Novena MRT Station
Novena MRT station is part of the North South Line and carries the station code NS20. It sits in a predominantly residential and medical district in the central region of Singapore, serving the Novena area which is known for its concentration of private housing, healthcare facilities, and commercial developments close to the city centre.
Novena on the North South Line map
Novena station at a glance
| Station codes | NS20 |
|---|---|
| Lines | North South Line |
| Interchange | No, single line station |
| Chinese name | 诺维娜 |
| Tamil name | நொவீனா |
| Next stations | |
| Train times | North South Line: first train leaves the terminus at 5:26 AM, last train 11:45 PM Full first and last train guide |
See Novena on the map. The interactive map opens with this station highlighted, so you can trace the route from where you are.
From Novena, the North South Line connects you directly to Toa Payoh station to the north and Newton station to the south. Newton is an interchange where you can transfer to the Downtown Line, giving you onward access to destinations across the eastern and western parts of the network without needing to travel into the city centre first.
The station sits close to United Square shopping mall and a cluster of medical centres and specialist clinics that make up the Novena medical belt, including Tan Tock Seng Hospital a short walk away. The surrounding streets are lined with shops, eateries, and residential blocks, making the area a practical stop for those visiting the hospital precinct or the commercial developments along Thomson Road.
Around Novena station
Novena station sits in a well-established mixed-use district built around healthcare and retail. The immediate surroundings are dominated by shopping malls such as Square 2 and Velocity @ Novena Square, alongside a notable cluster of hospitals serving the wider region. Residential blocks and medical-related offices fill in the gaps, giving the area a purposeful, community-centred character.
| Place | Type | Distance | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square 2 | Shopping mall | About 40 m (~1 min walk) | Square 2: a shopping mall for everyday retail, dining and lifestyle needs. |
| Royal Square at Novena | Shopping mall | About 70 m (~1 min walk) | Royal Square at Novena: a mixed-use development with retail and medical suites. |
| Velocity @ Novena Square | Shopping mall | About 80 m (~1 min walk) | Velocity @ Novena Square: a sports and lifestyle mall with a range of shops and eateries. |
| Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital | Hospital | About 180 m (~3 min walk) | Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital: a private hospital for specialist medical consultations and treatment. |
| Tan Tock Seng Hospital | Hospital | About 270 m (~4 min walk) | Tan Tock Seng Hospital: a major public hospital offering a wide range of medical services. |
| Ren Ci Community Hospital | Hospital | About 350 m (~6 min walk) | Ren Ci Community Hospital: a community hospital providing intermediate and long-term care. |
| Police Heritage Centre | Museum | About 470 m (~8 min walk) | Police Heritage Centre: a museum exploring the history of the Singapore Police Force. |
| Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Museum | Museum | About 910 m (~15 min walk) | Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall: a heritage museum dedicated to Dr Sun Yat Sen's connections with Singapore. |
Places and straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Actual walking routes may be longer.
How to get to Novena by MRT
Worked out from the network map. Stop counts are station to station and do not include walking or waiting time.
| From Changi Airport | Take the East West Line from Changi Airport to City Hall (11 stops), then change to the North South Line from City Hall to Novena (5 stops). About 16 stops with 1 change. |
|---|---|
| From Orchard | Take the North South Line from Orchard to Novena (2 stops). About 2 stops, no changes. |
| From City Hall | Take the North South Line from City Hall to Novena (5 stops). About 5 stops, no changes. |
| From Jurong East | Take the East West Line from Jurong East to Buona Vista (3 stops), then change to the Circle Line from Buona Vista to Botanic Gardens (3 stops), then change to the Downtown Line from Botanic Gardens to Newton (2 stops), then change to the North South Line from Newton to Novena (1 stop). About 9 stops with 3 changes. |
| From Woodlands | Take the North South Line from Woodlands to Novena (11 stops). About 11 stops, no changes. |
| From HarbourFront | Take the North East Line from HarbourFront to Dhoby Ghaut (3 stops), then change to the North South Line from Dhoby Ghaut to Novena (4 stops). About 7 stops with 1 change. |
Tips for using Novena station
- The three shopping malls closest to the station are all within roughly a minute's walk, so plan your visit to all three in a single trip without much effort.
