‘Rail Corridor’ endorsed by consultation group to be final project name
Minister of State (MOS) for National Development Mr Tan Chuan-Jin announced today during a visit to the Re-imagining the Rail Corridor exhibition that the ‘Rail Corridor’ (é“é“走廊) will be the final project name for development plans for the former railway land.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) had used ‘Rail Corridor’ as the working name for this project when the former railway land was returned to Singapore on 1 July 2011. A website was launched on the same day to gather feedback and ideas from the public in shaping the future development plans for the former railway land, including suggestions for a name for the project.
A total of 158 suggestions on the project name were received on the website as at the closing date on 31 July 2011. “Rail Corridor’ was one of the top three most suggested project names received. The other two project names were ‘Rail Trail’ and ‘Green Corridor’. Read more
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
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
Informal group to discuss railway land use
By Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 10 Jul 2011.
An informal workgroup that includes people with varied perspectives has been formed to chart the future of the former KTM railway land. It includes representatives from nature and heritage groups, architects and university dons.
Already, its first meeting is scheduled in one to two weeks’ time, said Minister of State for National Development and Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin, who is leading the railway development project.
Meetings will be held once every one or two months, he told reporters at Bukit Timah Railway Station yesterday.
Brigadier-General (NS) Tan was leading a group of about 30 people from interest groups, such as nature and heritage groups, as well as individuals on a 23km trek along the railway tracks from Silat Estate in Tanjong Pagar to Kranji.
Source: The Straits Times via Wildsingapore
A Green Opportunity
By National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan, 9 Jul 2011 (this was posted on his blog).
I love greenery. In Sembawang, we did a lot to green up the place. In the new hospital in Yishun, we set out to build a “hospital in a garden†and we succeeded.
Seven weeks into MND, I have been flooded with emails and FB comments, 99% of them on housing, quite understandably.
But there were a few non-housing comments.
I got one from a medical school student, interested in the “preservation and continued development of Singapore’s urban cultureâ€. She referred me to the Green Corridor Project being proposed by the Nature Society, suggesting the possibilities that we could create after Malayan Railway moved its station from Tj Pagar to Woodlands. She referred me to the New York’s High Line project which was quite inspirational.
I too see a green opportunity in this development. Read more
Old KTM tracks to become “green spine”
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia, 9 Jul 2011.
The National Development Ministry is studying ways to retain the old KTM railway tracks as a green spine for nature and leisure.
The railway line running through Singapore was closed after the KTM train station at Tanjong Pagar moved to Woodlands on July 1.
Writing in his blog on Saturday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said he sees a “green opportunity” for urban development that will not compromise the development potential of the lands surrounding the track.
He hopes Singaporeans will come forward with their ideas to “co-develop a workable and practical scheme”.
Source: Channel NewsAsia
Walking the railway together [9 Jul]
Join us for a walk with Minister of State for National Development, Tan Chuan-Jin, tomorrow 6am, starting at the carpark next to Silat Walk Blk 25/26. Or you can join in later along the railway, check out the maps of the walking routes on how to get around. See you tomorrow!
Read latest details of the walk at https://www.facebook.com/notes/tan-chuan-jin/walking-the-railway-together/213262195383230. Here’s the last update (at 8 Jul, 11:30am):
I am planning to walk the length of the railway from Tanjong Pagar Railway Station to Woodlands. Would like to see it all before the rail and sleepers are taken away. Will be walking with our friends who feel passionately about this piece of land and the life around it. Join us if you are free?
6.00am Silat Estate: Starts trek at Silat Walk Car Park next to Blk 25/26. (double confirmed!)
6.30am Should commence after hanging around and sorting ourselves out.
9.00am (6km from Start Pt): Reach Buona Vista MRT
10.30am (10.8km from Start Pt): Reach Bt Timah Railway Station
12.30am (13.6km from Start Pt): Reach Rail Mall
1.30pm Proceed with rest of the trek along the corridor
7.00pm End at Kranji Road (23km from start point). Easier access from here to exit.
btw, please be adequately hydrated before you start and bring along ample water for drinking; snacks or whatever you fancy for energy along the way. Wear a STURDY pair of shoes (poor soles have been seen left behind along the way 🙂 , put on sun block, caps etc. If not feeling well, please feel free to stop at various exit points along the way.
Railway tracks a huge draw
By Daryl Chin and Sia Ling Xin, The Straits Times, 3 Jul 2011.
It was a scene Singapore has never witnessed: Scores of people strolling along the railway tracks that run from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar.
Yesterday, a day after the authorities announced that it would allow the public access to most of the 26km track for two weeks, hundreds of people turned up at different sections of the route throughout the day.
The Nature Society (Singapore) led an organised walk, with about 60 of its members trekking 6km from Bukit Timah to Ten Mile Junction.
Mr Leong Kwok Peng, vice-president of the society, said: ‘I think the turnout is fantastic. You can easily see hundreds of people milling around the area when you look down both ends of the tracks.’
Source: The Straits Times via Wildsingapore
Authorities to engage stakeholders, community on redevelopment of KTM railway
By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia, 2 Jul 2011.
Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin said the authorities will extensively engage various stakeholders and the community in the redevelopment of the KTM railway tracks. He added that the work will take a few years.
Speaking on the sidelines of a photography competition organised by the National Parks Board, Brigadier-General Tan told reporters there will be regular meetings with stakeholders. These include schools and non-governmental organisations like nature and heritage societies.
He said this is to understand their concerns and engage the community.
Source: Channel NewsAsia
Nature lovers push harder for Green Corridor
By Grace Chua, The Straits Times, 30 Jun 2011.
NATURE and heritage groups have beefed up their original proposal to save the KTM railway land.
They point out that the land, comprising that on which the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station now sits and the north-to-south strip through which the rail tracks wind, links historic buildings and nature conservation areas. It could even become a Unesco World Heritage site, they add.
The KTM land reverts to Singapore tomorrow.
In their original proposal, green groups pushed for the 173.7ha strip of land on which rail tracks now run to be turned into a ‘green corridor’ for cycling, gardens and nature walks.
But corridor proponents now also call for calculations to be done on the true financial contribution which permanent green spaces make to property values.
