Changi Airport MRT station

Coordinates: 1°21′26.54″N 103°59′19.81″E / 1.3573722°N 103.9888361°E / 1.3573722; 103.9888361
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 CG2 
Changi Airport
樟宜机场
சாங்கி விமானநிலையம்
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) terminus
A large island platform which include flight information displays. An illuminated linkbridge spans over the platform.
Changi Airport station with the illuminated bridge spanning over the platform
General information
Location70 Airport Boulevard
Singapore 819661[1]
Coordinates1°21′26.54″N 103°59′19.81″E / 1.3573722°N 103.9888361°E / 1.3573722; 103.9888361
Operated bySMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Corporation)
Line(s)
  East–West Line
Platforms2 (1 island platform)
Tracks2
ConnectionsChangi Airport Bus Terminal, taxi
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Platform levels1
ParkingYes (Changi Airport, Jewel Changi Airport)
Bicycle facilitiesYes (Changi Airport)
AccessibleYes
History
Opened8 February 2002; 22 years ago (2002-02-08) (as Changi Branch line)
Opening2040; 16 years' time (2040) (Thomson–East Coast line)
ElectrifiedYes
Passengers
July 20204799 per day[2]
Services
Preceding station Mass Rapid Transit Following station
Expo
towards Tanah Merah
 East–West Line
Changi Airport Line
 Terminus
Location
Singapore MRT/LRT system map
Singapore MRT/LRT system map
Changi Airport
Changi Airport station in Singapore

Changi Airport MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station serving Changi Airport and its supplementary structure Jewel in Changi, Singapore. The station is the terminus of the Changi Airport branch of the East West line (EWL); it is operated by SMRT Trains and is built in an east–west direction. The ends of the station directly connect to Terminals 2 and 3 of Changi Airport.

A rail connection to the airport had been planned since the 1980s but these plans were shelved due to the low viability of such a branch. With increased air traffic to Changi Airport and the proposal of Terminal 3 in 1994, the rail-link plans were revived. The current two-station branch line was finalised in 1996 and construction began in 1998.

The station opened on 8 February 2002, with lower passenger demand than expected but it continues to provide an alternative transport option to the airport. Demand increased when Terminal 3 opened in 2008. On 25 May 2019, it was announced Changi Airport MRT station will be incorporated into the Thomson–East Coast line (TEL) as it extends to the airport's Terminal 5 by 2040.[3][4]

History[edit]

Early plans[edit]

An MRT branch to Changi Airport was included in early plans of the MRT network in May 1982.[5] The branch was to be built when the rest of the MRT system had been completed. In a 1983 feasibility study, the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC) concluded the level of passenger traffic was insufficient to justify such a branch.[6] Plans for the connection were reviewed in 1984 because the MRT system was built below budget.[7] In 1985, a survey on transport patterns to the airport was conducted by an MRTC consultant team to assess the viability of an airport MRT connection.[8] However, the consultants concluded in January 1986 that the connection was unfeasible in the immediate period because travellers preferred to commute to the airport by taxi.[9]

In March 1989, the Member of Parliament for Changi, Teo Chong Tee, called for the airport extension, saying it would serve increased passenger demand to the airport. In response, Communications Minister Yeo Ning Hong said an extension would be considered if there were development plans in the Changi area, otherwise, the low demand might not meet operating costs.[10] In 1991, he stated a connection would only be justified when annual passenger numbers using Changi Airport reached 50 million, and projections said the airport would handle only about 34 million passengers per year at the beginning of the 21st century. The minister also claimed the airport was already well-served by expressways with affordable taxi rates.[11] In 1992, Communications Minister Mah Bow Tan said the government had already reserved land needed for the possible route.[12]

Finalisation of rail connection[edit]

In August 1994, the proposal for a rail link was reconsidered following an increase in airport use that exceeded previous projections (10% compared to 6–7% annually). The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), which had plans for a new terminal to cater to passenger growth, urged the MRTC to reconsider the proposal for an airport rail link because new roads serving the new terminal might be insufficient. The CAAS also suggested for the new link to be built in tandem with the new terminal. The MRTC opened consultation studies on the airport link, which would branch off from the EWL at Tanah Merah station but there were no plans for intermediate stops.[13][14]

