Hume MRT station on Downtown Line to open ahead of schedule on Feb 28
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SINGAPORE – Hume MRT station in Bukit Timah, which is on the Downtown Line (DTL), will open for passenger service ahead of schedule on Feb 28, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said on Jan 24.
The station between the DTL’s Hillview and Beauty World stops is the last station on the second stage of the line that has not opened yet. DTL Stage 2 started operations in December 2015.
Hume station, which will open at 3pm on Feb 28, was slated to start operations between April and June 2025.
The station in Upper Bukit Timah Road will make it more convenient for residents to travel to the city centre, Mr Chee wrote in a Facebook post.
He said a resident going from Hume station to the Downtown station in Central Boulevard will take around 30 minutes, down from about 45 minutes.
The station will also connect residents to the Singapore Botanic Gardens in 15 minutes, half the time it now takes to get there by bus.
It will also be easier for passengers to visit attractions such as the Former Ford Factory and the Rail Corridor
In preparation for passenger service, DTL operator SBS Transit will carry out operational tests, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement.
When it opens, Hume station will serve more than 20,000 residents in the area between Hillview and Beauty World stations. Works to fit out the long-empty station – a shell structure built in 2015 – began in 2021
The Government had previously said developments in the area and ridership growth did not warrant the station opening.
But this changed after moves to redevelop the Rail Corridor and the former Bukit Timah Fire Station, which is being turned into a mixed-use development featuring co-living spaces
On Jan 24, Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Low Yen Ling described the station’s opening as a “wish come true”. Alongside residents, she had lobbied LTA to open the station, which is in her district.
Hume station will have two entrances, one facing Upper Bukit Timah Road and the other facing Hume Avenue, Ms Low wrote on Facebook.
To improve connectivity to the station, covered linkways have been built to provide sheltered access to nearby bus stops and pickup and drop-off points, said Ms Low, who is also Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, as well as Culture, Community and Youth.
There will also be 60 bicycle parking spaces near the two entrances.
Mrs Jade Wong, whose home is a short walk from Hume station, said she was “very relieved” to hear that it will soon open.
“We have waited almost 10 years for this,” the retired manager told The Straits Times. The 70-year-old said she had raised the issue of Hume station with Ms Low over the years.
It was disappointing that the station remained “only a shell” for years, she added.
Mrs Wong looks forward to walking to Hume station to catch the train and getting to the Orchard Road shopping belt in quicker time.
Housewife Kumari Snehlata, 35, said the station’s opening is “a very good thing” as it will make it more convenient to take her daughter to school near Beauty World station and pick her up.
At the moment, they have to take a bus to Hillview station and hop on the train to Beauty World, the next stop.
Ms Snehlata’s husband also works near the DTL, so Hume station’s opening will benefit the whole family, she said.
Other residents are looking forward to leaving their cars at home.
Ms Nomita Kumar, 64, said she “really can’t wish for a better location for an MRT” and sees herself taking the train more often, instead of driving.
“We are hoping our property value goes up as well,” said the retiree.
With the opening of Hume station, the DTL will have 35 stops, and four others that are under construction.
In the east, Xilin and Sungei Bedok MRT stations are being built to connect the DTL with the Thomson-East Coast Line. These stations will open in the second half of 2026.
Another two stations are being built in the north-west
Vanessa Paige Chelvan is a correspondent at The Straits Times. She writes about all things transport and pens the occasional commentary.
