Tanjong Katong MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the Thomson–East Coast Line (TEL) in Singapore. Located underneath Amber Road at the intersection with Tanjong Katong Road South and Meyer Road, the station serves nearby condominiums such as Aalto and King's Mansion. The station is operated by SMRT Trains.
First announced in August 2014 as Amber MRT station, the station was renamed following a public poll in 2016. Six houses and an apartment were acquired for the station's construction, despite opposition from the owners over compensation disputes. Tanjong Katong station commenced operations on 23 June 2024 along with the other stations of TEL Phase 4.
Built with a stacked platform configuration, the station features circular skylights and a leaf-shaped ceiling over the concourse. An Art In Transit artwork The Waters Are Blue, Yet I Pine For You by Sim Chi Yin is displayed at this station, along with a mural entitled Riding the Waves of Change by students from Tanjong Katong Girls School.
History
Tanjong Katong station under construction in April 2019
The station was first announced as Amber MRT station on 15 August 2014. It would be part of the proposed Thomson–East Coast Line (TEL) and constructed as part of Phase 4, consisting of eight stations between Founders' Memorial and Bayshore.[2][3] The station was renamed to Tanjong Katong station through a public poll in 2016.[4]
The contract for the design and construction of Tanjong Katong station was awarded to Woh Hup (Private) Limited for S$146 million in April 2016. Construction was scheduled to commence in that year with a targeted completion date of 2023.[5][6] Six semi-detached houses along Amber Road and a three-storey apartment block along Tanjong Katong Road were acquired to build the station by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). The acquisition was opposed by the affected residents as they felt the 18-month period for relocation was "too tight" and the compensation sum too low.[7][8] In April 2016, two residents still stayed at the apartment block while the owners sought more compensation through the Appeals Board (Land Acquisition). The owner of Sin Aik Provision shop at the ground floor claimed he needed more time to move out the goods and find a new shop space. However, the SLA rejected the request as it would delay the TEL construction beyond 2023, and gave the owners until 31 May to move out or face eviction.[9][10]
Initially expected to open in 2023, the restrictions on the construction of the station due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to delays, and the date was pushed to 2024.[11] On 5 March 2024, the LTA announced that the station will open on 23 June that year[12][13] with an open house event being held on 21 June to allow commuters to familiarise themselves with the new station.[14]
Details
Platform A of the station
Tanjong Katong station serves the TEL and is between the Katong Park and Marine Parade stations, with an official station code of TE25.[15][16] As part of the TEL, the station is operated by SMRT Trains.[17] Located underneath Amber Road near the junction of Tanjong Katong Road South and Meyer Road,[18][19] the station has three entrances serving nearby private residential properties including the Aalto, Amber Skye, King's Mansion, and One Amber.[20]
Due to land constraints, the station has a stacked platform configuration.[21] The station box has a depth of 25 metres (82 ft).[22] Circular skylights over the escalators allow natural illumination of the station in daytime.[23] Two of the station entrances have green roofs with solar panels.[24] The leaf-shaped ceiling of the ticketing concourse is inspired by the history of Tanjong Katong.[25] Like the other TEL4 stations, hybrid cooling fans at the platforms complement the station's air-conditioning to improve air circulation while lowering energy consumption.[26]
The Waters Are Blue, yet I Pine for You by Sim Chi Yin is displayed at this station as part of the Art in Transit programme, a showcase of public artworks on the MRT network.[27] The artwork, which the title was derived from the first stanza of local folk songDi Tanjung Katong,[27] is a 11.3 m (37 ft) collage on a three-storey wall near the escalators connecting the station's main concourse to the upper and lower platforms.[28] To portray Tanjong Katong's past and memories, the work combines archival photographs with Sim's images of the present,[27] superimposed over a photo of the former Big Splash water park.[28] Other images depict the local swimming clubs in the area, Kampong Amber and the endangered Katong turtles.[27] Sim had expressed interest in the area's "hidden histories" and used visual motifs to highlight gaps in the archives and official histories, which was a recurring theme in her work.[28]
Another mural, Riding the Waves of Change by Tanjong Katong Girls School students, depicts the development of Katong from a Peranakanenclave to present urbanised neighbourhood. According to the students, the recurring motifs of the Katong turtle symbolises Katong's history and its "commitment to sustainability" as Katong "rides the waves of change".[29]
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