The time has finally come – as of today, the brand new Punggol Coast MRT station is now open, sitting at the top-most end of the North East Line (NEL), also colloquially referred to by Singaporeans as the 'purple line'. This puts the total number of train stations along the NEL at 17, spanning a total distance of 22 kilometres. While it’s not quite the level of expansion that was seen earlier in 2024 with the seven new TEL (brown line) stations, this one seemingly small addition makes more difference than one might give credit for.
According to the Land Transport Authority of Singapore, the opening of this new station means that a total of over 200,000 homes in Singapore are now within a 10-minute walk of a NEL MRT station. Trips to town – specifically from Punggol North to Orchard or Outram Park – will soon be slashed by 15 minutes, with a total duration of 45 minutes compared to the current one hour.
Punggol Coast station is also of convenient walking distance from the future Punggol Coast Mall, set to be a one-stop hub for shopping, dining, and hanging out. While there's no known official opening date for the shopping mall at time of writing, its 120-odd retailers should soon be welcoming visitors in the weeks to come, so Punggol dwellers have double the reason to celebrate.
It’s not just residents of this neighbourhood who stand to gain from Punggol Coast MRT station's opening, though. The train station is also a stone’s throw from the new Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) university campus and JTC's Punggol Digital District business park – offering easier access for students and professionals from all across the island who need to travel to the area for school or work.
If you happen to be at this new train station, keep your eyes peeled for a large-scale art piece by local artist, Zul Othman (also known as ZERO), titled 'Trajectories'. Stretching all the way to the ceiling, this colourful artwork represents the past, present, and future of the Punggol estate.
Other features of the station include sheltered linkways to bus stops, taxi stands, and pick-up/drop-off points in the vicinity, and over 300 free-to-use bicycle parking spaces. Armed with energy-efficient features like a hybrid cooling system, automatic dual speed escalators, lifts with a sleep mode, and LED lighting, Punggol Coast MRT station is also the first one in Singapore with a public space right at its entrance where community events will be held.
Punggol Coast MRT station officially opens to the public today, December 10, 2024, at 3pm. There haven’t been any preview sessions announced so far, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that there will be a day of free rides to celebrate this opening – just like what passengers got to enjoy with the new TEL openings earlier in June.
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