Paya Lebar MRT Station

EW8CC9
Paya Lebar
巴耶利峇 | பாய லேபார்
Station exit A
Address 30 Paya Lebar Road, Singapore 409006 (EWL)
15 Paya Lebar Road, Singapore 409049 (CCL)
Lines Served   East West Line
  Circle Line
Operator SMRT Trains (EWL & CCL)
Structure Elevated (EWL)
Underground (CCL)
Platform Island (EWL)
Double Island (CCL)
Opened 4 Nov 1989 (EWL)
17 Apr 2010 (CCL)

Paya Lebar MRT Station (EW8/CC9) is an interchange station along the East-West Line (EWL) and Circle Line (CCL). It is built along Paya Lebar Road, near the junction with Sims Avenue. Connecting the elevated EWL station with the underground CCL station, it was the first elevated-underground interchange station built.

The station is named after the Paya Lebar estate located where Paya Lebar Air Base is now, whose name in Malay refers to a “broad swampland”, an apt description of the area in its early days. Paya Lebar Station is misleadingly named, located far from the original estate, but its role as a major transport node has influenced the misnaming of nearby buildings such as Paya Lebar Square.

Paya Lebar Station serves the Geylang East area, with a mix of commercial, industrial and residential developments. It is located near Aljunied, Eunos and Geylang East Industrial Estates, and within walking distance of housing estates at Geylang Serai and Haig Road. Nearby shopping malls include Paya Lebar Square, Tanjong Katong Complex, City Plaza and Kinex.


First / Last Train Timings

East West Line – (EW8) Paya Lebar
Destination First Train Last Train
Weekdays & Sat Sun & Public Holidays Daily
EW1 Pasir Ris 6:12am 6:40am 12:22am
Connecting to CG2 Changi Airport 11:38pm
EW33 Tuas Link 5:47am 6:13am 11:43pm
Circle Line – (CC9) Paya Lebar
Destination First Train Last Train
Weekdays & Sat Sun & Public Holidays Daily
CC1 Dhoby Ghaut 5:40am 6:07am 11:49pm
CC7 Mountbatten 12:26am
CC29 HarbourFront 5:40am 6:07am 11:04pm
CC26 Pasir Panjang 11:34pm
CC23 one-north 11:50pm
CC17 Caldecott 12:18am
CC11 Tai Seng 12:26am

 


Station Layout

L2 EWL Platform A East West Line towards EW1 Pasir Ris
EWL Platform B East West Line towards EW33 Tuas Link
L1 Street level Bus stops, Taxi stand, pick-up/drop-off point
EWL Ticket Concourse Faregates, Ticketing Service Kiosks, Passenger Service Centre
B1 CCL Ticket Concourse Faregates, Ticketing Service Kiosks, Passenger Service Centre
B2 CCL Platform A Circle Line towards CC29NE1 HarbourFront
CCL Platform C Circle Line terminating trains, alighting only
Circle Line towards CC26 Pasir Panjang (Weekday Peak Hours)
CCL Platform D Circle Line terminating trains, alighting only
Circle Line towards CC26 Pasir Panjang (Weekday Peak Hours)
CCL Platform B Circle Line towards CC1NS24NE6 Dhoby Ghaut
Circle Line towards CE2NS27TE20 Marina Bay (Peak Hours)

Platforms

East West Line (L2):
Platform A: East West Line towards EW1  Pasir Ris via EW7 Eunos (→)
Platform B: East West Line towards EW33 Tuas Link via EW9 Aljunied (←)

Paya Lebar station’s elevated East West Line platform level has two platforms in an island platform arrangement.

A new wing at the West end of the station accommodates escalators and stairs that lead directly to the Circle Line concourse and serves as a paid link between the EWL and CCL.

Circle Line (B2):
MRT_rail (2)
Platform A: Circle Line towards CC29NE1 HarbourFront via CC10DT26 MacPherson (→)
Platform C:
Circle Line terminating trains, alighting only
Circle Line towards CC26 Pasir Panjang via CC10DT26 MacPherson (Weekday Peak Hours) (→)
MRT_rail (2)
Platform D:
Circle Line terminating trains, alighting only
Circle Line towards CC26 Pasir Panjang via CC10DT26 MacPherson (Weekday Peak Hours) (→)
Platform B:
Circle Line towards CC1NS24NE6 Dhoby Ghaut via CC8 Dakota (←)
Circle Line towards CE2NS27TE20 Marina Bay via CC8 Dakota (Peak Hour Alternate Trains) (←)
MRT_rail (2)

The underground Circle Line platform level has four platforms in a double island platform arrangement, the first time this design was used in an underground station. Platforms A and C are grouped together on one island, while Platforms B and D are grouped on the other island.

