Circle MRT Line

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Circle Line
The Circle Line is coloured orange on system maps.
Info
Type	Rapid transit
System	Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
Status	Under Construction
Terminals	Dhoby Ghaut HarbourFront Marina Bay
No. of stations	31
Service routes	2
Operation
Owner	Land Transport Authority
Operator(s)	SMRT Corporation
Rolling stock	Alstom Metropolis
Technical
Line length	33.3 km (20.7 mi)
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) Standard gauge
Electrification	Third rail
Line map Legend North South Line to Jurong East North East Line to HarbourFront CC1 Dhoby Ghaut ↔NS Line, NE Line North East Line to Punggol North South Line to Marina Bay CC2 Bras Basah CC3 Esplanade CC? Marina Bay ↔NS Line North South Line to Jurong East Downtown Line to Expo CC? Bayfront ↔DT Line CC4 Promenade ↔DT Line Downtown Line to Bukit Panjang CC5 Nicoll Highway CC6 Stadium CC7 Mountbatten CC8 Dakota East West Line to Pasir Ris CC9 Paya Lebar ↔EW Line East West Line to Boon Lay Downtown Line to Expo CC10 MacPherson ↔DT Line Downtown Line to Bukit Panjang CC11 Tai Seng Kim Chuan Depot CC12 Bartley North East Line to Punggol CC13 Serangoon ↔NE Line North East Line to HarbourFront CC14 Lorong Chuan North South Line to Marina Bay CC15 Bishan ↔NS Line North South Line to Jurong East CC16 Marymount CC17 Thomson CC18 Bukit Brown Downtown Line to Expo CC19 Botanic Gardens ↔DT Line Downtown Line to Bukit Panjang CC20 Farrer Road CC21 Holland Village East West Line to Pasir Ris CC22 Buona Vista ↔EW Line East West Line to Boon Lay CC23 one-north CC24 Kent Ridge CC25 West Coast CC26 Pasir Panjang CC27 Labrador Park CC28 Telok Blangah CC29 HarbourFront ↔NE Line North East Line to Punggol

The Circle Line (CCL) is the fourth Mass Rapid Transit line and currently under construction in Singapore. The fully underground line will be 33.3km long with 29 stations, and will be operated by SMRT Corporation. It will be the world's longest fully automated metro line.^[1]

As the name implies, it will be an orbital line linking all radial lines leading to the city, and also will cover many parts of the Central Area. Transfers to the North South Line will be provided at Bishan, Dhoby Ghaut and Marina Bay stations, East West Line at Paya Lebar and Buona Vista stations, and North East Line at Dhoby Ghaut, Serangoon and HarbourFront stations. The future Downtown Line will interchange with the Circle Line at Bayfront, Promenade, Botanic Gardens and MacPherson stations.

As a medium capacity line, each Circle Line train will only have three cars instead of the six-car configuration as seen on current MRT lines. The rolling stock will consist of forty Alstom Metropolis trains. Half a million people are expected to use the Circle Line each day.

Despite the name, the Circle Line is not actually a full circle, as there will be no through service on the section between Harbourfront and Dhoby Ghaut. Passengers will need to transfer onto the North-East Line instead. A branch passing through the Marina District is being built, and a "Stage 6" that would complete the circle has been mooted but is not officially planned.

Like the North East Line, the Circle Line will also feature the Art in Transit programme. It will consist of artwork that is integrated into station designs as well as Art Seats.

[edit] History

Plans for the Circle Line date back to the 1980s. Then Minister for Communications and Information Dr Yeo Ning Hong stated that such a system "would be feasible when the population reaches four million".

In the 1990s, the Circle Line was first known as the Marina Line. The Marina Line was initially planned as a 12-station underground line, starting from Chinatown and Dhoby Ghaut to the National Stadium. However, the Chinatown leg was later truncated and was reduced to 6 stations up to Stadium station. On the other hand, a further extension towards Upper Paya Lebar was added. Eventually, the Marina line ended up as an inner circular line. The Marina Line was originally slated for completion in 2006.

Circle Line stations that were a part of the original Marina Line plans include Dhoby Ghaut, Bras Basah, Esplanade, Promenade, Nicoll Highway and Stadium. Also, the part of the Marina Line from Chinatown Station to Promenade Station is now part of the Downtown Line.

