HarbourFront MRT station


HarbourFront MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit interchange station on the North East line and Circle line in Bukit Merah planning area, Singapore, underneath Telok Blangah Road. This station is directly connected to VivoCity, and is the nearest MRT station to Sentosa. The station is also close to HarbourFront Bus Interchange, HarbourFront Centre and the Singapore Cruise Centre.
HarbourFront station is the terminus of both the North East line and Circle line. In 2025, upon the completion of Stage 6 of the CCL, HarbourFront station will be directly linked to Marina Bay station via Singapore's southern coast.
Formerly to be known as World Trade Centre station, the station and surrounding area was renamed to HarbourFront in the wake of the September 2001 terrorist attacks and in tandem with the demolition of exhibition halls. The name characterizes HarbourFront as a gateway to Keppel Harbour, lined with waterfront developments.

Location

HarbourFront station serves the vicinity of HarbourFront, located at the southernmost point of mainland Bukit Merah. The station itself is located in close proximity to HarbourFront Centre and VivoCity. Buses to and from Sentosa originate from the HarbourFront Bus Interchange, located near the station. When the Sentosa Express monorail line to Sentosa began service on 15 January 2007 as a virtual interchange, Sentosa became more effectively linked with most of the towns of Singapore. The station also provides public transport to the prominent tourist destination of Mount Faber.

History

HarbourFront station opened on 20 June 2003 with the rest of the North East line. After VivoCity opened, weekend passenger traffic doubled to more than 60,000 passengers each day, surpassing Dhoby Ghaut, formerly the busiest station on the North East line. Due to the sudden jump in passenger traffic, the number of faregates facing the linkway to VivoCity had to be increased from seven to nine. The Circle line section of the station began revenue service on 8 October 2011, replacing Marymount as a terminal station for the Circle line, thus making HarbourFront station the first and currently the only double-line terminus station in Singapore.
The North East line's overrun tunnel at this station was extended by 50 metres for about S$8.2 million. Works were completed by the end of 2014. The station's operations were unaffected by the works as most of the enhancement works were done away from the station itself.
On LTA's MasterPlan of 2013, its said that the Circle line would extend from HarbourFront, travel through three new stations and then connect with Marina Bay station, hence 'completing the Circle'.

Art in Transit

The station features two sets of artwork under the Art in Transit programme. The interior of the North East line station and walkways to station exits feature the artwork Enigmatic Appearances by Ian Woo. Abstract images on blue enamel panels evoke a sense of open seas, a reference to the station's proximity to the sea. The second piece of artwork, Commuting Waves by Jason Ong, features in the Circle line station. Using commuter traffic data of HarbourFront station on weekdays and weekends, the artist created two sets of two-dimensional glass waveforms resembling fishes, tying in with the station's water theme.

Cultural references

The station was one of four stations featured in the Uniquely Singapore edition of Monopoly.