The middle track is served by both Platforms C and D and is used to facilitate train withdrawals to the nearby Kim Chuan Depot. During weekday morning and evening peak hours, shuttle train services plying between Paya Lebar and Pasir Panjang will turnaround at the middle track. At other hours, withdrawal trains arriving from MacPherson will terminate at Paya Lebar, alighting passengers at the middle platform before deadheading back to Kim Chuan Depot.

The middle platform can also be to turn trains around during a train disruption.

Concourse

East West Line and Circle Line station concourses are at Level 1 and Basement 1 respectively

The CCL concourse level is also equipped with an unpaid corridor which allows pedestrians to commute between CCL station exits without having to enter the rail network. The roof of the middle track also functions as a linkbridge, which connect to the lifts serving both island platforms.

Toilets are located in the unpaid areas of both concourse levels, situated near the Passenger Service Centres. There are retail shops within unpaid areas of both EWL and CCL concourses.

CCL Art in Transit: “The Signs of Times” by Salleh Japar

The artwork traces and reflect the development and the surrounding Paya Lebar precinct; its histories and landmarks through signs, emblems and motifs from its early beginnings to a customizing new city spaces via various images of the advertising logos, shop fronts, traffic lights signs, posters stickers, graffiti writings and road markings. In this artwork, the logo types represent the periods of the district from the rural kampong community to its present status as a satellite town. The pictographic symbol includes packed stacking pigs waiting to be feed, the community tap, the wireless tower, dhoby drying laundry, low flying airplane landing and taking off from nearby airport, cultural icons and the iconic post office complex, The Signs of Times aims to make viewers relax, smile and dream and at the same time share the special bond with history that made this area memorable to those who have lived and to those who visited the area.

Civil Defence shelter

Paya Lebar CCL station is one of eleven stations along the Circle Line designated as Civil Defence (CD) shelters, which will be activated in times of national emergency. Apart from reinforced construction, the stations are designed and equipped with facilities to ensure the shelter environment is tolerable for all shelterees during shelter occupation. These facilities include protective blast doors, decontamination facilities, ventilation systems, power and water supply systems and a dry toilet system.


Station Amenities

  • Public Toilets at Concourse Level (EWL – L1; CCL – B1)
  • Retail Shops at Concourse Level (EWL – L1; CCL – B1)
  • Bicycle racks at station exits
  • ATMs and Self-service Machines at concourse level (EWL – L1; CCL – B1)

Exits

Paya Lebar MRT station has five exits at ground level (A, B, C, D and E), all of which provide barrier-free accessibility.
Exit B also leads to Basement 1 of Paya Lebar Square.

Exits A & E are part of the East West Line station, while Exits B, C, D & F at the Circle Line station.

Exit Location Nearby
A Paya Lebar Square
(Street level)
Certis Cisco Centre, Geylang United Temple, Lifelong Learning Institute, Paya Lebar Road, Paya Lebar Square, SingPost Centre
B Paya Lebar Square
(Level 1 / Basement 1)
C Paya Lebar Road Aljunied Industrial Estate, Foo Hai Ch’an Monastery, Geylang East Industrial Estate, Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah, Masjid Wak Tanjong, Paya Lebar Road, Sri Sivan Temple, Thong Teck Home for Senior Citizens
D Sims Avenue City Plaza, Geylang Serai Community Club, Grandlink Square, Joo Chiat Complex, Kinex, Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah, Paya Lebar Road, Sims Avenue, Tanjong Katong Complex, Wisma Geylang Serai
E Paya Lebar Quarter
(Level 1)
City Plaza, Geylang Serai Community Club, Joo Chiat Complex, Kinex, PLQ 1, PLQ 2, Sims Avenue, SMRT HQ (via PLQ 3), Tanjong Katong Complex, Wisma Geylang Serai
F PLQ Mall
(Basement 2)
PLQ 3, PLQ Mall, SMRT HQ (via PLQ 3)

Transport Connections

Paya Lebar station connects to several bus stops in the vicinity, as well as taxi stands and passenger pick-up points.

