Memories on track

One of the Rail Corridor access points near Bukit Timah Railway Station, close to public transport.

Old KTMB route in Singapore a haven for history, nature lovers

Where the trains once ran, there is no longer the chug of diesel engines or thrum of wheels on steel rails.

Instead, there is a quiet interspersed with birdsong, chatter of macaques and sounds of humans enjoying the space.

The refurbished Bukit Timah Railway Station (above) with preserved track-switching and signalling levers in the Signal Room (below).

This is the Rail Corridor in Singapore, turned into a green sanctuary after the iron horses of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) departed for good.

Hewn out in 1932, the tract from Woodlands in the north down to Tanjong Pagar in the south was used to carry goods and passengers to and from Malaysia until 2011.

Today, the space is closed in by foliage, running some 24km and bisecting the city state.

Along the way, entry points have been cleared of brush and improved, making the trail easy to access from nearby Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations and bus stops.

Bukit Timah Truss Bridge, one of the iconic links that got KTM trains to Singapore.

There are also paths connecting to other green spaces such as the Wallace Trail, Singapore Quarry, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Rifle Range Nature Park and MacRitchie Reservoir.

Most of the railway track has been filled in and evened out, making the path suitable for runners, walkers and cyclists.

Part of the Rail Corridor, with traces of the rails embedded into a path, now made suitable for walking, running and cycling.

Only in some places do traces remain, while rails with sleepers intact can be seen at several sites such as the truss bridges and old Bukit Timah Railway Station.

Elements of the old railway line have been rejuvenated, such as staff housing that has been turned into a cafe, while informative signboards dot the trail.

Former railway staff housing turned into a cafe, offering a quick bite and glimpse into the past for railway enthusiasts.

The Bukit Timah station has been spruced up too, telling its history in a space more conducive to reminiscences.

It is very different from the fenced-off, dilapidated shell that greeted him during a 2018 visit, said Rin Mohd from Kuala Lumpur.

The Rail Corridor has information boards along the trail for lovers of trains and history.

Met on his return journey this year while going on a 4km stroll, Rin is looking forward to the time when the iconic Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, currently being refurbished, will be accessible.

“The Rail Corridor will then offer a complete retelling of KTMB’s heritage in the land of our southern neighbour,” said the train and fitness enthusiast who intends to traverse it in full.