Redhill MRT station
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station | |||||||||||
![]() Exterior of Redhill MRT station | |||||||||||
General information | |||||||||||
Location | 920 Tiong Bahru Road Singapore 158792[3] | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 1°17′23.04″N 103°49′0.30″E / 1.2897333°N 103.8167500°E[3] | ||||||||||
Owned by | Land Transport Authority (LTA)[4] | ||||||||||
Operated by | SMRT Trains | ||||||||||
Platforms | 2 (1 Island platform) | ||||||||||
Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||
Connections | Bus, taxi[5] | ||||||||||
Construction | |||||||||||
Structure type | Elevated | ||||||||||
Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||
Accessible | Yes (except for Exit B) | ||||||||||
Architect | BSK-BS Konsult | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
Opened | 12 March 1988 | ||||||||||
Previous names | Alexandra | ||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||
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Redhill MRT station is an above-ground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station in Singapore on the East West line (EWL). Operated by SMRT, the station serves nearby landmarks such as the Delta Swimming Complex and Thye Hong Centre.
First announced in May 1982 as Alexandra, it was renamed to Redhill in June 1983. The station commenced operations along with the entire MRT system on 12 March 1988 by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Bicycle facilities for the station were expanded in July 1990. Half-height platform screen doors and high-volume low-speed fans were installed by August 2011 and the first quarter of 2013, respectively. In March 2017, a linkway was installed between Redhill and the Enabling Village, a community space for the disabled to be integrated into society.
Like other elevated stations on the Tiong Bahru–Clementi stretch, the station feature grilles and horizontal louvres. Despite its name, Redhill features a pink colour scheme. Its roof also has clerestory windows.
History
[edit]Redhill station was first included in the early plans of the MRT system as Alexandra in May 1982.[6] Initially meant to be part of Phase II of the system, it was later announced in June 1983 to be part of Phase IA, an extension of Phase I from Tiong Bahru to Clementi stations, of the MRT as Redhill station.[7][8][9]
By October 1983, eleven local companies, nine of which are joint ventures with foreign businesses, were chosen in the pre-qualification stage for the design work of the Tiong Bahru-Clementi Stretch out of 38 applications.[10] In January 1984, it was announced that a five member team consisting of Mott, Hay and Anderson, Sir William Halcrow and Partners, BSK-BS Konsult, DP Architects, and the Public Works Department (PWD), won a S$5.99 million (US$4.47 million) contract for architectural and engineering consultancy as well as the design of said stretch.[11]
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Nine single tenderers and joint ventures were prequalified for Contract 202 by October 1984, which detailed the construction of Redhill and Commonwealth stations as well as viaducts from Delta Swimming Complex to Queensway Circus,[12] with the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC) awarding the contract to Sumitomo Construction in February 1985 for S$50 million (US$37.31 million). It was also expected that construction of Redhill and Commonwealth will start in the same month and be finished by December 1987.[13][14] By April and November 1987, the pink tiles for the station were already up, and operations were expected to start in April 1988, respectively.[15][16] In February 1988, it was announced that Red Hill, along with Tiong Bahru station, will have an open house on 13 and 14 February, with expected operations moved to the middle of March.[17][18] On 12 March 1988, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew officially launched the entire system, including stations in the Tiong Bahru-Clementi stretch. During the opening ceremony, Lee addressed to a crowd of 500 guests before riding a train to Queenstown.[19]
In July 1990, it was announced that as part of the cycle-and-ride scheme, 10 stations, including Redhill, would have their bicycle stands extended.[20] Following a rise in track intrusions as well as commuters slipping when rushing for the train, the LTA and SMRT decided to install platform screen doors, where it was expected for the works to be completed by 2012.[21] Contract C1320 for the design and installation of half-height platform screen doors was awarded to Singapore Technologies Electronics Limited in September 2008 for S$112.3 million (2008) (US$79.37 million).[22] After several tests at Jurong East, Yishun and Pasir Ris stations,[23] works for the half-height platform screen doors were expected to start in 2010,[24] with eventual installation and operations commencing at Redhill station by August 2011.[25] The station was installed with high-volume low-speed fans by the first quarter of 2013.[26] In December 2017, works were completed for a 400 metres (440 yd) linkway from Redhill station to the Enabling Village, a community space for people with disabilities to be integrated in society, to make it more accessible for those with mobility issues.[27] Prior to the linkway, the journey between the two places was a "challenge" for people with disabilities due to hills in the area. It was announced in March 2017 that as part a collaboration between the LTA and SG Enable, Redhill will serve as a test bed for "new mobility technologies and infrastructure" in order to improve accessibility for those with disabilities.[28]
Details
[edit]Redhill station is on the EWL with the station number of EW18, situated between Tiong Bahru and Queenstown stations.[29] When it opened, it had the station number of W4[30] before being changed to its current station number in August 2001 as a part of a system-wide campaign to cater to the expanding MRT System.[31][32] As a part of the EWL, the station is operated by SMRT Trains.[33] Like many stations on the initial MRT network, Redhill has an island platform and is elevated.[17][34] The station operates between 5:49 am and 12:08 am daily, with train frequencies varying from 2–5 minutes peak hour to an average of 5 minutes for off peak hours.[35][36]

The station is bounded by Tiong Bahru Road. It has two exits and serves surrounding amenities such as the Delta Swimming Complex, Thye Hong Centre, and Leng Kee Community Club.[37][5] Redhill is mostly wheelchair-accessible (except for Exit B) and has bicycle facilities.[5][38]
