Changi Airport MRT station

Mass rapid transit station in Singapore

CG2
Changi Airport
樟宜机场
சாங்கி விமானநிலையம்

Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) terminus

Changi Airport station with the illuminated bridge spanning over the platform

General informationLocation70 Airport Boulevard
Singapore 819661^[1]Coordinates1°21′26.54″N 103°59′19.81″E / 1.3573722°N 103.9888361°E / 1.3573722; 103.9888361Operated bySMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Corporation)Line(s)

East–West Line

Platforms2 (1 island platform)Tracks2ConnectionsChangi Airport Bus Terminal, taxiConstructionStructure typeUndergroundPlatform levels1ParkingYes (Changi Airport, Jewel Changi Airport)Bicycle facilitiesYes (Changi Airport)AccessibleYesHistoryOpened8 February 2002; 22 years ago (2002-02-08) (as Changi Branch line)Opening2040; 16 years' time (2040) (Thomson–East Coast line)ElectrifiedYesPassengersJuly 20204799 per day^[2] Services

Preceding station	Mass Rapid Transit			Following station
Expo towards Tanah Merah		East–West Line Changi Airport Line		Terminus

Location

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

Early plans

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

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

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

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

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

Services

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

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

^ "Changi Airport MRT Station (CG2)". OneMap. Singapore Land Authority. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ "Land Transport DataMall". DataMall. Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "New MRT Stations, Line Extensions and a Possible New Rail Line: LTA's 2040 Blueprint". Today. Mediacorp. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
^ "Land Transport Master Plan 2040: Bringing Singapore Together". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
^ "Proposed MRT Stations". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 23 May 1982. p. 1. Retrieved 12 December 2020 – via NewspaperSG.
^ "No Line to the Airport". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 17 November 1983. p. 18. Retrieved 20 February 2022 – via NewspaperSG.
^ "New MRT Sector Under Study". Singapore Monitor. 25 September 1984. p. 1. Retrieved 20 February 2022 – via NewspaperSG.
^ "Airport Survey to Decide MRT Link". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 21 June 1985. p. 11. Retrieved 20 February 2022 – via NewspaperSG.
^ Rav, Dhaliwal (15 January 1986). "Changi MRT Line 'Not Viable'". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 13. Retrieved 20 February 2022 – via NewspaperSG.
^ "New MRT Routes Will Depend on Economic Viability". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 23 March 1989. p. 14.
^ "MRT Link to Airport: Not in Next 10 Years". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 17 May 1991. p. 1. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
^ "No MRT Line to Changi Yet". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 20 March 1992. p. 29. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2022 – via NewspaperSG.
^ Dhaliwal, Rav (2 August 1994). "MRT Extension to Airport Reconsidered". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 1. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
^ "Next Stop: Changi Airport?". The New Paper. Singapore Press Holdings. 2 August 1994. p. 4. Retrieved 12 December 2020 – via NewspaperSG.
^ "Speech by BG (NS) Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister, at the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit Employees' Union (SMRTEU)'s Annual Dinner and Dance at Marina Mandarin Hotel on Friday, 15 November 1996 at 8.00 PM" (PDF). National Archives of Singapore. 15 November 1996. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
^ Tan, Hsueh Yan (16 November 1996). "MRT Line to Be Extended to Changi Airport". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 1. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ Tan, Christopher (12 December 1996). "Changi Airport MRT Line Details". Business Times. p. 1. Retrieved 26 October 2017 – via NewspaperSG.
^ "MRT Line Will Not Go Beyond Passenger Terminals". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 12 December 1996. p. 39. Retrieved 17 October 2019 – via NewspaperSG.
^ "Airport MRT Line: An MP's Persistence Pays Off". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 16 November 1996. p. 29 – via NewspaperSG.
^ "Joint Venture of SembCorp Unit Wins MRT Contract". Business Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 3 November 1998. p. 16. Retrieved 21 December 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
^ ^a ^b Nishi, Shuichi; Nakashima, Yasuyoshi; Izumi, Chitoshi. "Underpinning Works in Construction of MRT Changi Airport Station in Singapore" (PDF). Japan Society of Civil Engineers. Kumagai–Sembcorp Joint Venture. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 October 2020.
^ "CPG Consultants – Changi Airport Mass Rapid Transit Station (MRT)". CPG Consultants. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Speech by Mr Mah Bow Tan, at the Changi Airport Line Ground Breaking Ceremony, 29 Jan 99, 10 AM, Singapore Changi Airport". National Archives of Singapore. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
^ Zhao, Shirlaw & R. 2000, pp. 420, 422.
^ ^a ^b ^c Zhao, Shirlaw & R. 2000, p. 422.
