Springleaf MRT station

History

The station was first announced as part of the 22-station Thomson Line (TSL) on 29 August 2012. In November 2013, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) awarded Contract T208 for the design and construction of Springleaf Station and associated tunnels to Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited (Singapore Branch) – John Holland Pty Ltd Joint Venture (JV) at . The station's construction began in 2014, with a scheduled completion date of 2020.

Another contract for the construction of bored tunnels from Seletar Expressway to Springleaf station (alongside other facilities) was awarded to Shimizu Corporation at a sum of S$189.8 million (US$ million) in January 2014. On 15 August 2014, the LTA announced that the TSL would merge with the Eastern Region Line to form the Thomson–East Coast Line (TEL). Springleaf station, part of the proposed line, would be constructed as part of TEL 2, consisting of six stations between this station and Caldecott.

Springleaf station was built only 7 m away from the shophouses located along Upper Thomson Road. To minimise ground movement and any damage to the shophouses, cement was mixed into the ground while an earth-retaining stabilising structure was installed to strengthen the soil. Cranes and heavy machinery had to be carefully installed, with restricted movements to avoid endangering the shophouses and patrons. Barriers were installed to minimise noise pollution, and workers draped noise curtains on heavy machinery. Meanwhile, the LTA collaborated closely with the power supplier PowerGrid to construct a cable tunnel through the station.

With restrictions imposed on construction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the TEL 2 completion date was pushed to 2021. On 14 December 2020, it was announced that the opening of TEL 2 had been delayed to the third quarter of 2021 so the rail system software for the line could be reviewed. As announced during a visit by Transport Minister S. Iswaran at Caldecott station on 30 June 2021, the station began operations on 28 August 2021.

The King of Malaysia Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor visited the station on 7 May 2024 during his state visit to Singapore.

Details

Springleaf station serves the TEL of the Singapore MRT system. Between the Woodlands South and Lentor stations, the official station code is TE4. Being part of the TEL, the station is operated by SMRT Trains; train frequencies on the TEL range from 3 to 6 minutes.

The station has three entrances that serve the Springleaf Nature Park, Thong Soon residential estate and the shophouses along Upper Thomson Road. The station will also serve future housing developments in the area.

The Art-in-Transit artwork for the station Tree of Memories is displayed on the station's lift shaft. The artwork depicts shophouses in the vicinity enveloped by a banyan tree that can be seen at the nearby Springleaf Nature Park, intended to illustrate the "spatial connection" between people and nature.

References

References

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4. Sim, Royston. (29 August 2012). "New Thomson MRT line to open from 2019, and have 22 stations".
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6. (13 February 2020). "LTA Awards Two Contracts for Thomson Line's Springleaf and Upper Thomson Stations". [[Land Transport Authority]] <!--.
7. (13 September 2018). "Construction of Springleaf Station and Tunnel for Thomson-East Coast Line Contract T208". Leighton Asia.
8. (24 January 2014). "Civil Contract Awarded for the Construction of Thomson Line's Tunnels to Springleaf Station". [[Land Transport Authority]] <!--.
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12. (16 August 2021). "'More than a day to bore through 10cm of rock': Making Stage 2 of the Thomson-East Coast Line a reality".
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16. Ho, Grace. (14 December 2020). "Stage 2 of Thomson-East Coast Line to be delayed by another six months to Q3 2021: LTA".
17. (14 December 2020). "Stage 2 of Thomson-East Coast Line to be delayed by another six months".
18. (14 December 2020). "Second stage of Thomson-East Coast Line further delayed to third quarter next year".
19. Abdullah, Zhaki. (30 June 2021). "Second stage of Thomson-East Coast Line to begin operations on Aug 28".
20. Begum, Shabana. (28 August 2021). "Commuters on first trains at new TEL2 stations reminisce about inaugural 1980s MRT rides".
21. Ting, Wong Pei. (7 May 2024). "Malaysia's King wraps up state visit to S'pore with focus on connections and connectivity".
22. (22 November 2020). "King, Queen Briefed on Progress of RTS Link Project in Singapore".
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25. Lee, Nian Tjoe. (5 March 2024). "TEL Stage 4 from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore to open for passenger service on June 23".
26. "Springleaf – Exits".
27. (28 August 2021). "Factsheet: Thomson–East Coast Line Stage 2 to Welcome Commuters from 28 August 2021". [[Land Transport Authority]] <!--.
28. Ng, Keng Gene. (6 June 2022). "Natural and built heritage to be conserved as Springleaf forested area is developed".
29. Wei, Toh Ting. (20 August 2021). "Unique designs, seats with backrest among features at new Thomson-East Coast Line stations".
30. (20 August 2021). "Banyan trees and bulbuls: How Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 2 stations were inspired by nature".
31. "Art in Transit". [[Land Transport Authority]] <!--.