Rail Corridor

When the Malayan railway stopped running to Tanjong Pagar in 2011 the track was lifted and the land returned to Singapore, leaving a continuous strip twenty-four kilometres long from the south of the island to the Johor Strait. It has been developed as a trail: gravel and grass underfoot, two surviving railway stations at Bukit Timah and Tanjong Pagar, steel truss bridges left in place, and forest, housing estates and industry passing on either side.

History

The railway land, 434.26 acres under the Singapore Railway Transfer Ordinance of 1918, ran some 27 kilometres from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar and stayed with Malaysia's railway company until a land swap in 2010. The Nature Society proposed turning it into a green corridor, its redevelopment was announced on 21 October 2017, and the two Bukit Timah truss bridges of 1932 reopened in 2020 and March 2021 (Wikipedia, Rail Corridor (Singapore)).

What to look for

• The truss bridges - steel railway bridges kept in place along the route.
• Bukit Timah Railway Station - a restored station building with its signal equipment.
• The continuous strip - a green corridor running the whole length of the island.
• The variety - forest, estates, industry and quarry cliffs along one route.

When to go

Year round; early morning is coolest and the trail is exposed in stretches. Sections close periodically for works and the closures are posted. Afternoon storms are frequent.

Practical notes

Sections have been closed for construction for long periods and the route is not always continuous. There is little shade on some stretches and few facilities. Walking the full twenty-four kilometres in Singapore heat is a serious undertaking.

Nearby

Bukit Timah is at the midpoint, and Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is the southern end.

Key facts