Tampines MRT station

Tampines MRT station (/ˈtæmpəniːs, -ɪniːs/ TAM-pə-nees or TAM-pih-nees) is a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) interchange station on the East West (EWL) and Downtown (DTL) lines in Tampines, Singapore. Located in the heart of the Tampines town centre next to Tampines Avenue 4, Tampines Central 4 and Tampines Central 5, it is in close proximity to the Tampines and Tampines Concourse bus interchanges. The station also serves the surrounding retail developments of Tampines Mall, Tampines One and Century Square.
The EWL station opened on 16 December 1989 as part of the MRT eastern line extension to Pasir Ris station via this station. On 20 August 2010, it was announced that the station would interchange with the DTL by 2017. The DTL station, which isn't directly connected to the existing EWL station, was completed on 21 October 2017. The EWL station exterior has the characteristic dome-shaped segmented roof also seen on other elevated EWL stations, while the DTL station features The Big Round & The Tall Long, an art piece by Studio Juju, as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit programme.
In the planning stages of the MRT network, there were two proposed stations, tentatively named "Tampines North" and "Tampines South", on the EWL, with Tampines North being its eastern terminus. The station was later constructed as part of the section between Pasir Ris station and Tanah Merah station, which in turn was part of Phase 2A of the MRT system. Contract 306 for the construction of the stations from Changi Depot to Pasir Ris and 5.5 kilometres (3.4 miles) of tracks was awarded to Sato Kogyo Pte Ltd at a contract sum of S$91.89 million (US$42.2 million) in March 1986. The contract also included the construction of the Pasir Ris and Simei stations.
The station opened on 16 December 1989 when the EWL extends to Pasir Ris as announced by then-first deputy prime minister Goh Chok Tong on 4 November that year. The opening of the station was generally welcomed by residents in Tampines and Pasir Ris, who hoped for shorter travelling times to their workplaces in the city via the MRT.
Tampines station was one of the first five MRT stations to be retrofitted with lifts and ramps in 2002, alongside enhancement works such as toilets for the disabled. These works, which cost S$81.5 million (US$45.5 million), were part of a system-wide programme to make the MRT network more wheel-chair accessible. The programme comes after lobbying by the Handicaps Welfare Association. In 2009, enhanced bicycle parking facilities were installed at Tampines station (alongside Yishun and Pasir Ris) as part of a pilot programme. These improvements include greater flexibility to lock the bicycles at either the frame or the wheels and basic shelters. The contract for the bicycle parking facilities was awarded to Shincon Industrial Pte Ltd at a contract sum of S$1.43 million (US$1 million).
In 2011, half-height platform screen doors were installed at this station as part of the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) programme to improve safety in MRT stations. Later, on 30 March 2012, Tampines was the first MRT station to have high-volume low-speed fans installed above the station platforms as part of a network-wide programme to improve ventaliation at the platforms of elevated stations.
On 20 August 2010, the LTA announced that Tampines station would be an interchange with the Downtown line. The station would be constructed as part of the 21-kilometre (13-mile) Stage 3, consisting of 16 stations between the River Valley (now Fort Canning) and Expo stations. The line was expected to be completed in 2017.
Contract 925A for the construction of the DTL station was awarded to KTC Civil Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd at a contract sum of S$118.5 million (US$94.2 million) in July 2011. Construction of the station started that month and was targeted to complete in 2017.
The station was constructed using the top-down method. This was to minimise movement to the existing viaducts for the EWL. As there is limited space, special low headroom machines were utilised to facilitate some of the works. To prevent disruption to the operations of the bus interchange and the shops, a paid link was not constructed between the DTL and EWL stations.
On 31 May 2017, it was announced that the station, together with the rest of DTL3, would be opened on 21 October that year. Passengers were offered a preview of the station along with the other DTL3 stations at the DTL 3 Open House on 15 October.
On 8 August 2003, a westbound train lost traction current at 10.13 pm and stalled along the track between Pasir Ris and Tampines. An empty train was used to push the train towards Tampines and service resumed at 10.35 pm. However, 21 minutes later, the traction current tripped again, this time in-between the same two stations in both directions and SMRT staff only managed to restore the eastbound side before the end of operating hours. 73 passengers were stuck in a westbound train and detrainment was carried out. During both delays, eastbound services terminated at Tampines and alternative transport was provided for affected passengers.
