Platforms Triple Island Connections Bus, Taxi | Tracks 4 | |
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Location 10 Jurong East Street 12
Singapore 609690 Operated by SMRT Trains (SMRT Corporation) Line(s) North South Line
East West Line | ||
Jurong East MRT Station (NS1/EW24) is an above-ground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station that is part of the North South Line (Branch Line before 1996) and the East West Line in Jurong East, Singapore, and serves as an interchange station between the two lines. Currently, it is the only interchange station in the system to be entirely elevated, as it does not serve any underground lines.
Contents
It is located at the eastern end of Jurong East, linking residential precincts Yuhua and Teban Gardens, as well as the International Business Park and Toh Tuck to the rest of the island through rail. Since the opening of Jem, JCube, Westgate and Big Box, the station has had the highest passenger traffic of the MRT stations in the west.
On the North South Line, it is the first station for south-bound trains and the last station for north-bound trains. On the East West Line, it is between Chinese Garden and Clementi. During the morning and evening peak periods, trains arrive directly from Ulu Pandan Depot to start service on the North South Line. This station was also the first station to make announcements about train services when the Branch Line opened in 1990.
Jurong East Modification Project
The Jurong East Modification Project (JEMP) was a key infrastructural upgrading project involving the construction of two new platforms and a new track at Jurong East, allowing two trains along the North South Line to enter and depart the station at the same time. Previously, trains had to take turns to arrive and depart from the station using a shared middle track. The new platforms and track allow for shorter train intervals, reducing waiting times and reducing the crowding in trains. It was built in conjunction with the purchase of 22 C151A trains, which together, would increase the carrying capacity of the North South Line and East West Line.
Originally projected to be opened in 2012, then Minister for Transport, Mr Raymond Lim, announced on 12 February 2009 that the date was pushed forward by a year, to 2011. Construction started in 2009 and was completed and handed to the operator at around the first quarter of 2011, with the new platforms and track being tested since then, before the announcement on 16 May 2011 about its operation date on 27 May 2011.
In addition, the original platforms; A (East-bound), B (West-bound), C and D (South-bound), were renamed to C (Eastbound to Pasir Ris) and F (Westbound to Joo Koon) and D and E (Southbound to Marina South Pier) respectively, with the new platforms being named A (Peak-hour Southbound train service on the former Branch Line or North South Line to Marina South Pier) and B (Eastbound train services to Pasir Ris and Changi Airport via Tanah Merah interchange).
During the initial operation period, the new platforms and track were only operated on weekdays except public holidays, during the morning peak hour period, from 7:00am to 9:00am, as there were only five new C151A trains ready for revenue service. Evening peak hour operation from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on weekdays started from 27 December 2011 while the morning peak hour period was extended to end an hour later at 10:00am after the next batch of trains became ready for revenue service.
Low noise barriers were also installed to reduce the amount of noise generated for the residents.
Exits
Eastern Concourse (built under the JEMP project) - Jem Shopping Mall, Big Box (Venture Avenue)
Western Concourse (built separately and installed TITAN faregates at the earliest opportunity) - JCube, Westgate, Jurong East Bus Interchange, IMM Building (accessible by shuttle bus of 10 - 15 mins, if not Bus 52, 105, 333 and 990)
Other facilities
The station was retrofitted with half-height platform screen doors in 2009 which commenced operations on 18 December 2009. It was the third above-ground station to have half-height platform screen doors installed and in operation. Platform screen doors were also installed for the new platforms from the JEMP and went into operation on 27 May 2011.
The station has the most MJ Air Tech High Volume, Low Speed (HVLS) Pro-Jet fans installed due to station's size, out of the 36 elevated stations. The fans commenced operations on 30 June 2012 together with Ang Mo Kio.
Jurong East also has the largest number of service ambassadors and CCTV cameras due to the stations large size.
Bomb hoax
On 4 February 2005, a 29-year-old man, Mak Hoy Meng went up to an SMRT employee at this station and gave him two handwritten notes that declared there was a bomb at one of the stations.
The restaurant supervisor told Yeow Meng Chai that he saw a man drop the notes and even described the fellow in detail, down to the brand of the bag he was carrying. But under questioning by the police, he admitted he had written them himself and there were no bombs. His story came apart when his description differed in later versions. By then, police officers had searched extensively for the man. However, trains were not stopped.
On 10 March 2005, he pleaded guilty under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Regulations to trying to hoax Yeow about a bomb on 4 February 2005 at 8 pm, and was jailed for 2 1⁄2years.
He admitted that at the time he tried to fool Yeow, he was disgruntled with the police and society in general, because he had been charged with theft and was out on bail. The theft charge – stealing $50 from a restaurant was considered during sentencing.
Murder
A 62-year-old woman was found injured at the station at about 2:35 pm on 24 November 2011. The woman was taken to the National University Hospital where she subsequently died from her injuries. Police subsequently arrested a 55-year-old man for the alleged murder the following day.
In popular culture
The station appeared as one of the four MRT stations in the original Singapore edition of the board game Monopoly.