Tag Archives: MRT station name

MRT Station name: Punggol

Sitting at the northeastern end of the North East MRT line which was completed in 2003, Punggol appears on directional signs throughout the island. Any idea where the name came from? Continue reading

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MRT Station name: Choa Chu Kang

A few stops north of Jurong East interchange, in the northwest of Singapore, is Choa Chu Kang MRT station. Since a few years linked to the automated Light Rail Transit (LRT) with small rail cars running on elevated roads, it’s a station of much importance to the approximately 140,000 inhabitants of the area called Choa Chu Kang. What does Choa Chu Kang stand for? Continue reading

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MRT Station name: Hougang

Hougang MRT is a pretty busy station in the heartlands (main residential areas) of Singapore. Its name, written as 后港 (Hòu găng) in Mandarin, stems from the Hokkien/Teochew “Aū-káng” which means “river end”. Continue reading

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MRT Station name: Bishan

What is the origin of the name for Bishan MRT station? Surprisingly it is the Mandarin pronunciation of the name of a burial ground, that was originally named in Cantonese. Continue reading

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MRT Station name: Ang Mo Kio

What is the meaning behind the MRT station name “Ang Mo Kio”? The name’s origin is different than what you might expect. Continue reading

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MRT Station name: Toa Payoh

Toa Payoh was the first MRT station that was completed in Singapore, and at its time of completion, it was the world’s first metro station with screen doors. What does the name “Toa Payoh” stand for? Continue reading

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MRT station name: Boon Lay

Until recently, Boon Lay was the MRT station that signified the West direction on the Singapore MRT network. With the extension of the East-West line, it is now just another station. What does the name “Boon Lay” stand for? Continue reading

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MRT Station meaning: Chinatown

If you’d litteraly translate “Chinatown” into Chinese, you’d get 中国城 (zhōngguóchéng), or 唐人街 (tángrénjiē), but Singapore’s Chinatown has a much more distinct name in Chinese: 牛车水 (niúchēshuǐ). Continue reading

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MRT Station meaning: Simei

Simei is a Mandarin phrase and the English name of this MRT station and estate is the Hanyu Pinyin transcription of 四美 (sìměi – four beauties). The town Simei and its MRT station were named after the four legendary beauties … Continue reading

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MRT Station meaning: Yew Tee

Yew Tee is a Teochew phrase that was literally copied into English. It is written as 油池. In Mandarin this is pronounced as “yóuchí”, meaning “oil pond”. According to Wikipedia, Yew Tee used to be a village off woodlands road, … Continue reading

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