It is widely expected to have a Stage 6 which completes the circle from HarbourFront to Promenade stations. On 27 April 2007, the LTA announced an extension of a branch line from Promenade to Bayfront station, which may be the first segment of the line's final stage. ^[2] Later, contractual details revealed possible extension to the Marina Bay Station.^[3] On 25 January 2008, Minister for Transport, Mr Raymond Lim, confirmed the extension of the line from Bayfront Station to Marina Bay Station, scheduled to open in 2012. He also revealed the decision to open both Thomson, and West Coast stations, initially planned as shell stations, together with the whole line, leaving only Bukit Brown Station remaining closed when the line opens.^[4]

[edit] Nicoll Highway collapse

Main article: Nicoll Highway collapse

On April 20, 2004, a section of tunnel being built for the Circle Line collapsed, apparently when a retaining wall used in the tunnel's construction gave way. This occurred near what was to become the Nicoll Highway station on the Circle line, not far from the Merdeka Bridge. The accident left a collapse zone 150m wide, 100m long, and 30m deep. Four workers were killed, with three more injured.

A criminal inquiry found the main contractor Nishimatsu Construction Company and its officers, as well as key Land Transport Authority officers responsible for the collapse. Several other officers and subcontractors were reprimanded and issued warnings in connection with the accident.

As a result of this accident, the first phase of the Circle Line, previously scheduled to open in 2008, will be completed in 2010 instead. The affected station has been shifted about 100m away from the accident site and is now located at Republic Avenue.

[edit] Other incidents

On Aug 16 2007, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) issued a stop-work order and revoked the contractor's tunnelling permit after a 7m stretch of two lanes sank about 20cm, close to the junction of Telok Blangah Road and Alexandra Road in the evening, resulting in a halting of tunnelling works. ^[5]

A section of the road above a construction site near Holland Road caved on the morning of May 24 2008, creating a massive hole. The hole, directly in front of two private houses along Cornwall Gardens Road, measured 8 by 7 metres and is 3 metres deep. No one was injured but the road is temporarily closed to traffic. ^[6]

[edit] Status

The completed line will reduce travelling time for commuters by allowing them to shorten trips between north to east or north to west and vice versa, bypassing busy interchanges like City Hall and Raffles Place.

The project will be implemented in stages at an estimated cost of S$6.7 billion. Originally scheduled to be opened from 2008 and fully opened in 2010, the Nicoll Highway collapse caused the construction of the line to be delayed. As a result, the Circle Line is now targeted to open from 2009, and expected to be fully operational by 2011, excluding the Marina Bay Extension.

The first section to open will be a 5km five-station stretching from Bartley Station to Marymount Station.

Based on a report on progress of the construction on 14 September 2007, LTA revealed that the cost of the Circle Line will exceed its original budget of S$6.7 billion. The increase was due mainly to the increase in the prices of sand and granite and thus concrete.

Due to the re-alignment of the Nicoll Highway station to a new location, the station will be two third the size of the original plan before the collapse, and located 100 metres away from the highway collapse site.^[7]

[edit] Stations

View of underground platform at Bishan Station of the Circle Line from ground level. (under construction) This station interchanges with Bishan station on the North South Line

Main article: List of Circle MRT Line station names

[edit] Marina Bay Extension

[edit] Trains

Trains for the Circle Line will be stabled at Kim Chuan depot, which will be the world's largest underground depot.^[8]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Land Transport Authority's Circle Line Project
• Circle Line Art (Land Transport Authority)

v • d • e Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore) General: History (Nicoll Highway collapse) · Fares and ticketing · Facilities · Safety · Security (Police MRT Unit) Lines and Stations: North South Line · East West Line · North East Line · Circle Line (U/C) · Downtown Line (U/C) · Thomson Line (planned) · Eastern Region Line (planned) · MRT stations Rolling Stock: C151 · C651 · C751B · Alstom Metropolis Depots: Bishan · Changi · Kim Chuan · Sengkang · Ulu Pandan Companies: ComfortDelGro (SBS Transit) · SMRT Corporation (SMRT Trains)