Bukit Timah Railway Station open to public from Sept 16
By Joanne Chan, Channel NewsAsia, 2 Sep 2011.
The old Bukit Timah Railway Station and surrounding railway land will be open to the public in two weeks.
Announcing this on Friday, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said the station and railway land extending 1.4km southwards from the steel bridge along Bukit Timah Road will be open from September 16.
The SLA said other portions of the railway land will also be progressively open after removal works are completed.
Source: Channel NewsAsia
Tracks cleared with maximum care for greenery, says SLA
Letter from SLA, The Straits Times, 11 Aug 2011.
Singapore must remove the railway tracks and ancillary structures along the former KTM railway line, and return them to Malaysia by the year end (‘Be careful when dismantling rail tracks’ by Ms Catherine Lim; last Thursday).
The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has taken efforts to minimise the impact of these works on the vegetation. The SLA has also worked with the National Parks Board to identify the areas along the rail corridor that are rich in biodiversity and ensure that these are not inadvertently cleared as the tracks are removed.
Source: The Straits Times
Request To Minimise Impacts Of Railway Removal And Turfing Works
[This email was sent to SLA on 1 Aug 2011 – vincent_hoong@sla.gov.sg, simon_ong@sla.gov.sg, lee_seng_lai@sla.gov.sg. If you feel that the removal and turfing works are too excessive and disruptive to nature and the unique landscape of the railway lands, pls voice your concerns to SLA.]
Mr Vincent Hoong Seng Lei
Chief Executive
Singapore Land Authority
cc: Simon Ong Hung Eng, Dy Chief Executive
Lee Seng Lai, Director, Land Operations (Private)
Request To Minimise Impacts Of Railway Removal And Turfing Works
Dear Mr Hoong
I refer to the current works on the railway tracks and structures, and the recent media replies by SLA on minimising the impacts of the works and access routes.
2. Unfortunately, the current removal and turfing works by the contractors along some parts of the railway lands, especially from Bukit Timah to Holland Road, are too excessive and disruptive to nature and the unique landscape of the railway lands.
3. I would like to request that SLA closely supervise the contractor and sub-contractors involved in the removal and turfing works, in order to reduce the impacts of the works, minimise destruction of nature and vegetation, and prevent excessive alteration to the unique landscape of the railway lands.
4. For your necessary and urgent action, please. Thank you.
Yours Sincerely
Eugene Tay
A Concerned Citizen
http://www.thegreencorridor.org
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
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
Explore old rail tracks? You can during this month
By Jamie Ee Wen Wei, The Straits Times, 2 Jul 2011.
TANJONG Pagar Railway Station may be closed and work to remove the tracks is under way, but it is not the end of the road yet for railway buffs.
In response to requests from the public, the entire line of railway tracks will be open to the public from now until July 17, except for a few areas.
After July 17, a 3km stretch of tracks from Rifle Range Road to The Rail Mall will continue to be open until July 31.
A joint statement from the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority yesterday noted that as agreed with Malaysia, Singapore will remove the tracks and ancillary structures of the KTM railway and hand them over to Malaysia.
The SLA will start these removal works as well as do maintenance works shortly.
Source: The Straits Times via Wildsingapore
Public works and future plans for former railway land [Press Releases]
By Singapore Land Authority and Urban Redevelopment Authority, 1 Jul 2011.
The lands previously occupied by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) for railway use have been vested in the Singapore Government with effect from 1 July 2011.
As agreed with Malaysia, Singapore will remove the tracks and ancillary structures of the KTM railway and hand them over to Malaysia. The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) will commence these removal works as well as conduct maintenance works around the various railway sites shortly.
Public Can Access the Railway Tracks
Nevertheless, in response to requests for an opportunity for the public to trek along and experience the tracks, the SLA will be staging its works. From 1 Jul 2011 to 17 Jul 2011, the entire line of railway tracks will be open to public for 2 weeks, except for some localised areas.
After 17 Jul 2011, a 3km stretch of railway tracks from Rifle Range Road to the Rail Mall will continue to be open to the public till 31 Jul 2011. Read more
Chug your way to the railway tracks at Tanjong Pagar
By Channel NewsAsia, 1 Jul 2011.
The Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah Railway Stations are now shuttered, but they are anything but quiet.
Works are being carried out for the removal of furniture and equipment by KTM and its tenants as well as maintenance works.
As for the railway tracks, they are open from today for those who want to take a walk through the past.
During two weeks from 1-17 July, the entire line of railway tracks, except for some localised areas, will be open says the Singapore Land Authority. This is in response to public requests for an opportunity to trek along and experience the tracks.
Source: Channel NewsAsia
Not scrap metal, but a bridge to the past
Letter to TODAY by Liew Kai Khiun, 22 Jun 2011.
For the past fortnight, along with Singaporeans from all walks of life, I have been joining the walks along the Malayan Railway tracks organised by the “We support the Green Corridor” group, comprising conservationists and nature experts who are promoting awareness of the need to conserve the line between Tanjong Pagar and Woodlands as a green lung, after it ceases operation at the end of the month.
Aside from the stretches of lush greenery along the train line, many visitors have been tremendously fascinated by the engineering structures. These include the levers in the control room of the Bukit Timah Station, the train tracks and the cast-iron Truss bridges on Dunearn Road and Railway Mall on the main line, and the smaller counterparts at Sungei Ulu Pandan and Sunset Way along the defunct Jurong-Bukit Timah line.
Source: TODAY
NSS’s Letter for a 6 month moratorium
Ref: SLA’s Tender for Removal and Storage of Railway including ancillary structures from Woodlands Train Checkpoint to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, which was awarded on 2 Jun 2011.
Nature Society (Singapore) has already send letters to the relevant authorities to seek a 6 month moratorium commencing 1 July 2011 for the above work.
NSS asked that any dismantling works of the KTM tracks and ancillary structures be deferred during these 6 months except for reasons of safety.
NSS requested that the public be allowed to venture and explore the entire railway land and suggested that the authority should take the opportunity during this 6 months moratorium to garner feedbacks and conduct consultations to find out how the public would like the railway land to be used.
As the Singaporean public has been kept out of the KTM railway land for decades during the tenure of KTM, NSS thinks that this would be a once in a lifetime chance for the public to see the railway land as it is with its railway tracks, structures, bridges etc all intact.
Organised walk can be conducted by local or even KTM staff on the railway.
This would make for a fabulous and educational trip on our shared heritage as the railway has been a historical landmark of Singapore.
The railway has been with us for many decades – relatively an additional six months is a very short amount of time.
Source: NSS
