Speech by Minister of State for Law and Transport, Mr Murali Pillai SC at the Opening of Hume Station

Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Gan Kim Yong,

SMS Low Yen Ling,

Mr Jeffrey Sim, Group CEO of SBS Transit,

Parliamentary Colleagues,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1.     Good afternoon. Really delighted to be here. Thank you for joining us today at the opening of Hume MRT Station.

2.     Today is a very interesting day, because exactly four years ago, ground breaking ceremony for this station was held.

a.     Both DPM Gan and SMS Low may remember attending that ceremony to kickstart the works on Hume station.

b.     Grateful that they are both here today to witness the completion of this project.

c.     It is indeed a momentous occasion, thinking about how far we’ve come, and finally seeing our commuters coming through to use this station.

Building of Hume Station

3.     As mentioned by Ms Low, the journey of Hume Station actually began even before 2021. It was because of some forward thinking, because we had a shell station that was built.

a.     At that time when it was built, we were quite sure that it was a matter of time before this area was developed, even if there was some uncertainty about the timing. If there was no station here, we might have problems serving this area in the future. But opening up a station when there were few passengers is costly – not just financially, but also in terms of the additional wear and tear on the assets, and in maintenance.

b.     So we made plans that gave us an option later, and when we started on this project, it greatly reduced the time needed to build and open the station when the time was right.

c.     With the redevelopment of the Rail Corridor, firm plans to transform the nearby Bukit Timah Fire Station into a community node, and much encouragement from the local Advisers such as Ms Low, LTA knew that it was time.

d.     In 2021, we started work to deliver a brand new Hume Station for our residents.

4.     Building Hume station came with its unique challenges.

a.     To build up the rest of the station, we actually had to start from inside out. When works first started, there was no access to the station box from the ground level. We had to creatively utilise the Downtown Line itself to deliver construction material from both Gali Batu depot and Hillview station to Hume Station.

b.     We also needed to carry out complex technical works to integrate various systems – such as power, signalling and communications – to the rest of the Downtown Line without disrupting passenger service.

c.     Most of these works, as well as the extensive testing required before opening the station, had to be done during the limited engineering hours lasting only a few hours every night.

5.     So I want to thank and convey my sincere appreciation to colleagues from LTA, SBST, as well as the engineers, contractors and partners involved in this project, for their hard work in overcoming all of these challenges in building the station. Their efforts and strong support allowed us to complete testing slightly ahead of schedule, and open Hume station, again, earlier than expected.

Benefits of Hume station

6.     I also want to sincerely thank our residents for their patience, as they waited for Hume Station to open.

a.     Instead of transferring at Hillview or Beauty World Stations, residents in this area will now have a faster, more direct way to get to their destinations.

b.     For example, residents travelling to Downtown Station can now get there in around 30 minutes, saving up to 15 minutes of travel time.

c.     Commuters from other parts of Singapore will also be able to visit attractions in the area, such as the Former Ford Factory and the Rail Corridor, more easily by MRT.

7.     As a brand new station, Hume is equipped with the latest features based on what we have learnt from building our newer lines.

a.     This includes barrier-free accessibility and improved commuter safety at the lifts and escalators, such as having a mirror on the lift car rear panel, to aid wheelchair users when reversing out of the lift.

b.     We have also incorporated wayfinding signages in a format similar to those currently used in the stations along the Thomson East Coast Line – these signages have been designed to allow for easier navigation by commuters, and we will continue to incorporate them in new stations going forward.

c.     Hume station has also achieved the BCA Green Mark Gold Certification, with features such as rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, and a hybrid cooling system.

Enhancing the Downtown Line

8.     We are not done yet with extending the Downtown Line.

a.     The Downtown Line is currently Singapore’s longest underground and automated MRT line. With the opening of Hume station today, it now has 35 stations spanning 42km.

b.     Next year, an extension to the eastern end of the line will open with two more stations – Xilin and Sungei Bedok. It will also connect the Downtown Line to the Thomson-East Coast Line.

c.     And just last month, LTA announced the alignment and station locations for the Downtown Line 2 extension, which will extend the north-western end of the line from Bukit Panjang station to a new interchange station with the North-South Line by 2035.

d.     These additions will extend the DTL to 48km, with 39 stations serving more than half a million commuters daily.

9.     These extensions are an example of our ongoing efforts to not only improve connectivity for commuters, but also the resilience of our rail network across the island.

a.     Having more stations and interchanges not only helps to better distribute the load across the MRT network, but also provides alternative routes in the event of rail disruptions.

b.     We will continue to press on with the planned expansions in our rail network over the next decade, to increase our capacity, provide more transport options, and further improve our rail resilience.

Conclusion

10.    Today marks yet another step in our journey towards achieving our Land Transport Master Plan target of eight in ten households being within a 10-minute walk of a train station by the 2030s.

11.    Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone – our planners, engineers, architects, and technicians – who have contributed in one way or another to this project, for working with us to keep Singapore moving.

12.    We are also grateful to the residents and Advisers in this area for your strong support over the years, which has helped us to achieve a smooth opening of Hume station.

13.    With everyone’s support, we will be able to continue building a safe, reliable, and resilient rail system that we can all be proud of.

14.    Thank you.