Everything About Canberra MRT Station That’s Opening on 2 Nov 2019

It’s been a while since the opening of the Downtown Line but man, it’s truly a lifesaver for a significant number of people.

With many more lines to come, I can’t wait for the day the whole of Singapore is seamlessly interconnected.

Here’s a look at the projected MRT map by 2030:

Image: HengArIKeat2bPM/ Reddit

I’m most excited about the direct train from my house to Changi Airport; pretty sure it’ll be worth the long wait.

But for those residing in Canberra, the wait for your very own MRT station will soon be over.

Canberra MRT station slated to open on 2 November

Image: Khaw Boon Wan/ Facebook

According to Channel NewsAsia, Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan recently took to Facebook to announce that Canberra MRT station is expected to operate from 2 November onward.

Canberra MRT station will be situated between existing stations – Sembawang and Yishun.

As for those residing between Bukit Batok to Sembawang, your journey to Town might increase by a few minutes.

This is in addition to the 6 minute-long travel between Yio Chu Kang and Khatib MRT station which could have housed Singapore’s very own Disney Land.

Instead, all we have is an Empty (slot of) Land.

Image: Giphy

It was also reported that a 72m crossover track had to be built to connect the existing track to and from the station. This enables trains to cross from one track to another when required, thereby minimizing train disruptions and hate comments online.

Image: Khaw Boon Wan/ Facebook

What to expect

With the new Canberra MRT station, residents in the vicinity can now save on bus trips to nearby stations. This could mean waking up a few minutes later in the morning – a few minutes go a long way!

The station is said to have five entrances, sheltered walkways to bus stops, numerous bicycle parking lots and will be the first elevated MRT station to offer direct access to the train platform via a link bridge across Canberra Link.

Fun fact: Canberra MRT station is the second one to be constructed on an existing line, after Dover. Anyone else remembers days when there were no Dover MRT Station?