Circle MRT Line

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The Circle Line (CCL) is the fourth Mass Rapid Transit line and currently under construction in Singapore. The line will be 33.3 km long with 29 stations, and will be operated by SMRT Corporation. Like the North East Line, it will be driverless, fully automatic and entirely underground.

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. Transfer to the North South Line will be provided at Bishan and Dhoby Ghaut stations, East West Line at Paya Lebar and Buona Vista stations, and North East Line at Dhoby Ghaut, Serangoon and HarbourFront stations.

The Circle MRT Line also includes a Downtown Extension (DTE) which is technically part of the line, although it is a forked branch. This is similar to the circumstances surrounding the branched line from Tanah Merah and Changi Airport which is technically part of the East West Line.

1 History
2 Nicoll Highway collapse
3 Status
4 Stations
5 External link

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History

Plans for the Circle Line dates back to the 1980s. Then Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yeo Ning Hong, mentioned 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.

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Nicoll Highway collapse

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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 150 m wide, 100 m long, and 30 m 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 will be completed in 2010 instead. The affected station has been shifted about 100 m away from the accident site and is now located at Republic Avenue.

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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 five stages at an estimated cost of S$6.66 billion. Part of the Circle Line is to be operational by 2008, with the entire line expected to be fully operational by 2010. It was originally scheduled to be completed earlier, with full completion by 2008, however the Nicoll Highway collapse caused a setback which led to an extension of construction time.

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