- The hospitals are within a short walk of around three to six minutes, but during weekday mornings patient and visitor traffic can make the surrounding pavements busier than usual, so allow a little extra time.
- The Police Heritage Centre is approximately an eight-minute walk away and is manageable on foot; however, the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is around 15 minutes away on foot, so consider taking a short bus ride rather than walking the full distance.
- Novena is a single-line station on the North South Line with no interchange, so passengers heading to other lines should plan their route via City Hall, Dhoby Ghaut or Bishan to connect to other services.
All stations on the North South Line
In order along the line, with Novena marked. Stations with their own guide are linked.
| Code | Station | Interchange |
|---|---|---|
| NS1 | Jurong East | EW / NS |
| NS2 | Bukit Batok | – |
| NS3 | Bukit Gombak | – |
| NS4 | Choa Chu Kang | NS / BP |
| NS5 | Yew Tee | – |
| NS7 | Kranji | – |
| NS8 | Marsiling | – |
| NS9 | Woodlands | NS / TE |
| NS10 | Admiralty | – |
| NS11 | Sembawang | – |
| NS12 | Canberra | – |
| NS13 | Yishun | – |
| NS14 | Khatib | – |
| NS15 | Yio Chu Kang | – |
| NS16 | Ang Mo Kio | – |
| NS17 | Bishan | NS / CC |
| NS18 | Braddell | – |
| NS19 | Toa Payoh | – |
| NS20 | Novena (you are here) | – |
| NS21 | Newton | NS / DT |
| NS22 | Orchard | TE / NS |
| NS23 | Somerset | – |
| NS24 | Dhoby Ghaut | NS / NE |
| NS25 | City Hall | EW / NS |
| NS26 | Raffles Place | NS / EW |
| NS28 | Marina South Pier | – |
Read the full North South Line guide.
Novena station: common questions
Which line is Novena MRT station on?
Novena is on the North South Line. Its station code is NS20.
Is Novena an interchange station?
No. Novena is served by the North South Line only. The nearest interchange is shown in the next stations row above.
What time is the first and last train at Novena?
Times below are for the first and last train leaving the line terminus; trains reach Novena a few minutes later depending on its position on the line. North South Line first train 5:26 AM, last train 11:45 PM. Check the operator for holiday changes.
What is near Novena MRT station?
Novena station is surrounded by several shopping malls including Square 2, Royal Square at Novena and Velocity @ Novena Square, all within approximately 80 metres. A cluster of hospitals including Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital are also within a short walk of the station.
Which shopping mall is closest to Novena MRT station?
Square 2 is the closest shopping mall, at approximately 40 metres from the station, making it roughly a one-minute walk. Royal Square at Novena and Velocity @ Novena Square are also very close, at approximately 70 to 80 metres away.
How far is Tan Tock Seng Hospital from Novena MRT station?
Tan Tock Seng Hospital is approximately 270 metres from Novena station, which is roughly a four-minute walk. Please note this is a straight-line distance and the actual walking time may vary slightly.
How do I get to Novena from Changi Airport by MRT?
Take the East West Line from Changi Airport to City Hall (11 stops), then change to the North South Line from City Hall to Novena (5 stops). About 16 stops with 1 change.
Sources: station codes, line colours and interchanges from the LTA rail system map; operating hours from SMRT and SBS Transit. Last reviewed September 2026.
News and guides mentioning Novena
Plan the rest of the trip
Every station on the North South Line is listed on its line guide, with the full route and interchanges. For times, see the first and last train guide, and for the whole network in one view use the interactive Singapore MRT map or the PDF map.