively, take bus service 7 to Sims Avenue East (Kembangan Station).
EW7 Eunos	Take bus service 7 (B/S 2) to Sims Avenue (Eunos Station).
EW8 Paya Lebar	Take bus service 7 (B/S 5) to Sims Avenue (Paya Lebar Station).
EW10 Kallang	Take bus service 7 (B/S 5) to Sims Avenue (Kallang Station).
EW11 Lavender	Take bus service 7 / 175 (B/S 2) to Kallang Road (Lavender Station).
EW12 Bugis	Take bus service 7 / 175 (B/S 2) to Victoria Street (opp Bugis Junction).
EW16 Outram Park	Take bus service 124 / 143 (B/S 1) to New Bridge Road (Pearl’s Centre) or 190 (B/S 2) to New Bridge Road Terminal.
EW17 Tiong Bahru	Take bus service 123 (B/S 2) to Tiong Bahru Road (Tiong Bahru Station).
EW19 Queenstown	Take bus service 111 (B/S 3) to Commonwealth Avenue (Queenstown Station).
EW20 Commonwealth	Take bus service 111 (B/S 3) to Commonwealth Avenue (Commonwealth Station).
EW21 Buona Vista	Take bus service 106 (B/S 3) to Commonwealth Avenue West (Buona Vista Station).
EW22 Dover	Take bus service 106 (B/S 3) to Commonwealth Avenue West (Dover Station).
EW23 Clementi	Take bus service 106 (B/S 3) to Commonwealth Avenue West (Clementi Station).
EW24 Jurong East	Take North South Line to Raffles Place, and change to East West Line to Jurong East.
CG2 Changi Airport	Take bus service 36 to Changi Airport PTBs.
Circle Line
CC1 Dhoby Ghaut	Take bus service 36 to Orchard Road (Dhoby Ghaut Station). Or walk 1.8km along Orchard Road.
CC2 Bras Basah	Take bus service 7 / 14 / 16 / 106 / 111 / 175 / 502 (B/s 2) or 36 / 77 / 128 / 162/M / 171 / 518 / 670 / 700/A (B/s 1) to Bras Basah Rd (NTUC Income Centre).
CC3 Esplanade	Take bus service 14 / 16 / 106 / 111 / 502 (B/s 2) or 36 / 77 / 128 / 162/M / 167 / 171 / 518 / 670 / 700/A (B/s 1) to Bras Basah Rd (Raffles Hotel).
CC4 Promenade	Take bus service 36 / 162/M / 518 / 700A (B/s 1) or 106 / 111 / 502 (B/s 2) to Temasek Ave (Opp Millenia Tower)
CC13 Serangoon	Take North South Line to Dhoby Ghaut, and change to Circle Line to Serangoon.
North East Line
NE1 HarbourFront	Take bus service 123 (B/S 2) to HarbourFront Interchange.
NE3 Outram Park	Take bus service 124 / 143 (B/S 1) to New Bridge Road (Pearl’s Centre) or 190 (B/S 2) to New Bridge Road Terminal.
NE4 Chinatown	Take bus service 143 / 190 (B/S 1) to New Bridge Road (Chinatown Point).
NE5 Clarke Quay	Take bus service 143 / 190 (B/S 1) to New Bridge Road (Clarke Quay Station).
NE6 Dhoby Ghaut	Walk 1.8km along Orchard Road.
NE7 Little India	Take bus service 65 to Serangoon Road (Tekka Centre).
NE8 Farrer Park	Take bus service 65 to Serangoon Road (Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple).
NE9 Boon Keng	Take bus service 65 to Serangoon Road (Boon Keng Station).
NE10 Potong Pasir	Take North South Line to Dhoby Ghaut and change to North East Line to Potong Pasir.
NE11 Woodleigh	Take North South Line to Dhoby Ghaut and change to North East Line to Woodleigh.
NE12 Serangoon	Take North South Line to Dhoby Ghaut and change to North East Line to Serangoon.
NE13 Kovan	Take North South Line to Dhoby Ghaut and change to North East Line to Kovan.
NE14 Hougang	Take North South Line to Dhoby Ghaut and change to North East Line to Hougang.
NE15 Buangkok	Take North South Line to Dhoby Ghaut and change to North East Line to Buangkok.
NE16 Sengkang	Take North South Line to Dhoby Ghaut and change to North East Line to Sengkang.
NE17 Punggol	Take North South Line to Dhoby Ghaut and change to North East Line to Punggol.
Downtown Line
DT1 Bukit Panjang	Take North South Line to Newton, and change to Downtown Line to Bukit Panjang.
DT5 Beauty World	Take North South Line to Newton, and change to Downtown Line to Beauty World.
DT6 King Albert Park	Take North South Line to Newton, and change to Downtown Line to King Albert Park.
DT9 Botanic Gardens	Take North South Line to Newton, and change to Downtown Line to Botanic Gardens.
DT12 Little India	Take bus service 65 (B/S 2) to Serangoon Road (Tekka Centre).
DT13 Rochor	Take bus service 7 / 175 (B/S 2) to Victoria Street (Bugis Station), and change to bus service 851 to Rochor Station.
DT14 Bugis	Take bus service 7 / 175 (B/S 2) to Victoria Street (opp Bugis Junction).
DT15 Promenade	Take bus service 36 / 162/M / 518 / 700A (B/s 1) or 106 / 111 / 502 (B/s 2) to Temasek Ave (Opp Millenia Tower)
DT17 Downtown	Take bus service 106 (B/S 2) to Central Boulevard (Downtown Station).
DT21 Bencoolen	Take Bus 7 / 14 / 16 / 106 / 111 / 167 / 175 / 190 / 502 (B/s 2) or 36 / 77 / 128 / 162/M / 171 / 518 / 700/A (B/s 1) to Bras Basah Rd (Rendezvous Grand Hotel)
DT22 Sungei Road	Take bus service 7 / 175 (B/S 2) to Victoria Street (Stamford Primary School) and walk via Arab Street
DT23 Bendemeer	Take bus service 175 (B/S 2) to Kallang Bahru (Singapore Post)
DT24 Kallang Bahru	Take bus service 175 (B/S 2) to Kallang Bahru (Blk 66)
DT29 Town Park	Take bus service 518 (B/S 1) to Bedok North Road (opp Blocks 705/706)
DT31 Huang Wen	Take bus service 518 (B/S 1) to Tampines Avenue 1 (opp SAFRA Tampines).
DT32 Tampines	Take bus service 65 (B/S 2) to Tampines Interchange.

Alternative Routes[]

Going to

Method

North South Line

Jurong East

bef Cairnhill Rd (Orchard Rd) 09037	opp Somerset Stn (Orchard Rd) 09038
36 / 77 / 124 / 162 / 167 / 174 / 518	7 / 106 / 111 / 175	65
Dhoby Ghaut Stn (Orchard Rd) 08057		aft Dhoby Ghaut Stn (Orchard Rd) 08058
Dhoby Ghaut North East Line Outram Park East West Line Jurong East

Bukit Batok

bef Cairnhill Rd (Orchard Rd) 09037	opp Somerset Stn (Orchard Rd) 09038
36 / 77 / 124 / 162 / 167 / 174 / 518	7 / 106 / 111 / 175	65
Dhoby Ghaut Stn (Orchard Rd) 08057		aft Dhoby Ghaut Stn (Orchard Rd) 08058
Dhoby Ghaut North East Line Outram Park East West Line Jurong East Seventh-Day Adventist Ch (Jurong East Ctrl) 28441 176 opp Blk 628 (Bt Batok Ctrl) 43411