Clementi MRT Station
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Clementi MRT Station (EW23) is an above-ground MRT station in the west of Singapore. It is part of the East West Line.
One of the older MRT stations in Singapore, Clementi MRT station was opened in 1988. The station is painted light blue, and with recent renovations a lift has been added for the benefit of commuters. The station and nearby track follows Commonwealth Road West, as do the Dover, Bouna Vista, Commonwealth and Queenstown stations. Looking to the southwest one can see Clementi Central, with what was previously Commonwealth theatres, a McDonald's, and the bus interchange. At the northeast there is a connecting bridge to the nearby housing estate.
Clementi MRT Station is heavily used by commuters who live in Clementi itself or further west to go to work. It is also used by students in the National University of Singapore and other schools around Clementi.
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[edit] Incidents
[edit] 1993 train collision
The station was also where a collision between two trains took place at around 0750 (SST) on 5 August 1993. It appeared that one train had stopped at the station for longer than usual after experiencing a technical fault, and then a second westward train hit the first. 156 commuters were injured, many of whom were on their way to work. Eight were admitted to three hospitals, while the rest received outpatient treatment.
A four-member independent panel was subsequently formed by SMRT Corporation to conduct an inquiry into the accident. The panel was chaired by Chua Koon Hoe, deputy director-general of the Public Works Department, with the members Chang Meng Teng, deputy chairman of the Public Transport Council, and Dr. Natarajan Varaprasad, principal of Temasek Polytechnic. Low Tien Sio, SMRTC's general manager (project administration) served as the secretary.
The results of the inquiry were announced by the SMRTC on 19 October 1993. Shortly after the accident The Straits Times had reported that an oil spill on the tracks was responsible for the second train's inability to brake in time. Some 50 litres of oil had spilled from a locomotive doing maintenance work on the track in the pre-dawn hours of 5 August. SMRT staff had been alerted to the spill and had despatched a cleaning crew to the neighbouring Buona Vista station, but approval to access the tracks was delayed. Already ten trains had reported difficulty braking on the track that morning. The 11th train had had to use its emergency brakes upon reaching Clementi station, and while it was waiting for the brakes to be recharged so that it could move off again, the 12th approached the station and could not brake in time to avoid hitting the 11th train.
The Communications Minister at that time, Mah Bow Tan, said that as the SMRT staff followed procedures and none were found to be negligent, so no staff would be punished. However SMRT promised to look into the problem of oil spillage from maintenance locomotives by replacing the hoses and oil seals on all locomotives, checking all locomotives for leaks upon their return to depots, and assigning a station master to inspect tracks for oil. Procedures were also amended so that trains would not move off from stations preceding the spill until it had been cleaned up.
No similar incidents have occurred at Clementi or any other MRT station since.
[edit] 2006 accidents
On September 17, 2006, a lady was pushed down off the platform on to the tracks and was slightly injured, an oncoming train having almost hit her. She saw the train coming towards her and had managed to climb over towards the side of the tracks (opposite the station platform). A man who was suspected of pushing her onto the tracks was arrested by police after passers-by pinned him to the ground as he tried to escape. [1]
On October 30 2006, a man was killed by a westbound train at the station and died on the spot. The police have described the death as an unnatural death and are investigating the matter. As a result, there was a service delay that affected 11,700 commuters. [2]
[edit] Bus services
Links within Clementi new town and to other parts of Singapore are available at the nearby Clementi Bus Interchange. The following bus services pass by the vicinity of the station:
[edit] References
- ^ "She runs to side & train whizzes by", The Electric New Paper (Singapore newspaper), 17 September 2006.
- ^ "Man killed by train at Clementi MRT station", Channel NewsAsia, 30 October 2006.
- The Straits Times, "SMRT told to tighten oil spill procedures", 8 August 1993.
- The Straits Times, "Oil spillage led to MRT train collision: Panel", 20 October 1993.
| Preceding station | Mass Rapid Transit Lines | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | East West MRT Line | Jurong East | ||