After another feasibility study by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on 15 November 1996 that the 6.4-kilometre (4.0 mi) branch would be built to serve increased demand to the airport.[15] The branch, which was projected to be completed in 2001, would run from Tanah Merah station and have an intermediate stop at Somapah (now Expo) to serve the Changi Business Park and the exhibition centre.[16][17] There were no plans to extend the branch towards the cargo-and-engineering complexes due to low demand in the area.[18] Teo, who had been advocating for the branch from 1987, was "overjoyed" and considered the announcement an "excellent piece of news".[19]

Construction and opening[edit]

The concourse area at the platform level. A set of faregates separate the paid and unpaid areas.
Changi Airport is one of the few stations where the concourse and faregates are on the same level as the platforms.

In October 1998, the contract for the construction of Changi Airport station was awarded to a joint venture between Kumagai-Gumi Co and Sembawang Engineering and Construction for S$204.5 million (US$122.2 million). The contract included the construction of the station and associated tunnels, a new baggage tunnel between Terminals 2 and 3, and a new vehicular underpass to serve Terminal 3.[20] This project combined Japanese technology and experience with local knowledge of subcontractor-and-supplier availability.[21] CPG Consultants, which was designing Terminal 3, provided 20 staff to complement the LTA team on the line extension.[22]

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on 29 January 1999. Speaking at the ceremony, Communications Minister Mah Bow Tan highlighted the challenges of constructing the station, which would require close cooperation between parties such as the LTA, CAAS and the contractors.[23] The station site is in a sensitive area and top-down construction works had to be carefully planned to minimise disruption to airport operations.[24] Close monitoring was needed for the construction of the 1 km-long (0.62 mi) tunnel leading to the station, which passes directly beneath the runway and airport terminal.[23]

The carriageways connecting to the arrival and departure halls of Terminals 1 and 2 were diverted temporarily to the west of the station site.[25] The east side of the station was constructed first due to more complex deep excavation works near developments such as Terminal 2.[25][26] The overrun tunnels beyond the west side of the station would have to pass through an irregular pile layout of the various structures which required extensive foundation reconstruction. The LTA briefly considered mining the tunnels but dismissed the method as the works were in shallow ground. Instead, open-cut excavation within diaphragm walls and ground treatment methods were adopted.[25]

As part of the President's Challenge 2001, a part of a charity walk went through the tunnel between Expo and Changi Airport stations.[27][28] Changi Airport MRT station opened on 8 February 2002[29] and the official opening ceremony of the line extension was held on 27 February 2002.[30] Since the station's opening, passenger traffic has been moderate because most bus routes continued to operate and continued to be a popular means of cheap, direct transport for local airport and airline employees, and travellers not living along the East West line. Many air travellers preferred to continue taking taxis or private transport because not all of the trains on MRT services have luggage racks.[31] Taxi drivers said the station put them at a disadvantage, reporting a loss of 20 percent in earnings. By March 2002, about 20,500 commuters were using the station daily.[32] Nevertheless, despite developments build around the branch line to boost further ridership, it was not deemed cost-effective to run through services to the MRT, and hence the branch was instead served by a shuttle service running from Tanah Merah to Changi Airport in 2003.[33][34]

Incorporation into the TEL[edit]

In July 2016, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced the possibility of extending the Thomson–East Coast line (TEL) to Changi Airport to provide a more direct connection from the airport to the city. The extension would open at the same time as the future Terminal 5.[35] On 25 May 2019, the LTA announced the line between Tanah Merah and Changi Airport will become part of the TEL when it extends to Changi Airport from Sungei Bedok MRT station via Terminal 5 and will open in 2040.[3][36] The contract for the construction of twin-bored tunnels from this station to Changi Airport Terminal 5 was awarded to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (Singapore) Pte Ltd for S$321.7 million (US$240.07 million).[37][38]

Incidents[edit]

