Exciting plans are underway to transform Singapore’s Rail Corridor from an abandoned green belt into vibrant spaces for the community.
This week, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) called on design professionals to submit their ideas for six sites earmarked for a revamp. These are Buona Vista, the Bukit Timah Railway Station area, the Former Bukit Timah Fire Station, Kranji, the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and Choa Chu Kang.
The proposals must preserve and incorporate the area’s unique heritage as well as nature and greenery. Public access to the Rail Corridor is also a key consideration.
While we wait for the successful master plan to be unveiled at a later date, here are some things you may not know about the Rail Corridor.
1. The 24-km long Rail Corridor was built by the British between 1900 and 1902 to route trains from Malaysia to Singapore.
2. With a combined area of around 173.7ha, or three times the size of the Botanic Gardens, it runs from Woodlands in the north to Tanjong Pagar in the south.
3. In 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia, but control of the rail corridor and the land associated with it came under Malaysian sovereignty.
4. For more than 45 years, the railway system was operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) which is Malaysia’s main rail operator.
5. In 2011, KTM ceased operations after Malaysia returned the railway land to Singapore. The last train departed from Tanjong Pagar Railway Station on 30 June.
6. On 1 July 2011, the railway land was handed back to the Singapore government with the sleepers and tracks removed shortly thereafter. The rail corridor was subsequently opened to public access in January 2012.
7. Over the years, the rail corridor has grown separately from the city-state, with limited connectivity to its surrounding environment and people.
8. The Bukit Timah Railway Station and Tanjong Pagar Railway Station were gazetted for conservation in 2011, in recognition of their architectural merit and historical value.
Image: Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. (Photo by URA)
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Singapore Editor at PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact him about this or other stories email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
