The Downtown line is the newest line and longest underground on the Singapore driverless MRT line and runs from Bukit Panjang in the west to Expo in the east. The bar is 42 kilometres long and has 34 stations, making it the longest fully underground line in Singapore.
The first phase of the Downtown line opened on 22 December 2013, with 12 stations from Bukit Panjang to Chinatown. The second phase, which opened on 27 December 2015, added another 12 stations from Bayfront to Expo.
The Downtown line is expected to relieve congestion on the North-South and East-West lines and provide better connectivity to the new developments in the Marina Bay area.
Some key attractions along the Downtown line include Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands and Chinatown.
With its convenient location and easy accessibility, the Downtown line is sure to be a popular choice for tourists and locals alike. So if you’re looking for a place to stay in Singapore, check out the hotels along the Downtown line!
With its convenient location and easy accessibility, the Downtown line is sure to be a popular choice for tourists and locals alike.
Interchange stations
Interchange station to the North-South line Newton MRT station, East west line Bugis MRT station, Circle line Promenade Station and North East line Chinatown station. The downtown line is the only line with access to all the different MRT lines in Singapore nearby.
If you are in town as a tourist, you will be happy to take the downtown line as the name suggest. It connects you to the entire shopping area in the city, and the stations are all within walking distance. Those who are going to conventions, for work or due to interest can alight at the Expo station where most of the ways are held, and it is just a 3 minutes walk to the convention halls.
There are many F&B outlets along the way if you are looking for food.
The Downtown line is expected to relieve congestion on the North-South and East-West lines and provide better connectivity to the new developments in the Marina Bay area.
Notable stations and activities you can look forward to.
Expo MRT station is also connected to the East-west line, where you can take the train to the airport directly, the Jewel at the airport is one of the main attractions, and the fountain is one of the giant indoor fountains in the world tourist and local alike can take great pictures there.
Image of Expo convention centre.
Bugis station is hailed as a shopping paradise. Two malls are situated within 200M of one another, Bugis junction and Bugis plus. There’s a complex of small retail shops called Bugis street where you can get souvenirs, apparel, and accessories for fashion. A must-place for teenagers or someone who is looking to bring back memorabilia.
Bugis street
Bugis junction
Chinatown station is a place that is a must-go for tourists; even locals go to Chinatown as they have shops and a wet market that sell certain products that neighbourhoods don’t have to offer.
Those who want to learn about the religious culture in Singapore can pay a visit to the Buddha tooth relic temple and the Sri Mariamman temple, which can be easily spotted while walking around the place. For food and beverage, drop by the famous Maxwell food centre or the largest hawker complex, which is named Chinatown complex both cater for a wide range of local cuisines and the taste of authentic Chinese food cooked by hawkers from china. Be enchanted by Chinatown Street Market, all sights, sounds, and scents that represent what a real Chinatown is. This busy street is filled with various stalls selling items, from silken scarves to ‘Made in ChChina’tems to pets and lucky cats.
Image of Chinatown street market
Chinatown complex.
The street also has several street food carts. Shopping here is an experience and one of the most refreshing things to do in Chinatown Singapore. The Market is at its best at night with the beautiful lights shining and the brightly coloured lanterns swaying above.
Little India station from spices to jewellery to carpets and clothes, everything you might need in a household can be found there; go to the trendy one-stop mall Mustafar centre you will see locals, tourists and foreign workers shopping for daily essentials and household products there, do note there will be a massive crowd at night and on the weekends, do go in the day if you hate crowds, after walking and shopping once you are hungry you can proceed to Tekka mall for cheap hawker food or visit the Indian restaurants nearby, notable restaurants are Banana leaf, Muthu curry house and Komala Vilas (Vegetarian). For the best sights, it’s a must-visit during Deepavali, where you can see and take pictures of the decorative lights and bask in the seasonal mood.
Tekka mall
Mustafa centre
Bayfront station, the most prominent mall situated near the train station, will be Marina Bay Sands, also known as MBS to the locals, with a casino for those who wish to have some fun to try their luck, or you can spend the day shopping at the numerous boutiques available.
At the same time, the intellectual could visit the Art science museum nearby too; nature lovers can hit the sky deck to take a look at the scenery and photo-taking sessions. Do note there’s an entrance fee of $25 per pax, many restaurants and a food court situated in MBS itself, those whos keen to explore the nearby area to the flower dome, which is a walking distance away and visit Satay by the bay, for local delights, kite flying is also a popular activity at the marina barrage just a short walk from Satay by the bay, there you can spot people having picnics going for walks or even couples going on a date at marina barrage.
Satay by the bay
Flower dome.
Marina Barrage
Newton station is situated on both the Downtown and North-south line; it is considered the outskirts of the town, and drop by the famous Newton food centre for a taste of the local cuisine and Michelin stars rated hawker stalls. Take the shuttle bus from Newton station to our esteemed botanic gardens to see Singapore’s flora and fauna, a must-go for nature-loving people.
Newton Food Centre.
Botanic Gardens.
Fort canning station
Situated near the Central business area and like boat quay and Clarke quay. Clarke quay has a North East line station, so people heading into the orchard area could take a train from Clarke quay and change to either Dhoby ghaut or City hall MRT to the North-south/East-west line. Take the Boat taxi around the Singapore river with a tour guide to learn about how we developed the area into one of the world’s finest districts, or have a relaxing time at the pub/bars to take a break away from Singapore’s blistering heat there’s a lot of activities you can do at the area.
Singapore River taxi image
Why Downtown-line and who should use it?
City dwellers
For those who frequently commute within the city area, be it for work or those who live in that area, this line will be your best bet to travel around, resulting in shorter commuting time.
People staying far from the heartlands and working in town
For those living in the east of Singapore, e.g. Tampines or west area BT Panjang, the downtime line serves as a direct route into the CBD area without transferring to another mode of transportation.
Avoiding crowds during rush hours
Singapore, a small country with a population of 6.9 Million, makes rush hours incredibly packed in the north-south and east-west lines. Take the downtown line to avoid the crowd and maybe score a seat after a long day.
Extension of the downtown line.
There wilSingapore’sw MRT stations in this eastern Downtown Line extension: DT36 Xilin and DT37 Sungei Bedok.
These new DTL MRT stations will link the Downtown Line to the Thomson-East Coast Line and the Thomson-East coast line.
There are no residential properties near Xilin MRT, as it is an industrial estate. However, there are quite a few condos near Sungei Bedok MRT, including Fairmount condominium, Eastwood lounge, and Laguna 88. There are also many landed homes across the road.
This stage of the Downtown Line extension is expected to be completed by 2024.
Summary of Downtown-Line
The Downtown line is the newest of Singapore’s MRT lines and tends to be the most reliable; plus, it now allows easy access to parts of Singapore that previously were quite painful to reach by public transport. The line extends from Chinatown to Expo in the East and will make it much easier to get to previously difficult-to-reach places in the east of the city. The DTL MRT line provides a direct route to the town, saving commuters up to 30% off in travelling time for Bukit Panjang and Bukit Timah residents. On the other hand, residents living in the east can expect fewer bus rides and faster commutes with the existence of the Downtown Line.
Operation hours for the Downtown line
Weekdays & Sat
DT1 Bukit Panjang 6:13am-2:16am
DT35 Expo 6:04am-12:06am
Downtown line Map
North-South line Map
Circle line Map
Disclaimer: all activities subjected to closure or cancelled in the event of construction or renovation works/events
