Today the Land Transport Authority (LTA) placed contract T3206 up for tender. Judging from the contract title, it can be expected that this would concern the conversion of the existing 6-car, 4-doors per side per car line into a 4-car, 5-doors per side configuration. To do this, the signaling system for the line may need to be changed out or upgraded and the platform screen gates and doors changed out to meet the door opening locations as well.
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| Layout & numbering of exits at Sungei Bedok station. |
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| 17 March 2024 - A view of road reconfiguration works looking westwards to Bayshore. |
Contract T312 is for the construction of Sungei Bedok station and associated cut & cover tunnels to the west of the station. These tunnels will house tracks allowing trains to switch directions before or after leaving the station on their westward journeys towards Woodlands North once operational. As a result of the construction technique chosen, there is some incidental space above the tracks which will be sealed up initially. The long-term plan is that this space can eventually be leased out as commercial space - be it for retail, food & beverage or even potentially offices or education centres.
This section of incidental space stretches from the location of the current Upper East Coast bus terminal up to Exits 1 and 2 of the Sungei Bedok station. Due to provisions for fire evacuation once the incidental space is opened up for commercial use in future, several emergency egress points need to be constructed, resulting in the numerous surface structures seen along Upper East Coast Road between the bus terminal and the station building. These structures are often confused by passersby as part of the station building.
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| A map of the Bedok South station with the exits numbered. |
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| 17 March 2024 - A view of Exit 5 in front of Bedok South Horizons build to order precinct. |
Bedok South was in the news recently, when the Land Transport Authority (LTA) updated that phase 5 of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL)'s opening would be pushed from 2025 to 2026 owing to delays at Xilin station. Due to the integrated fire protection system at Sungei Bedok station where the lines intersect, the lines cannot be opened separately. Nonetheless, progress is on track at Bedok South station with all 5 exits now proceeding with construction work well above surface level. We take a look at the progress made over Q1 of the year in greater detail after the jump.
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| 17 March 2024 - Exit 2 of the station in the evening with Bayshore's iconic condominiums towering behind. |
Bayshore station was built under contract T310 by a joint venture between Woh Hup and Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co, both firms that were responsible for other stations on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL)'s phase 4. This station was also the third station along this section of line to be designed by architectural firm SAA Architects, that were also responsible for other stations such as Lentor and Orchard on the TEL's other phases. One noticeable difference in the design of Bayshore station is the open, airy feel of the exits which rely mostly on a metal frame with bits of paneling and roof attached to it - there is barely any concrete used in the design of these exits.
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| 17 March 2024 - A view of the Siglap station site. |
Siglap station is pretty much complete with only some landscaping remaining to be done. Oh, and perhaps a few signs to install. But other than that, the station is completed. Designed by architectural firm SAA Architects, this is the second of the stations designed by the firm that feature exits using a concrete shell encased in cladding. It also happens to be the last of the stations designed by them along this stretch to use this method. With works completed, all that is left to do is to tidy up the site and await for opening day.
