Gul Circle MRT station is an elevated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the East–West Line (EWL). Located in Tuas, western Singapore, the station serves the surrounding industries of JTC Space @ Tuas and Mapletree Pioneer Logistic Hub. The station is operated by SMRT Trains.
First announced in 2011 as Tuas MRT station, it was constructed as part of the Tuas West Extension (TWE). The station began operations on 18 June 2017. At the height of 33 metres (108 ft), the station is the tallest elevated station in Singapore.[2] The station has a stacked island platform arrangement with provisions for an MRT extension to Tuas South, making it the first elevated station in Singapore to have such a configuration.
History
Gul Circle station nearing completion
An extension to Tuas from Joo Koon station was first announced in January 2008 by transport minister Raymond Lim to improve public transport access to Tuas and the Jurong Industrial Estate.[8][9] The station was eventually announced as Tuas station on 11 January 2011, to be constructed as part of the 7.5-kilometre (4.7 mi) Tuas West Extension (TWE) of the East–West Line (EWL).[10] The extension consisted of four stations from Tuas Link to this station.[11][12]
Contract 1668 for the design and construction of Tuas Station was awarded to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co Ltd in November 2011. The S$190million (US$151.1million) contract included the construction of 3.05 kilometres (1.90 mi) of elevated MRT viaducts.[13] Construction started at the end of 2011, with a scheduled completion date of 2016.[14] The station was renamed to Gul Circle through a public poll on 13 April 2012.[6][15]
Initially expected to open in 2016,[11][16] the TWE completion date was pushed to the second quarter of 2017 to allow more time for the testing of the new signalling system implemented for the extension.[17][18] As announced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on 27 April 2017,[4][19][20] the station began operations on 18 June that year.[21][22] Prior to the station's opening, passengers were offered a preview of the station at an open house on 16 June.[23]
Details
Platform C, which is unused
Gul Circle station serves the EWL and is between the Joo Koon and Tuas Crescent stations. The official station code is EW30.[24] Being part of the EWL, the station is operated by SMRT Trains.[25] The station operates between 5:26am and 12:41am.[26] Train frequencies range from 4 to 5 minutes on peak hours and 8 to 9 minutes on non-peak hours.[27]
The three-storey station has a stacked island platform arrangement, with additional side platforms and track provisions for the Tuas South Extension.[13] As the tracks go over the Ayer Rajah Expressway and align with a road viaduct before and after the station respectively, the station has a height of 33 metres (108 ft), making Gul Circle the tallest elevated station in Singapore.[2][28] As of March 2019, however, there were no plans for the south extension due to the lack of developments in Tuas South at the time.[29][30]
Gul Circle station is located in Tuas along Tuas Road near the junction with Gul Circle and Tuas Avenue 3.[1][31] Surrounding landmarks of the station include Tuas Fire Station, JTC Space @ Tuas, Mapletree Pioneer Logistic Hub and Raffles Golf Course.[32] The station will have more amenities and retail developments and is planned to be an interchange with the Cross Island line.[33][34]
^ abcTan, Christopher (3 February 2015). "MRT Tuas West Extension to soar above the ground". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
^"Tuas West Extension Opens on 18 June 2017". Land Transport Authority. 27 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
^ ab"Tuas West Extension MRT stations to open Jun 18". Channel NewsAsia. 27 April 2017. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
^"LTA Invites Public to Suggest Tuas West Extension Station Names | Press Room". www.lta.gov.sg. 22 February 2013. Archived from the original on 15 December 2011.
^ ab"Tuas West Extension Station Names Finalised | Press Room". www.lta.gov.sg. 13 April 2012. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013.
^"Land Transport DataMall". mytransport.sg. Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
^"Speech By Mr Raymond Lim, Minister For Transport, At The Visit To Kim Chuan Depot, 25 January 2008, 9.00 am". nas.gov.sg. Ministry of Transport. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
^"Speech By Mr Raymond Lim, Minister For Transport And Second Minister For Foreign Affairs, At Visit To Bedok MRT Station, 11 January 2011, 11:00 Am At Bedok MRT Station". nas.gov.sg. Ministry of Transport. 18 January 2011. Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
^ ab"Tuas West Extension Stations Unveiled". Land Transport Authority. 11 January 2011. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
^"Tuas West Extension Stations Unveiled Better Connectivity for Workers to Jurong and Tuas Industrial Estates". sla.gov.sg. Land Transport Authority. 11 January 2011. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
^"Tuas West Extension contract awarded to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering". channelnewsasia.com. 3 November 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
^"Tuas West Extension MRT stations named". The Straits Times. 14 April 2012.
^"Factsheet: Four New Stations on Tuas West Extension on Track for Completion by 2016". Land Transport Authority. 29 October 2015. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^"The Rail Report: New Signalling System, Rail Line and Extension and Trains Next Year". Land Transport Authority. 26 October 2016. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^Lim, Kenneth (26 October 2016). "Launch of upgraded signalling system on NSL delayed for more rigorous testing: LTA". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
^Chew, Hui Min (27 April 2017). "4 MRT stations on Tuas West Extension to open on June 18". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^"Tuas West Extension Opens on 18 June 2017". Land Transport Authority. 27 April 2017. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^Lim, Kenneth (16 June 2017). "Tuas West Extension opens after six-month delay". Channel NewsAsia. Mediacorp. Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^Yap, Li Yin (19 June 2017). "First weekday morning operations running smoothly for newly opened Tuas West Extension". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^Cheng, Kenneth (16 June 2017). "Free MRT rides at Tuas West Extension Open House on Friday". Today. Mediacorp. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^"MRT System Map" (PDF). lta.gov.sg. Land Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 August 2020.
^"Getting Around – Public Transport – Rail Network". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
^"Gul Circle – First and last train". SMRT Journeys. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^"Daily MRT train services to commence at four new stations along Tuas West Extension from 18 June 2017". SMRT Corporation Ltd. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^Lim, Adrian (21 May 2017). "MRT escalators hit greater heights". The Straits Times. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
^Abdullah, Zhaki (7 March 2019). "Hume MRT station to open by 2025, says Janil Puthucheary". The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
^Wong, Pei Ting (7 March 2019). "Hume MRT Station to open by 2025, no stations for Tuas South and Jurong Island". Today. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021.
^"Gul Circle – Map". SMRT Journeys. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^"Gul Circle – Exits". SMRT Journeys. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^"Attractive Job Nodes". Urban Redevelopment Authority. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
^"Gul Circle". Urban Redevelopment Authority. JTC Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
External links
Media related to Gul Circle MRT Station at Wikimedia Commons