Downtown Line 3 Station Naming Exercise‏

14 July 2011

I realize that unlike the naming surveys conducted for Circle Line and Downtown Line 1&2, there is no "Others" box for the ongoing naming survey for Downtown Line 3 "Vote for your preferred Downtown Line 3 station names" (1 June 2011 ~ 15 July 2011).

However, I have alternative suggestions for the Kallang Bahru, Mattar, Tampines West and Tampines East stations. Hence these are my suggestions.

Working Name: River Valley
Survey Choices: River Valley & Fort Canning
My Suggestion: River Valley
Reason: Although located at the foot of Fort Canning hill, the location of this station is more commonly known as the back of Fort Canning hill. The name Fort Canning is more often associated with Fort Canning Centre, Fort Green and the area near National Museum.

Working Name: Bencoolen
Survey Choices: Bencoolen & Waterloo
My Suggestion: Bencoolen
Reason: Bencoolen is more appropriate for the station as it lies immediately below Bencoolen Street. For its Chinese name, I would suggest naming the station 五马路 instead of 明古连.

Working Name: Sungei Road
Survey Choices: Sungei Road & Jalan Besar
My Suggestion: Sungei Road
Reason: Sungei Road is preferred over Jalan Besar because of its nostalgic Sungei Road thief market. Although this station is located under Jalan Besar, the name more often refers to the area around Jalan Besar Stadium and Lavendar Food Square. For its Chinese name, I would suggest naming the station 结霜桥.

Working Name: Jalan Besar
Survey Choices: Bendemeer & Kallang Bahru
My Suggestion: Bendemeer
Reason: Although constructed at a distance away from Bendemeer Road, the vicinity around this station is commonly known as Bendemeer.

Working Name: Kallang Bahru
Survey Choices: Geylang Bahru & Kolam Ayer
My Suggestion: Kallang Bahru
Reason: Although Kolam Ayer is equally appropriate for this station, Kallang Bahru is more direct. First, it is situated under Kallang Bahru. Second, it serves Kallang Basin Estate Neighbourhood 3. Kallang Basin Estate is built on land reclaimed from the swampy basin in the late 60s, hence the main road is named Kallang Bahru (New Kallang).

Working Name: Mattar
Survey Choices: Mattar & Merpati
My Suggestion: Mattar, Merpati or Pelton Canal
Reason: This is a tricky one. This station would most probably only serves residents living in the locale, as the area is considerably less frequent by people from other parts of Singapore. Hence I feel both name are equally unmemorable to most Singaporeans. I guess residents would provide a better suggestion for this station. Alternatively it can be named Pelton Canal, after the famous tributary of Kallang River.

Working Name: Ubi
Survey Choices: Ubi & Kampong Ubi
My Suggestion: Ubi
Reason: Ubi is simple and more direct than Kampong Ubi. Even if the finalized name is Kampong Ubi, commuters would most probably refer to the station simply as Ubi.

Working Name: Kaki Bukit
Survey Choices: Kaku Bukit & Kaki Bukit View
My Suggestion: Kaki Bukit
Reason: Likewise, Kaki Bukit is simple and more direct than Kaki Bukit View. Furthermore, the area is never known as Kaki Bukit View (a street in the industrial estate).

Working Name: Bedok Town Park
Survey Choices: Bedok Town Park & Bedok North
My Suggestion: Bedok Town Park
Reason: Bedok North is not appropriate because it might cause confusion as the station is not located in Bedok North (Bedok Neighbourhood 3, 4 & 5).

Working Name: Bedok Reservoir
Survey Choices: Bedok Reservoir & Bedok Reservoir View
My Suggestion: Bedok Reservoir
Reason: Likewise, Bedok Reservoir is simple and more direct than Bedok Reservoir View. Furthermore, the station is located a distance away from Bedok Reservoir View. The station should not be name after its nearby resident development as it is against naming convention of avoiding names after buildings and it serves wider demographics, not just residents of that particular project.

Working Name: Tampines West
Survey Choices: Tampines West & Tampines Avenue 1
My Suggestion: Tampines West, or Changkat, Bumbun Utara
Reason: Tampines West is fine. Changkat is a good alternative to avoid confusion with the existing Tampines station. But for heritage value, the station can be name "Bumbun Utara" after a kampong track that serve the area in the past.

Working Name: Tampines East
Survey Choices: Tampines East & Tampines North Park
My Suggestion: Tampines East, or Tampines North, Taji, Ang Sian Kong
Reason: Both Tampines East or Tampines North are fine. The station can be name "Taji" after a kampong tracks that was replaced by Tampines Avenue 2 & 9, plus a well known defunct supermarket at Block 201B is also name "Taji". The station can also be name "Ang Sian Kong" after another kampong track in the vicinity, which name still linger in the famous Tampines Chinese Temple nearby.

Working Name: Upper Changi
Survey Choices: Upper Changi & Somapah
My Suggestion: Somapah
Reason: Both Upper Changi and Somapah has its merit and demerit. The station is located under Upper Changi Road East, serves Upper Changi Estate and the area is widely known as Upper Changi; hence Upper Changi is appropriate. However the name Upper Changi might also cause minor confusion similar to Paya Lebar and Aljunied stations, as Upper Changi is also a long road. There used to be a kampong named Somapah nearby. But there used to be 2 kampongs named Somapah at different ends of the island. Interestingly Somapah is the working name for Expo station.

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