What You Need To Know About Bencoolen MRT 

Bencoolen MRT is Singapore’s deepest non-interchange MRT station, with Stevens coming in second at 43 meters below ground. It is located beneath Bencoolen Street, near the intersection with Bras Basah Road. The Bencoolen MRT station will service the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore Management University, School of the Arts, and Singapore Art Museum, all located beneath Bencoolen Street. The Circle Line’s Bras Basah station is only a five-minute walk away.

Services

Bencoolen MRT station gets located between Fort Canning and Jalan Besar stations on the Downtown Line (DTL). The station’s official code is DT21. The station is open daily from 6:06 a.m. to 12:12 a.m., with headways ranging from 2 to 5 minutes. The station also has an unpaid connection to the CCL’s neighbouring Bras Basah station.

Station Design

As of 2021, the six-level underground station is 1 meter (3.3 feet) deeper than Promenade station and is the deepest station on the MRT network. The station and tunnels are at that depth to avoid colliding with existing surface infrastructure and other train tunnels along the alignment route. Because the gap between the buildings along the street is 25 meters (82 feet), the station, built by Aedas, is only 22 meters (72 feet) broad and 140 meters (460 feet) long.

Three doors lead into the station. The station’s Exit A gets located inside the NAFA Tower Block, which also houses the SMU’s underpass. The station was built in conjunction with NAFA’s fourth campus, allowing students to access the campus regardless of the weather. Exit B’s glass and frame construction is created in an antique form to “harmonise” with Hotel Rendezvous’ colonial-style facade near the station. The earth-tone colours depict the numerous layers of dirt, emphasising the depth of space. The passenger lifts’ glass walls were stained maroon to simulate a plunge to the Earth’s core.

Station Artwork

An artwork called Tracing Memories gets produced by NAFA students and displayed in the station as part of the MRT system’s Art-in-Transit program, a public art showcase that integrates artworks into the MRT. The piece comprises two murals, each with six figures connected by a thread. The students acquired 800 original images of buildings, items, and people that make up the bodies, drawing inspiration from the local community. Commuters with laptops should head to SMU, while those with art supplies can head to NAFA.

Platforms

Bencoolen station features two platforms in the form of an island platform, with trains running in both directions using both platforms. The air-conditioned station is separated from the tunnel environment by full-height Platform screen doors, which improve commuter safety and station comfort.

Expected train arrival times and messages are displayed on passenger information systems, plasma display panels positioned at each platform.

Concourse

The concourse has faregates for automatic fee collection and access between the station’s paid and unpaid sectors and at least one bidirectional wide-swinging gate for passengers in wheelchairs, carrying heavy objects, or those travelling with prams.