Tan Kah Kee MRT Station

Tan Kah Kee MRT station (DT8) is an underground stop on the Downtown Line in Bukit Timah, built directly beneath the campus of Hwa Chong Institution. The area around it is mostly schools and homes. The landed houses of Watten Estate surround the station, and a nearby road called Duchess gave the station its working name while the line was being planned.

Tan Kah Kee on the Downtown Line map

Tan Kah Kee MRT station at a glance

Opening date, operator and ridership figures are LTA data as recorded on Wikipedia.

Most passengers are students and staff travelling to the schools in this part of Bukit Timah. Besides Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Girls’ High School, Raffles Girls’ Primary School and National Junior College are all in the vicinity, so expect the platforms to be at their busiest around the start and end of the school day. Residents of the surrounding estates also rely on it as their nearest stop on the Downtown Line, which gives them a direct underground route without needing a bus to reach the trains.

History of Tan Kah Kee MRT station

The station opened on 27 December 2015 together with the rest of Downtown Line Stage 2, a few months ahead of the mid-2016 date first forecast. It was announced in 2008 under the name Duchess, and the present name, which honours the businessman and philanthropist who founded Hwa Chong Institution, was chosen after a public poll in 2009. Not everyone welcomed the choice, as some felt it said little about the actual neighbourhood. If you walk past the school entrance, look at the tall granite gateways with their emerald-green tiled arch: they were taken down and moved aside while the station was dug out beneath them, then returned to their place once it was finished.

Inside Tan Kah Kee MRT station

Two murals, titled Gratitude and Resilience, decorate the station. Both were created by Hwa Chong Institution students as part of the network’s Art-in-Transit programme, so they are worth a look while you wait for your train.

For visitors and residents alike, Tan Kah Kee MRT station is a practical starting point for errands and short outings in this corner of Bukit Timah. Bougainvillea Park is only about two minutes on foot, making it the closest green space for a quick break. Coronation Shopping Plaza and King’s Arcade are both within an eight-minute walk, useful for everyday shopping, tuition centres and a meal.

Crawfurd Hospital is roughly eleven minutes away, and Adam Food Centre, a popular choice for hawker food, can be reached in about thirteen minutes on foot. Parents dropping children at the nearby schools will also find the station a convenient alternative to driving into the often busy school roads at peak times.

Around Tan Kah Kee MRT station

Tan Kah Kee station sits in a quiet, predominantly residential neighbourhood in the Bukit Timah corridor, surrounded by landed housing and mature greenery. The area is well known for educational institutions, with Hwa Chong Institution and Hwa Chong International School both nearby. Coronation Shopping Plaza and King's Arcade serve local shopping needs, keeping the character of the area low-key and community-oriented.

Places and straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Actual walking routes may be longer.

How to get to Tan Kah Kee by MRT

Worked out from the network map. Stop counts are station to station and do not include walking or waiting time.

Fares from Tan Kah Kee MRT station

A trip from Tan Kah Kee to Changi Airport (about 25 km) costs S$2.40 on an adult SimplyGo or EZ-Link card. Fares are charged by distance, so the table below shows the estimated adult card fare from Tan Kah Kee to the main hubs, the early bird fare for journeys that start before 7.45am on weekdays, and the fare that applies from 26 December 2026.

Estimated from the route distance between stations and the Public Transport Council fare table in force from 27 December 2025. The exact fare can differ by one band. Cash fares are higher. Use the fare calculator for any other journey, or check your fare on the SimplyGo app.

Tips for using Tan Kah Kee MRT station

• Bougainvillea Park and Coronation Shopping Plaza are within a comfortable walk from the station, making them easy to reach on foot.
• Places such as Crawfurd Hospital and Adam Food Centre are further away and may be more comfortably reached by bus rather than on foot.
• This station has no interchange connections, so plan your journey on the Downtown Line and allow extra time if transferring to other lines at nearby interchange stations.
• During school peak hours in the morning and afternoon, the area around Hwa Chong Institution can be busy, so allow a little extra time when walking in that direction.

All stations on the Downtown Line

In order along the line, with Tan Kah Kee marked. Stations with their own guide are linked.

Read the full Downtown Line guide.

Tan Kah Kee MRT station: common questions

Which line is Tan Kah Kee MRT station on?

Tan Kah Kee is on the Downtown Line. Its station code is DT8.

Is Tan Kah Kee an interchange station?

No. Tan Kah Kee is served by the Downtown Line only. The nearest interchange is shown in the next stations row above.

What time is the first and last train at Tan Kah Kee?

Times below are for the first and last train leaving the line terminus; trains reach Tan Kah Kee a few minutes later depending on its position on the line. Downtown Line first train 5:30 AM, last train 11:40 PM. Check the operator for holiday changes.

What is near Tan Kah Kee MRT station?

Nearby places include Bougainvillea Park, Coronation Shopping Plaza, Hwa Chong Institution, King's Arcade, Crown Centre, Hwa Chong International School, Crawfurd Hospital, and Adam Food Centre, all within approximately 800 metres of the station.

Which shopping mall is closest to Tan Kah Kee station?

Coronation Shopping Plaza is the closest mall, at approximately 380 metres straight-line distance, or roughly a 6-minute walk.

How far is Adam Food Centre from Tan Kah Kee station?

Adam Food Centre is approximately 790 metres away in a straight line, which is roughly a 13-minute walk, so visitors may prefer to take a bus.

How do I get to Tan Kah Kee from Changi Airport by MRT?

Take the East West Line from Changi Airport to Bugis (10 stops), then change to the Downtown Line from Bugis to Tan Kah Kee (6 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 October 2026.

News and guides mentioning Tan Kah Kee

• シンガポール地下鉄（MRT）路線図 2026（日本語ガイド） 4 Oct 2026
• Downtown Line Map 11 Aug 2023
• Tamil 11 Aug 2023
• MRT Map Chinese 11 Aug 2023

Plan the rest of the trip

Every station on the Downtown 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.