Like other stations in the Tiong Bahru-Clementi stretch of Phase IA, it was designed to have an identity similar to Singaporean traditions, according to BSK-BS Konsult's Michael Granit, who was in charge of the design philosophy for Phase IA.[39] Its horizontal louvres, what The Straits Times has described as "brashly coloured grilles which run right round the station, interrupted only by the regularly spaced columns",[40] are equated to French windows in shophouses.[41] Its platform columns can also be equated to the paladium columns in shophouses.[41] Despite the station name being "Redhill", it features pink walls.[42][a] This was done to make the station "be pleasant to the eye" and to distinguish it from other stations within the stretch.[44] According to the MRTC, the pastel shade of the wall are reminiscent of traditional colours used for shophouses.[41] Additionally, the roof for Redhill was an important design element as it would be able to be seen from high rise flats, with its roof featuring clerestory windows that makes the roof "look like huge lanterns" as well as being cantilevered to reduce rain shedding on platforms.[45] It also has horizontal slats to reduce sun exposure to the trains and the apparent height of the upper roof line.[41]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "System Map" (PDF). LTA (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "System Map" (PDF). LTA (in Tamil). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Redhill MRT Station". Onemap. SLA. Archived from the original on 12 June 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ^ "New Rail Financing Framework". Land Transport Authority. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ a b c "Redhill – Map". SMRT Journeys. 11 June 2025. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ^ "Proposed MRT stations". The Straits Times. 23 May 1982. p. 1. Retrieved 23 September 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Now first phase takes a step up". The Straits Times. 10 June 1983. p. 1. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ Wee, Agnes (10 June 1983). "Phase I of MRT modified to cover a wider area". The Business Times. p. 1. Retrieved 7 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "More people can use MRT sooner". The Straits Times. 10 June 1983. p. 15. Retrieved 15 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ Sin Giok, Oei (29 October 1983). "11 local builders qualify for first phase of MRT". Singapore Monitor. p. 2. Retrieved 7 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Five-member team wins $5.99m MRT contract". The Business Times. 12 January 1984. p. 1. Retrieved 9 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ Lim, Soon Neo (3 October 1984). "MRTC pre-qualifies 37 companies". The Business Times. p. 2. Retrieved 9 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ Yap, Boh Hoon (8 February 1985). "Sumitomo wins $50m civil works contract under MRT Phase 1A". The Business Times. p. 1. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Sumitomo gets job to build stations, viaduct". The Straits Times. 8 February 1985. p. 19. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ Lim, Soon Neo (23 April 1987). "Local art works to go on show at MRT stations". The Business Times. p. 2. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "20 stations by next year". The Straits Times. 6 November 1987. p. 20. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ a b "Open house at six MRT stations". The Business Times. 5 February 1988. p. 2. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Six East-West line MRT stations to hold open days". The Straits Times. 6 February 1988. p. 25. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ Dhaliwal, Rav (13 March 1988). "Well done, says PM". The Straits Times. p. 1. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "New MRT park and ride scheme". The Straits Times. 15 July 1990. p. 1. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Award of Contracts for the Installation of Half Height Platform Screen Doors and Associated Works at MRT Stations of NSEW Lines". Land Transport Authority (LTA) (press release). 1 September 2008. Archived from the original on 2 December 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ Lim, Helen (12 November 2012). "Pasir Ris chosen to represent terminal station for safety doors". LTA (response to letter). Archived from the original on 30 November 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
- ^ "Installation of Half Height Platform Screen Doors Pasir Ris Station". LTA (press release). 12 August 2009. Archived from the original on 30 November 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
- ^ "Completion of Half Height Platform Screen Doors on East West Line". LTA (press release). 31 August 2011. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ "Enhancing Connectivity and Comfort for Commuters". LTA (press release). 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ Abdullah, Zhaki (11 December 2017). "Route between Redhill MRT station and Enabling Village made more accessible". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ Abdullah, Zhaki (8 March 2017). "Parliament: Open strollers allowed on buses from April 2". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "System Map" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ "Going to N1, B3, W11, El2, anyone?". The Straits Times. 25 October 1985. p. 21. Retrieved 19 November 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ Salim, Shazalina (3 August 2001). "Red, green and grey". Today. p. 9. Retrieved 15 December 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "New Signage System For MRT And LRT Network". LTA. Archived from the original on 1 August 2003. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
- ^ "Getting Around – Public Transport – Rail Network". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ Dhaliwal, Rav (28 April 1987). "Getting to know the network and how it will work". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 19. Retrieved 19 December 2020 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Redhill – First & Last Train". SMRT Journeys. 11 June 2025. Archived from the original on 11 June 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ^ "LTA | Transport Tools | MRT/LRT". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ^ "Redhill – Exits". SMRT Journeys. 11 June 2025. Archived from the original on 8 June 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ^ "Redhill – Amenities". SMRT Journeys. 11 June 2025. Archived from the original on 12 June 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ^ MRTC 1987, p. 13 and 16.
- ^ NG. (10 February 1988). "Lessons in architecture, MRT-style". The Straits Times. p. 3. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ a b c d MRTC 1987, p. 16.
- ^ "Bright and scenic ride". The Straits Times. 10 March 1988. p. 20. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "East-West Line". LTA. 14 June 2024. Archived from the original on 14 June 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Dhaliwal, Rav (5 August 1985). "Overhead MRT stations easy on the eye". The Straits Times. p. 15. Retrieved 11 June 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ MRTC 1987, p. 16-20.
Bibliography
[edit]- Mass Rapid Transit System: Proceedings of the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit Conference. Singapore: Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC). 1987. ISBN 9971-84-636-5. OCLC 82363485.
External links
[edit]- Official website
Media related to Redhill MRT Station at Wikimedia Commons