Bus

There are four official bus stops linked to Paya Lebar station.

No. Bus stop Exit Bus Routes
B/s 1 81111 – Paya Lebar Rd (Paya Lebar Stn Exit B) A / B 24, 28, 43, 43e, 70, 70A, 70M, 76, 134, 135, 137, 154, 155
B/s 2 81119 – Paya Lebar Rd (Paya Lebar Stn Exit C) C 24, 28, 43, 43e, 70, 70M, 76, 134, 135, 137, 154, 155
B/s 3 81129 – Paya Lebar Rd (Paya Lebar Stn Exit D) D 24, 28, 43, 43e, 70, 70M, 76, 134, 135, 154, 155
B/s 4 82011 – Sims Ave (Aft Paya Lebar Quarter) E 2, 7, 13, 21, 24, 26, 28, 30, 51, 67, 76, 154, 155

Road

Taxi stands and pick-up/drop-off points are located next to station exits:

Exit Road Provisions
A Eunos Road 8 (Paya Lebar Square) Taxi stand (I23), pick-up/drop-off point
C Paya Lebar Road (Northbound) Taxi stand (I22), pick-up/drop-off point
D Sims Avenue Pick-up/drop-off point

MRT Bus Bridging Service

In the event of a MRT service disruption affecting Paya Lebar station, MRT Bridging Buses may be activated to ply affected stretches of the East West Line or Circle Line. In which case, the buses can be boarded from the following bus stops:

Towards Bus stop Exit
East West Line (EWL Bridging Bus)
EW1 Pasir Ris B/s 1: 81111 – Paya Lebar Rd (Paya Lebar Stn Exit B) A / B
EW33 Tuas Link B/s 2: 81119 – Paya Lebar Rd (Paya Lebar Stn Exit C) C
Circle Line (CCL Bridging Bus)
CC1NS24NE6 Dhoby Ghaut B/s 1: 81111 – Paya Lebar Rd (Paya Lebar Stn Exit B) A / B
CC29NE1 HarbourFront B/s 3: 81129 – Paya Lebar Rd (Paya Lebar Stn Exit D) D

In the event of a large-scale rail disruption affecting multiple stations, a special bridging bus service may be activated in addition to the usual bus bridging services.

  • Tampines – Bedok – Paya Lebar

In addition, passengers can board free regular bus services at the following bus stops when activated:

  • East West Line
    Bus Stops 1 & 2
  • Circle Line
    Bus Stops 1 & 3

Passenger Usage Patterns

Paya Lebar is an important interchange station linking the East-West Line with the Circle Line, and as such, encounters large numbers of transfer passengers between the two lines. It also benefits shopping malls, as well as commercial and industrial developments in the vicinity, hence passenger traffic through this station is relatively high.

Construction

Circle Line Stage 2 (CCL2) Contract 823 for the construction and completion of Mountbatten, Dakota and Paya Lebar stations and tunnels was awarded to Japanese and local companies Nishimatsu-Lum Chang Joint Venture. This comprised 1.66km of bored tunnel and 150m of cut-and-cover tunnels, as well as canal upgrading from Paya Lebar to Tanjong Katong (including box bridge culverts at Geylang, Guillemard and Dunman).

A significant engineering challenge during Circle Line station construction involved underpinning works, which was required to facilitate removal of obstructing piled foundations of existing EWL viaduct piers. The vertical loading of existing piers was transferred to a new frame system, comprising transfer beams, jacks and barrette piles, and monitored by real-time monitoring of piers and viaducts. This was the first such operation carried out in Singapore on a live MRT viaduct.

Private properties around Paya Lebar were also gazetted for government acquisition for the CCL construction in 2001, with one exception. Hock Kee House (next to Exit D) was constructed on footing resting on thick marine clay, and despite precautionary measures taken to stabilize the building during construction, continued excavation would render the building unsafe. The decision to acquire Hock Kee House was made in 2005 on short notice, with residents given about seven weeks to vacate, and the building was torn down thereafter. Residents received ex gratia payment in addition to statutory compensation under the Land Acquisition Act.


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External Links & References

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