My Thoughts on the Concept Master Plan and Proposals for the Rail Corridor
By Eugene Tay
I started the Green Corridor campaign in Nov 2010 to support the Nature Society’s proposal to keep the former KTM railway lands as a continuous green corridor. In 2011, together with various stakeholders and government agencies, I joined the Rail Corridor Partnership Group formed by URA. Over the last 4 years, there is no doubt that URA has been active in conducting many public engagement initiatives to understand the needs and wants of Singaporeans for the Rail Corridor. The feedback and suggestions from the public and community groups were then distilled into design briefs for the Concept Master Plan and Proposals, which was awarded to the winning teams on Monday.
I think the public reaction to the Concept Master Plan and Proposals are mixed. I hear some people liking the proposals and plans, while others worry about the developments and call for the corridor to be left as it is. I would recommend that everyone visit the exhibition at URA Centre (till 28 Nov) or view the plans online, take a closer look at the proposals and then give your honest feedback. These are not the finalised proposals, but are to be refined upon further feedback from stakeholders and the public. Read more
Speech by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development, at the launch of the Rail Corridor Request for Proposal awards exhibition at URA Centre Atrium [Speeches]
09 Nov 2015
Mr Desmond Lee,
Parliamentary colleague
Mr Ng Lang, CEO, URA
Fellow colleagues,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I’m very happy to join you today for the launch of this Rail Corridor exhibition.
A Connected Rail Corridor
For decades, the Rail Corridor served as a transportation line to carry goods and people to and from Singapore. It was a journey of many twists and turns, as those of you who were involved in the process would know, before we finally obtained this stretch of land back in 2011.
The Corridor has outlived its function as a rail line. But in many ways, we have a higher degree of connectivity than before, even though it is no longer a rail line. First, we now have a fully connected Corridor with more contiguous parcels of land, which offer better development opportunities for housing and other economic activities. In time to come, these developments will add to the diverse landscapes of homes, schools and industrial estates which are already along the Corridor today. Read more
URA announces Rail Corridor RFP awards and exhibition [Press Release]
9 Nov 2015 – The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced today the Rail Corridor Request for Proposal (RFP) awards, and launched an exhibition of the awarded proposals where the public can give feedback. URA also announced the proposed conservation of the two steel truss bridges along the Rail Corridor, and acknowledged the community’s contributions in achieving a key milestone for the Rail Corridor project.
Developing proposals for an inspiring and extraordinary Rail Corridor
URA launched the ‘Rail Corridor – An Inspired and Extraordinary Community Space’ RFP on 18 March 2015, inviting design professionals to develop a Concept Master Plan and Concept Proposals for the Rail Corridor. In May 2015, based on the strength of their Statement of Design Intent for the Rail Corridor and quality of their team composition, organisation and track record, five teams were shortlisted for Stage 2 of the RFP. Read more
Iconic steel bridges along Rail Corridor up for conservation [News]
By Neo Chai Chin, TODAY, 9 Nov 2015
Two iconic steel bridges along the Rail Corridor are up for conservation and could be gazetted by the end of the year or early next year.
One bridge is located near the Rail Mall at Upper Bukit Timah Road, and the other is near the Bukit Timah Railway Station on Bukit Timah and Dunearn Road. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has proposed that the two bridges be conserved.
Click here to read the full article
Source: TODAY
Rail corridor to offer recreation nodes, connectivity [News]
By Neo Chai Chin, TODAY, 9 Nov 2015
From community farms and fishing ponds near Stagmont Ring and Pang Sua Canal, to a yoga spot and climbing wall near a Pan Island Expressway viaduct near Mayfair Park, the future Rail Corridor will offer a variety of recreation options to the estimated one million people living nearby, as well as other leisure seekers.
As for a 16ha site in Choa Chu Kang that falls along the stretch of former Keretapi Tanah Melayu railway line, it will be the testbed for a future housing concept — providing 3,000 units — that is integrated with a forest-type environment. The former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, meanwhile, will be a multi-functional community building for the next 20 years.
Click here to read the full article
Source: TODAY
