Newton MRT station

NSL platforms of the station

The contract for the design and construction of Newton Circus station was awarded to a joint venture between French Dregages et Travaux Publics and Sembawang Shipyard at S$43 million (US$20.16 million) in January 1984. The station was one of the stations on the line designated as a Civil Defence Shelter.[4] To facilitate the construction, the segment of Scotts Road from Newton Circus to Orchard Road had to be diverted for about 28 months.[5] In September, the station name was shortened to "Newton", and the site was shifted slightly towards Scotts Road instead of being underneath Newton Circus.[2] On 21 May 1985, Newton station was one of four stations affected by flooding in the area.[6]

During the construction, jet grouting was used to strengthen the soil, which required lane closures along Scotts Road.[7][8][9] This was to address the varying ground conditions around the site.[10] Voids were also discovered during the construction (on 21 October 1985 and 18 May 1986), which led the closure of Scotts Road for safety reasons.[11][12]

The station had an open house on 14 and 15 December 1987,[13] which drew small crowds of about 1,200 people on the first day of its preview.[14] The station opened for service on 12 December when the line extension to Outram Park station was completed.[15][16] An additional bus stop along Scotts Road was added for commuters at Newton station in light of the extension.[17]

DTL platforms of the station

The DTL station was first announced as part of DTL2 (Downtown line Stage 2) on 15 July 2008.[18] Contract 920 for the design and construction of Newton station and tunnels was awarded to Sembawang Engineers and Constructors Pte Ltd at a contract value of S$355.7 million (US$244.47 million) in September 2009, linking the DTL with the NSL at this station. Construction of the station was targeted to complete by 2015.[19] Four 6.35 metres (20.8 ft) diameter EPS machines were used to construct the bored tunnels.[20] The station opened on 27 December 2015 along with the other DTL Stage 2 stations.[21][22]

As part of Exercise Station Guard 2018, on 14 February 2018, security measures were implemented at the DTL station, such as X-ray machines to scan through bags and walk-through metal detectors for screening commuters. The exercise was part of the emergency preparedness ground deployment exercise, to "test and validate our preparedness and responsiveness in the event of a heightened security environment".[23][24][25]

In the morning of 13 February 2013, a fire broke out in an MRT tunnel just metres from the station, which disrupted train services on the NSL for over two hours and affected around 15,000 commuters. AN electric cable 5 metres (16 ft) away from the station short-circuited which caused the fire. The fire was initially put out by staff using a fire extinguisher, but it reignited and caused smoke from the tunnel to travel to the station. The Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived at the station and managed to put out the fire. No one was injured during the incident.[26]

On 7 & 8 October 2017, this station was the temporary terminus for northbound trains from Marina South Pier station during the Bishan tunnel flooding, while services were suspended between Ang Mo Kio and this station. Normal services on the NSL resumed at around 2 pm on 8 October 2017.[27]

The NSL station of Newton has the general colour scheme of saffron, which gives the station a distinct character. The NSL station design was simple and generally functional like many early MRT stations built at the time.[28]

The new entrance for the DTL station stands out greatly from the flyover close to the station. The curved roof of the station exit, cladded with a fascia made of aluminium, creates undulating curve lines that reinforce the flow around the entrance. The curve lines and the supporting elements of the exits curves in relation with one another, creating an organic landscape that generates "an energetic visual effect" in the area.[29]

Concourse leading to the DTL platforms

Newton station is an interchange station between the North South and Downtown lines. On the NSL, the station is between the Novena and Orchard stations, while on the DTL it is between the Stevens and Little India stations. The station code is NS21-DT11 as reflected on official maps.[30]

The DTL station is not directly connected to the NSL station and hence commuters have to exit either of the stations to transfer to another line via the 56-metre (184 ft) underpass that was used to connect two existing exits along Scotts Road.[31] The transfer is considered a "valid transfer" of a "journey" as long as it does not exceed 15 minutes.[32][33]

The DTL station features the artwork "Newton" by MessyMsxi as part of the network's Art-in-Transit programme. The artwork draws inspiration from Singapore and Newton heritage, showcasing Singapore's imagined landscape in 2200. It presents an alternative reality of how it may look as Singapore progresses, evolves and develops above ground and underwater.[34][35][36]