This morning, I checked out the Circle Line Discovery event, ahead of the opening of the long-overdue Stage 1 & 2 of the CCL.

If I were Darth Vader, surveying the new stations, I would say (in my wannabe-James Earl Jones voice), “Impressive… Most impressive.”

And which station gives me the greatest sense of awe?

Stadium Station.

It is simply magnificent.

The skylight takes full advantage of natural light. Yet it does not end up roasting the station because it is placed high up.

Very high up.

The station is big.

It is one of the few stations that allows you to look from one end to the other. There are no obstructions. Just massive space.

The only similar station is Changi Airport. But that’s the thing, Changi Airport station is so large that you lose perspective. I’m not sure how to explain this.

Sometimes, something is so big that you don’t know the scale of it. A good example is the ground we stand on – Earth. We rarely get to see the horizon. And even when we do, there is no frame of reference. We know it is big, but we can’t put it in perspective.

Stadium Station is big enough let you feel that sense of size, yet small enough for you to put it in context.

Step outside and you’ll get a real feel for the scale. On either end of the station are two cavernous entrances.

I can imagine a match day. People streaming out of that station. Thousands of supporters decked in red disgorging from this massive structure.

And thousands of people heading into the station once the game is over.

Which leads to my only criticism of the station.

Two escalators at each entrance? (And there are only two entrances, not including the elevator access.)

Let’s do the math. About 50,000 people pack the stadium. Assuming only half are taking the train from Stadium Station, that’s 25,000 people who are going to cram onto four escalators – further assuming that all four will be down-riding after a big game – and the central staircase on either end.

Not a pretty sight.

In a strange way, this may be the intention. I am not sure how frequent the trains will be after a big game, but even at 2 minute intervals, it will take time to clear the platform of passengers. So, the bottleneck will be at the escalator instead – in order not to overcrowd the platform. (Remember that the CCL trains are only 3 cars long, not 6 like those on the NSL, EWL and NEL, so they have only half the carrying capacity.)

But all this is speculation. We will not know for sure until our next big game at the National Stadium our Sports Hub is finally ready.

In the interim, you can use Stadium Station to get to Singapore Indoor Stadium (and the Brewerkz located there) and… err… Kallang Leisure Park.

More photos of the Circle Line Discovery (mostly of Stadium Station)