^ Murugamoorthy, C. (2003). Behaviour of Various Support Systems for Deep Excavations, Changi Airport Underground MRT Station (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
^ Seng Kim, Chew (12 August 2001). "Charity Walk to Take Place Underground". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 3.
^ Tan, Terence (9 September 2001). "Tunnel Walk a Hit". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 3.
^ "Completion of the Changi Airport MRT Extension". Ministry of Transport. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Speech by Mr Yeo Cheow Tong at the Opening of the Changi Airport MRT Extension on 27 February 2002". Ministry of Transport. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
^ Chew, Seng Kim (26 August 2002). "Taxi Still the Way to Go for Changi Air Travellers". The Straits Times. p. 5.
^ Phei Phei, Leong (11 March 2002). "Airport Woes for Cabbies". Today. Mediacorp. p. 4. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2020 – via NewspaperSG.
^ ^a ^b "Board MRT to Airport from Tanah Merah". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 18 July 2003. p. 2.
^ Cheong, Kay Teck (2019). Integrating the Planning of Airports and the City. Singapore: Centre for Liveable Cities Singapore. p. 41. ISBN 978-981-14-1385-8.
^ Lim, Adrian (22 July 2016). "Thomson-East Coast MRT Line May Be Extended to Airport". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
^ Chong, Aaron (25 May 2019). "New Stations, Line Extensions Planned for Singapore's Rail Network". CNA. Mediacorp. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
^ "Contract T316". STECS. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
^ "Contract T316 – Schedule of Tenders Received" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
^ "Joint Press Release By Land Transport Authority And Singapore MRT Ltd Atria Wall In Changi Airport MRT Station". Ministry of Transport. 24 July 2002. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
^ "Man Dies at Changi Airport". Today. Mediacorp. 25 September 2003. Retrieved 26 October 2017 – via NewspaperSG.
^ Toh, Ting Wei (17 January 2020). "Crack Found on Track Near Changi Airport MRT Station; Slower Service Expected till Jan 21". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
^ "Slower Train Service to Changi Airport MRT Station Until Jan 21, After Crack Spotted on Track". Today. Mediacorp. 17 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023.
^ ^a ^b "MRT System Map" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 August 2020.
^ Salim, Shazalina (3 August 2001). "Red, Green and Grey". Today. Mediacorp. p. 9. Retrieved 21 August 2020 – via NewspaperSG.
^ "MRT & LRT System Map" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
^ "Getting Around – Public Transport – Rail Network". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
^ "Boon Lay to Expo: MRT Now Running". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 20 December 2001. p. 4.
^ "Gradual Introduction of Boon Lay–Expo Stations Through Service". SMRT Corporation. 12 November 2001. Archived from the original on 20 August 2002. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
^ "Changi Airport – First and Last Trains". SMRT Journeys. SMRT Corporation. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
^ "Tanah Merah – First and Last Trains". SMRT Journeys. SMRT Corporation. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
^ "Getting to the Airport". Singapore Changi Airport. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
^ Lee, Jian Xuan (25 August 2014). "New Platform at Tanah Merah MRT Station for Trains to Expo, Changi Airport in 2024". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
^ "New Platform at Tanah Merah MRT Station for Faster Travel to Expo and Changi Airport". Land Transport Authority. 25 August 2014. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
^ Zhao, Shirlaw & R. 2000, p. 421.
^ ^a ^b "Changi International Airport – Rail Terminal". Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. 14 December 2021. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Changi Airport MRT Station Designed for Travellers". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 11 February 1988. p. 1. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
^ "Station Stories: Changi Airport MRT Station". The SMRT Blog. SMRT Corporation. 28 April 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
^ "More MRT Stops Ready for Disabled". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 24 December 2002. p. 1. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
^ "Tactile Guiding System: Studs and Strips to Guide Your Way". Land Transport Authority. 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^ Zhao, Shirlaw & R. 2000, p. 423.
^ Goh, Sushma (2018). RE:think – Designing For Wayfinding (PDF). Land Transport Authority. p. 24.
^ ^a ^b ^c Bussel, Abby (2000). SOM Evolutions: Recent Work of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Boston: Birkhäuser. p. 152. ISBN 0-8176-6072-0. OCLC 43227468.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Changi Airport Glass Atria". Meinhardt. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
^ "Singapore Changi Airport MRT Station Design & Construction of Glass Atria" (PDF). Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
^ "The American Architectural Awards (2004 Archive)" (PDF). The Chicago Athenaeum. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
^ "15 of the Most Beautiful Subway Stops in the World". BootsnAll Travel Articles. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.

Sources

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.