Raffles Place MRT

Everything I Know About Raffles Place MRT

The station has been part of the original MRT network’s early proposals as a Central MRT station since 1982. The Singapore River had to get drained to construct the tunnels between City Hall and Raffles Place stations. With the MRT extension to Outram Park station, the Raffles Place MRT station opened on December 12, 1987. Cross-platform transfers between the NSL and EWL began on October 28, 1989, one day before the MRT’s eastern line extension to Tanah Merah station opened on November 4, dividing the network into two lines.

At the mouth of the Singapore River, Raffles Place MRT station serves the same-named financial district. The neighborhood was in the core of Singapore’s financial center, with low-rise buildings housing mercantile offices, banks, and trade companies in the past, which have made way for Singapore’s tallest office skyscrapers. Raffles Place Park, located directly above the station on the street level, is a green oasis hidden within Singapore’s renowned cityscape.

Meta Description

Raffles Place MRT station is an underground MRT interchange station in Singapore’s Downtown Core, serving the North-South Line (NSL) and the East-West Line (EWL).

Station Details

It features two platform levels, similar to the neighboring City Hall station, to facilitate its position as an NSL/EWL interchange. Through services operated from Yishun to Lakeside stations before the MRT eastern extension to Tanah Merah station and the Marina Bay southern extension on November 4, 1989. Commuters get practice transferring between the two routes a few days before the opening, on October 28. Commuters from Yishun had to alight at either Raffles Place or City Hall to continue their journey to Lakeside or vice versa. Staff from the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC) were stationed at the stations to assist travelers, advertising campaigns, and transfer guides.

The station now has four underground floors, including an additional shopping floor. Ten entrances are available at the station. The façade of three gates gets modeled after prominent colonial-style buildings in the region, including the John Little department store and the former Mercantile Bank. Raffles Place Park, Merlion Park, Asian Civilisations Museum, Telok Ayer Market, The Fullerton Hotel, One Raffles Place, Prudential Tower, OCBC Centre, and Raffles Quay are just a few of the local landmarks and commercial projects served by these gateways.

Concourse

Raffles Place was upgraded to TITAN fare gates in October 2014, replacing both 1st and 2nd generation faregates. The concourse and the platforms below get linked by escalators and lifts. Some escalators go straight to Basement 3, and others go straight to Basement 4, and commuters should follow the signs to the relevant escalator. Toilets can get found near the Passenger Service Centre in the station’s unpaid sections. 7-Eleven and EC House are among the retail stores that occupy Basement 1 at the Raffles Xchange.

Patterns of Passenger Usage

Raffles Place connects the North-South Line and the East-West Line. The station, located in the City Centre, serves numerous nearby office buildings and other attractions and is a primary transportation hub for NSL/EWL passengers. As a result, the station experiences high demand throughout the day, particularly during peak hours, but moderate demand on weekends.