Malaysian Railway land - a north-south bikeway and nature corridor in the making

Letters to the The Straits Times Forum Page, 03 Jun 2010

"Go for green corridor"

"THE potential release of land owned by the Malayan Railway (KTM) presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a beautiful cycling, hiking and nature trail linking the north and south of Singapore.

This would be a boon for the increasingly health- and environment-conscious population seeking spaces for cycling, jogging and hiking, and help them appreciate the nature spots.

The KTM corridor is an unobstructed, traffic-free and flat path. It presents both a non-motorised transport option as well as a recreational opportunity.

Traffic-separating infrastructure - bridges, cuttings and tunnels - already exists, lowering the cost of conversion considerably as opposed to construction from scratch.

The converted path could easily be linked to the existing Park Connector Networks (PCNs) in the north, west and south of Singapore.

For example, it would be possible to link it with the Woodlands Waterfront and the Northern Explorer PCN, the Labrador Nature and Coastal Walk and the popular Southern Ridges Walk.

The new path would also immediately link the north, north-western and western towns with the biotechnology hub of one-north, the future arts-and- culture hub in Tanjong Pagar and the financial district, providing a safe and convenient commute for people living in these areas."

Thomas R. Keeble

"A new life for Tanjong Pagar Station," The Straits Times Forum page, 03 Jun 2010.

'How perfectly fitting for this historic transport hub to function as a terminus for green cyclists wishing to park their bikes and enter the city centre on foot.'

THE Malayan Railway's right-of-way contains some lovely islands of tranquillity in Singapore's otherwise urban landscape. They should be cherished. The right-of- way can be converted into a leafy ribbon park running from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands, with a bikeway for convenient access to the city from the north.

Bike lock-up and pay-shower/locker facilities could be built into the conservation plans of the Tanjong Pagar Station. How perfectly fitting for this historic transport hub to function as a terminus for green cyclists wishing to park their bikes and enter the city centre on foot. It could be developed as a hiking/walking/ cycling emporium, a 'Velopolis'.

And please, preserve the lovely cottage-like station in Bukit Timah as a midway resting point offering refreshments.

The ribbon park and Velopolis could be named after Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, to honour his visionary reforestation campaigns that are among his greatest legacies to this city state.

Wayne Mitchell

(KTM) Rails to Trails?

Tom Keeble asks hopefully,

"So with the transfer of the KTM line to Singapore, what do you think are the chances of getting the line turned into a massive park connector from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar?" Like Rails to Trails in the US - www.railstotrails.org

He is referring the ground-breaking news on the 24th of May 2010:

"KTMB station in Tanjong Pagar to relocate to Woodlands by July 2011," by S Ramesh. Channel News Asia, 24 May 2010. [pdf]

SINGAPORE: Singapore and Malaysia capped a historic day in relations on Monday with agreement on a long outstanding bilateral issue.

After 20 years, both sides have arrived at a solution on the Malayan Railway Land in Singapore. The leaders of the two countries agreed to move the station at the heart of the city centre in Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands Train checkpoint, near the border by the 1 July 2011.

The smiles said it all - of a retreat that has been fruitful with significant moves. The centrepiece must surely be the issue of the railway land and lines, spelt out in the Points of Agreement (POA) signed in 1990.

Read the rest of the article here.

For the joint statement by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak at the Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat, click here.