Potong Pasir MRT station


Potong Pasir MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit station on the North East line in Toa Payoh planning area, Singapore, underneath Upper Serangoon Road at the junction with Potong Pasir Avenue 1 and Wan Tho Avenue.
Primarily serving the Potong Pasir residential estate, Potong Pasir station is also in close proximity to Saint Andrew's Village, a major cluster of educational institutions that are part of the Saint Andrew's family of schools.
In the early nineteenth century, the area was dominated by sand quarries, hence giving it its present name, Potong Pasir, which literally means 'cut sand' in Malay.

History

As Potong Pasir station was located in the Potong Pasir SMC, a former opposition ward managed by the Singapore People's Party until 2011, it was one of the stations most involved in the political scenario of Singapore. The intended name for the station was actually Sennett, mainly because of such political reasons. It seemed that the route planners did not want the station to sound synonymous with the estate. It was intended to continue staying closed. During the Singapore general elections in 2001, Chiam See Tong and Sitoh Yih Pin of the Singapore People's Party and the People's Action Party respectively, both dangled the station as a carrot, and promised the residents that they would appeal for the station to be opened should they be voted into office, as part of their publicity campaigns.
The station was opened as part of the recommendations from Chiam See Tong. The name was changed to Potong Pasir, and also to avoid confusion with another Sennett Estate at Bedok in the eastern part of Singapore and is located along Upper East Coast Road.
Cash top ups are not accepted at the passenger service centres from 21 January 2018 at this station.