  • On 24 July 2002, a glass panel of the atria wall shattered. The area was quickly closed off for repairs and train services were not affected.[39]
  • On 24 September 2003, a man died at the station, apparently having fallen five storeys from the departure hall.[40]
  • During morning inspection works on 16 January 2020, a crack in the track crossing near the station was discovered. One platform remained operational while trains had to slow down near the affected crossing. The fault was rectified and normal services resumed afterwards.[41][42]

Details[edit]

Services[edit]

Changi Airport station is served by the Changi Airport Branch of the EWL, which connects to the airport from Tanah Merah station as a shuttle service. The official station code is CG2,[43] which changed from EW29 in June 2003.[44][45] The next station towards Tanah Merah is Expo station.[43] Being part of the EWL, the station is operated by SMRT Trains.[46] In 2040, Changi Airport station will be served by the TEL when the line extends to the airport.[3]

When the station first opened in 2002, it was served by a through service from Boon Lay station.[47][48] On 22 July 2003, this service reverted to a shuttle service in which trains from Changi Airport station terminated at Tanah Merah station.[33] The day's first train departs Changi Airport station at 5:31 am on weekdays and on Saturdays, at 5:59 am on Sundays. The day's last departs from the airport at 12:06 am.[49] From Tanah Merah station, the day's first train towards Changi Airport station departs at 5:20 am on weekdays and Saturdays, and at 5:47 am on Sundays, and the day's last train towards the airport from Tanah Merah station departs at 11:50 pm.[50][51] Headways between trains vary from 7 to 13 minutes.[52][53]

Design[edit]

Refer to caption
The panes of the glass atrium walls at Exit A of the station

Changi Airport station is 40 metres (130 ft) wide and 200 metres (660 ft) long, and was constructed at a depth of 18.5 metres (61 ft).[21] The station, aligned in an east-west direction, has crossover tracks at its west and overrun tunnels beyond the east side of the station.[54] Architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed the station,[55] and various features have been incorporated into the design to enhance the commuting experience of airport travellers.[30] The station has wide faregates for commuters with luggage.[56] These faregates, which are located on the same level as the station,[57] also allow easier access for wheelchair users into the station. Changi Airport station is one of the first MRT stations to be wheelchair-accessible; it has been retrofitted with lifts and ramps for barrier-free access.[58] A tactile flooring system, consisting of tiles with raised, rounded-or-elongated studs, guides visually impaired commuters through the station.[59]

The station is columnless but supported by platform-edge pillars each spaced 11.4 metres (37 ft) apart and an external diaphragm and lining wall along each length of the station.[60] At the station's two entrances are glass atrium walls that support an illuminated, 150 m (490 ft) bridge that spans the island platform.[55][56][61] The glass bridge allows unpaid transfer between the two terminals.[62] At either end of the station is an atrium measuring approximately 60 m (200 ft) long by 36 m (118 ft) high. Australian engineering company Meinhardt Facades provided structural-design engineering of the glazing system and the tensioned-cable structure of the atrium's walls,[63] with engineering input from Ove Arup and Partners.[64]

The atria are designed to allow maximum sunlight into the station and minimal structures are used to maintain the transparency of the atria.[63] The roof is supported only at its northern and southern ends, and a massive beam called the spine runs between the north and south.[62] The spine is supported by a staggered structure made of reinforced concrete at one end and an A-frame column and stability truss at the other end.[63] The facade panels are hung from vertical trusses at the end of each cantilever, and are supported by other cables that runs diagonally and horizontally.[62]

The station design was awarded the 2004 American Architecture Award by Chicago Athenaeum.[65] In 2011, BootsnAll rated the station 10th out of the 15 most-beautiful subway stops in the world.[66]

References[edit]

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Sources[edit]

  • Zhao, J.; Shirlaw, J.N.; R., Krishnan (2000). Tunnels and Underground Structures: Proceedings Of the International Conference on Tunnels and Underground Structures Singapore. Rotterdam: A.A. Balkema. ISBN 90-5809-171-6.

External links[edit]

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