On 21 January 2008, a maintenance works train which was carrying out works between Tampines and Simei (westbound) broke down, causing a disruption from 5.28 am to 12.45 pm on both the eastbound and westbound services from Pasir Ris and Tanah Merah, affecting 57,000 commuters. SMRT was fined S$387,000 (US$274,000) on 10 March that year after the LTA's investigations concluded that the disruption was due to SMRT's working party not complying with operating procedures. This was specifically on securing the parked portion of the maintenance train, which comprised a locomotive and a wagon. According to operating procedures, during maintenance works, the portion comprising a locomotive and a Rail Grinding Vehicle will proceed with its works, while the portion of the maintenance train is detached and parked at a distance from the working zone. However, investigations from LTA and SMRT showed that SMRT did not apply the locomotive's parking brake. There was also no wheel chock placed to prevent movement along the gradient of the track. If SMRT had followed operating procedures, a roll-back would have been prevented. On 20 March, SMRT announced that it had decided to appeal to the LTA against the fine. In a letter, SMRT said it had provided free shuttle bus services to help affected commuters. SMRT also mobilised more than 300 staff for on-site recovery, crowd management, dissemination of information and preparation for resumption of service. However, on 3 April, LTA turned down SMRT's appeal for a lower fine and ordered SMRT to pay the fine in full within two weeks.
As the name suggests, the station serves the town of Tampines. The station is surrounded by the retail developments of Century Square, Tampines Mall and Tampines 1, in addition to commercial buildings such as the HDB (Housing and Development Board) Branch Office, AIA Tampines, the CPF (Central Provident Fund) Tampines Building and two Income buildings. It is also within walking distances to the Tampines North Community Club, Tampines Polyclinic, Our Tampines Hub and the Masjid Darul Ghufran.
The station also serves two bus interchanges: the Tampines Bus Interchange and the Tampines Concourse Bus Interchange. The latter bus interchange, which opened on 18 December 2016, was built as an extension of the existing bus interchange.
The station is an interchange between the EWL and the DTL. The official station code is EW2/DT32. When it opened, it had the station code of E11 before being changed to the current alphanumeric style in August 2001 as a part of a system-wide campaign to cater to the expanding MRT System. On the EWL, the station is between the Pasir Ris and Simei stations.
The EWL station is opened between 5:00 am and 12:50 am daily and has headways of 2 to 5 minutes depending on peak hours. For the DTL, it operates between 5:20 am and 12:50 am daily and has headways of 2 to 5 minutes depending on peak hours.
On the DTL, the station is between the Tampines West and Tampines East stations. The DTL station is not directly connected to the EWL station and hence commuters have to exit either of the stations to transfer to the other line via a 300-metre (980 ft) sheltered walkway. The transfer is considered a "valid transfer" of a "journey" as long as it does not exceed 15 minutes.
Like most EWL elevated stations on the eastern segment on the line, Tampines station has the notable feature of the dome-shaped roof, segmented like a caterpillar, over the platform level. The design was an attempt by the MRT Corporation (MRTC) to give the stations on the EWL an "attractive look". The colour scheme used for the station is rustic brown, reflected on the doors to the restricted areas and the ceiling trunking box at the platform level of the station.
The DTL station, designed by Greenhilli, is intended to "people-centric" while built at an affordable cost. It is designed to facilitate movement through interconnectivity, spatial volume, asymmetry, colour and "super-graphics". The spacious interior improves visual awareness within the station, fostering "intuitive" wayfinding and giving the station identity that reflects the locality of the area. The architecture of the DTL station allows future integration with upcoming developments, including provisions for additional underground developments above the station structure.
As part of the MRT system's Art-in-Transit Programme, The Big Round & The Tall Long by Studio Juju is an artwork consisting of two huge shapes – the Big Round and the Tall Long – on the opposite walls of the DTL platforms. The Big Round, which is 7 metres (23 ft) in diameter, is "stripped away" from the excessiveness of "form and details", creating a singular, expressive geometry. The Tall Long, which is 9 metres (30 ft) in height, is "buoyant" and "stretches upwards". Both of these shapes reflect the dimensions of the station and "gave polarities" to the nearly symmetrical station, bringing a sense of "calm and order" to the station atmosphere. The shapes were also meant to "fill the void" between the vastness of space and commuters. These shapes, enhanced by the reflecting benches on the platforms, act as wayfinders for passengers travelling around the station.
Additionally, there are a series of murals as part of SMRT's Comic Connect. Created by local artist Kevin Lee, the 4 murals feature Our Tampines Hub (OTH), the Masjid Darul Ghufran, and the Tampines Round Market & Food Centre. Particularly, the Masjid Darul Ghufran mural depicts a fusion of the mosque during the 1990's with its azure blue panelling and in the present. The process behind the artwork involved Lee visiting Tampines to take walks near the mural's subjects, mingling with the residents, and participate in activities.