Chinatown MRT Station

                                        

Provisions were made during the initial construction of this station for connection with future lines, which is now the Downtown Line, with the connecting station and tracks built above and perpendicular to the North East Linestation, beneath Cross Street. A new exit near Hong Lim Complex was build together with the construction ofDowntown Line station.^[1]

Before the station opened, the Singapore Civil Defence Force conducted the second ever Shelter Open House on 15–16 February 2003, together with Farrer Park, Serangoon and Hougang stations.

Construction

This station is said to be the most challenging station to build on the North East Line, due to the large number of buildings above ground, most with reinforced concrete or timber piles and all in marine clay.^[2] Another feat was that they had to preserve Garden Bridge, a large overhead bridge on bore piles, while building the station below. The tidal Eu Tong Sen canal was also diverted into four two-meter diameter steel pipes slung under the temporary traffic decks (two on each side). Rigorous safety precautions ensured there were no fatal accidents during the construction