Development plans for railway under review
Letter from Lee Seng Lai Director Land Operations (Private) Division Singapore Land Authority and Tan See Nin Director (Physical Planning) Urban Redevelopment Authority, TODAY, 29 Jul 2011.
We refer to the letter from Mr Liew Kai Khiun, “A temporary park connector?” (July 21)
As agreed with Malaysia, Singapore has to remove the railway tracks and ancillary structures along the former KTM railway line, and hand them over to Malaysia by Dec 31.
This is a very tight timeline, given the extensive work required: The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has to remove 26km of railway tracks in five months. The SLA started removal works on July 18.
Source: TODAY
Govt hopes to keep continuous rail corridor
By Grace Chua, The Straits Times, 28 Jul 2011.
The Government hopes to keep the former Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway land a continuous stretch as far as possible, said Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin in a meeting with the media yesterday.
Plans for the tract will be firmed up over the next two years, and details will be included in the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) 2013 land-use Master Plan, he added.
Referring to the 26km tract which stretches from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands, he said: ‘I imagine there are stretches which we will keep, some we would develop in a way that makes sense, but the idea of it as a continuous stretch is something we would very much like to do.
‘It’s about keeping the spirit of it as much as the physical.’
Source: The Straits Times
Help for 50 felines left at Tanjong Pagar train station
By Rachel Chan, my paper, 28 Jul 2011.
Few know this, but some 50 occupants still live inside the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and other former Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) premises nearby.
They are cats previously owned by railway workers and tenants, who left them behind when the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) sealed the station’s entrance at midnight on June 30.
Most of them skulk in the nooks and crannies of the huge compound, deprived of human contact.
Thankfully, they have not been forgotten. A small band of cat feeders took notice of them and wrote to the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) last month.
Source: my paper via AsiaOne
KTM rail structures fall victim to graffiti
By Esther Ng, TODAY, 28 Jul 2011.
Nearly a fortnight after the Malayan Railway (KTM) tracks were closed to the public, graffiti has been spotted on the bridges, tracks and sleepers.
The vandals left their mark with correction fluid or used stones to scratch the surfaces.
During a briefing about the 26km rail corridor yesterday, Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin appealed to Singaporeans not to “inscribe their names” or deface the structures. “In terms of policing, we do ask for civic consciousness. We don’t want to regulate or manage it in a way that it becomes obtrusive … We want to leave (the tracks) for everyone to share,” said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan.
Source: TODAY
No graffiti, pls!
No graffiti, pls! We have been informed that people have been leaving or scratching graffiti on the bridges, tracks and sleepers. We would like to remind everyone that we should treasure what we love and not deface them. Scratching graffiti on the steel bridges could damage the coating and accelerate rusting too.
Let’s leave the railway structures free of graffiti and allow everyone to enjoy them as we have done so. Thanks!
Thank You Walk [31 Jul]
Sunday, 31 July, 9am – 11am;
Location: Bukit Timah Train Station to Rail Mall (meet at platform opposite station);
We started this Facebook page in Nov last year to gather support for Nature Society’s proposal on The Green Corridor. Since then, we have 7,700+ people and 37 businesses and organisations supporting The Green Corridor. Thank you for all your support!
Earlier this month, the government agreed to “plan our urban development along the railway track to keep a green spine for nature and leisure, without compromising the developmental potential of the railway lands”. The government is also in the process of engaging interest groups in this planning stage, including consultations with Nature Society and us. We will continue to work with the authorities to realise The Green Corridor and reflect your views. Big thanks to Minister Khaw, BG Tan, MND, URA and NParks!
We would like to thank all of you for helping to spread the word and documenting our shared memories through your photos, videos, letters, blogs and comments! We believe everyone’s efforts helped to nudge the government in doing the right thing. Read more
Preserve railway’s mechanical wonders
Letter by Dr John Elliott, The Straits Times, 26 Jul 2011.
I am delighted that a part of the KTM railway is to be preserved (“Parts of KTM railway to be retained”; last Saturday).
We should also preserve one of the old mechanical signals, several of which are to be found on the northern reaches.
These signals were mostly later replaced by electric lights (a set also visible near the Bukit Timah station) and are museum pieces. They are a triumph of mechanical engineering and exemplify the principle of levers. The weighted arm halfway up the mast was a safety feature. Should a wire break, the counterweight would fall and ensure the signal came to rest with the arm horizontal at “stop”. Crowds photographed these striking structures, which are still in working order.
Source: The Straits Times
Parts of KTM railway to be retained
By Grace Chua, The Straits Times, 23 Jul 2011.
Some sections of the former Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway tracks will be retained, the Nature Society and other heritage interest groups said yesterday.
They emerged from a meeting with government agencies to report that sections of the track at the now-defunct Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah railway stations, and those on two steel bridges at Dunearn Road and the Rail Mall, will be kept under existing plans to conserve the stations.
The civic society groups did not, however, have information on the length of these conserved sections. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) confirmed the information following the meeting the groups had with Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin and representatives from the Ministry of National Development and its associated agencies.
Source: The Straits Times via Wildsingapore
A temporary park connector? Minimise makeshift construction along former KTM railway line
Letter from Liew Kai Khiun, TODAY, 21 Jul 2011.
For the last fortnight, Singaporeans from all walks of life have been enthusiastically walking along the now defunct section of the Malayan Railway (KTM) route.
Among them have been ministers such as Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin and Mr Khaw Boon Wan, who impressed with the possibility of conserving the route as a promising “Green Spine” and have urged the public to come forward with feedback.
However, even as many would like to contribute their ideas towards this concept – which may take years to evolve, according to BG (NS) Tan – several concerns have been raised about public access to this route as well as to the existing historical and natural features along it after the end of this month.
Source: TODAY
Many bid final goodbyes to the KTM railway tracks
By Tan Weizhen, TODAY, 18 Jul 2011.
Hordes of people – including three presidential hopefuls and National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan – turned up yesterday to bid a nostalgic goodbye to the KTM railway tracks, which will be closed from today for works.
A three-kilometre stretch of the tracks – from Rifle Range Road to the Rail Mall – will remain open till the end of the month.
Many were with their family and dogs – after Mr Khaw had invited people to bring their pets and join him for the walk – to take one last jaunt along the 26-km green stretch. For some, it had been a regular haunt. Others showed up out of curiosity.
Those who spoke to Today reiterated their hope that the stretch would be conserved.
Source: TODAY
