Hume station on Downtown Line opens, shortening trips to city centre

It is last station on second stage of DTL to be ready; nearby attractions include Rail Corridor

- Esther Loi and Sheo Chiong Teng

As early as 45 minutes before Hume MRT station on the Downtown Line (DTL) was due to open at 3pm on Feb 28, about 40 people were already waiting in anticipation outside.

Among them was Primary 6 pupil Cayden Goh, 12, who rushed over after classes ended at his school in Punggol. He arrived at the station at 2.20pm and was among the first to enter the station.

He had been looking forward to the opening of Hume station since January, when the opening date was announced.

Cayden told The Straits Times: "I'm here to chant 'open, open, open, o-p-e-n'."

The crowd outside one of the two entrances at the station grew steadily to more than 100 closer to 3pm, when the station opened for service.

Excitement filled the air as the crowd moved towards the platforms once the shutters at the entrance were lifted on the dot at 3pm.

Hume MRT station, between the Hillview and Beauty World stops, is the last station on the second stage of the DTL to be ready. DTL Stage 2 had started operations in December 2015.

The station has two entrances, one facing Upper Bukit Timah Road and the other facing Hume Avenue.