# Hume MRT station

Hume MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the Downtown line (DTL), located along the junction of Hume Avenue and Upper Bukit Timah Road in Bukit Batok, Singapore. It is the first underground infill station to open in Singapore, and the interior features a colour scheme of green, yellow and white. Surrounding landmarks include Bukit Timah Hill, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Former Bukit Timah Fire Station, Rail Corridor, and Former Ford Factory.
Provisions for the station were built during the construction of the DTL. After petitions by Hume residents for the station's opening, the government announced in March 2019 that Hume station would be built in tandem with the redevelopment of the Rail Corridor. Fitting-out works began in February 2021 and the station opened on 28 February 2025 ahead of schedule. Hume station features Continuity by Andre Wee as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit programme.

## History
### Shell station

The tunnels between the Hillview and Beauty World stations were constructed by SKEC Singapore Branch as part of Contract 915, which was awarded to the company for S$225.2 million in June 2009. During the construction of the Downtown line (DTL), only the structural provisions for the future Hume station were built.
Hume residents petitioned for the station's opening, with Member of Parliament (MP) Low Yen Ling raising the issue with transport minister Lui Tuck Yew in March 2015. However, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) stated that projected ridership levels in the area did not justify a full construction of the station. Additionally, the LTA cited the availability of adequate transport alternatives in the area.
In April 2017, The Straits Times reported that construction works were still ongoing at the future station site, speculating that the station would be opened soon, but the Land Transport Authority (LTA) clarified that only a station box was being built at the time.
During a parliamentary debate on the transport ministry's budget on 7 March 2019, senior minister of state for transport Janil Puthucheary announced that Hume station would open in 2025. The station’s opening is planned to coincide with the redevelopment of the former Bukit Timah Fire Station and the Rail Corridor. Janil also acknowledged the decision was due to Low's repeated appeals for the station's opening. Nevertheless, Hume residents interviewed by Today in 2019 expressed dismay over the six-year wait for the station's opening. A veteran contractor interviewed by The Straits Times suggested that the station retrofitting works could be completed within 1.5 years, making it possible for the station to open before 2025.

### Station construction and opening

The contract for completing the civil works at Hume station was awarded to JSM Construction Group Pte Ltd for S$34.338 million (US$25.2 million) on 14 January 2021. The contract includes the construction of a station entrance, ventilation shaft and fitting-out works for the new station. A groundbreaking ceremony for the station's construction was held on 28 February 2021, with MP Low and health minister Gan Kim Yong in attendance. Most of the works had to be conducted at night as the station was constructed on the operational DTL.
Without direct above-ground access, construction materials for the station had to be manually transported 700 m (2,300 ft) from Hillview station, while heavier materials were delivered via a special engineer’s train from Gali Batu depot. Excavators removed 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 ft) of soil to access the shell station, parts of which were dismantled to allow entry points for workers and materials from street level. Flood barriers were installed around the station's work site. To separate the construction site from live rail operations, fire-resistant walls were installed before removing the station’s access panels.
Noise and vibration monitoring instruments were also deployed to minimise inconvenience to nearby residents. Testing and integration works for critical systems, including signalling, communications, and tunnel ventilation, could only take place within limited engineering hours between 1 am and 3 am. The installation of high-voltage and traction power equipment at the station had to be done carefully as the station is located between the operational Hillview and Beauty World stations.
The station was initially announced to open in the second quarter of 2025. However, on 24 January 2025, the LTA announced that the station would open earlier on 28 February 2025. Before the station's opening on the day itself, The Straits Times reported that a crowd of more than 100 people were already waiting outside of the entrance. Murali Pillai, the minister of state for law and transport, officiated the opening of the station with Gan and Low in attendance. Low also credited the "patience and perseverance" of Hume residents for the station's opening.

## Details

Hume station serves the DTL and is situated between Hillview and Beauty World station, with an official station code of DT4. Being part of the DTL, it is operated by SBS Transit. The station runs alongside Upper Bukit Timah Road and Hume Avenue and has two exits serving various landmarks including the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, the Former Ford Factory, The Rail Mall, and the Rail Corridor. The station is also close to various condominiums including The Hillside and Parc Palais. Trains operate in both directions every 3–5 minutes from 5:35 a.m. to 12:43 a.m.
The station is named after the Hume Industries (Far East) Limited, which once operated in the area from 1941 to 1968. Founded by the brothers Ernest James and Walter Reginald Hume in Adelaide, Australia, the company was known in Chinese as 谦工业公司 (pinyin: Qiān Gōngyè Gōngsī). Hence, the station's Chinese name is 谦道 (pinyin: qiān dào), after the Chinese name of the nearby Hume Avenue.
Hume station is the first underground infill station in Singapore, and the third infill station built after the Canberra and Dover stations. The station's interior has a colour scheme of green, yellow, and white – a homage to nearby landmarks such as the Rail Corridor, the quarries, and the Former Ford Factory. Near the station's entrances are 60 bicycle parking lots for active mobility users.
The station is designed to be barrier-free with wider fare gates that allow easier access for wheelchair users into the station, and a tactile system that guides visually impaired commuters through the station. The station's lifts are also equipped with rear-panel mirrors to assist wheelchair users when reversing out. Hume station has also been awarded the Building and Construction Authority's Green Mark Gold Certification, incorporating features such as rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, and a hybrid cooling system.
As part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit programme, Continuity by Andre Wee is displayed at the station. The artwork presents a stylised cross-sectional view of the nearby Former Ford Factory, a national monument which witnessed significant events during World War II. The internal structure showcases the building's historical purpose while the outside presents its current function as a venue for public visits and ceremonies for National Service recruits. The work intends for commuters to reflect on the factory's solemn past and its ongoing role in preserving Singapore’s history.