The Green Corridor, also officially known as the Rail Corridor, was very active today with about 6000 runners. Looking back in time, dating back to the last day of the KTM Railway operations in Singapore, the fate of the Green Corridor was hanging in the balance. Most of us do not know about the exact future and plans for the Green Corridor and it is still currently being discussed and planned by the authorities. At this current juncture, the Green Corridor/Rail Corridor is left as it is (except for Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and Bukit TImah Railway Station being closed to the public). It’s a leisure and recreational space for Singaporeans to relax and enjoy.
When the news regarding the return of the KTM Railway land back to Singapore, I started photographing and documenting the Green Corridor before the last day of the KTM Railway operations, the changes and developments thereafter. It was a humbling and enriching journey since I grew up near the Old Jurong Line at Clementi during my primary school days and my secondary school was beside Tanjong Pagar Railway Station (10 years near/beside the KTM operations). Even though I did not take the KTM trains, they had been a part of my growing up life. Therefore, I had a strong interest in the Green Corridor and would continue to lend my support in terms of photographing and documenting my exploration stories. Do check out my Flickr collection on the Green Corridor.
The Green Corridor Run was a great idea to push forward the agenda that the Green Corridor to be preserved and used for outdoor recreational activities such as running, cycling and trekking. Starting from Tanjong Pagar Railway Station to Bukit Timah Railway Station, over a distance of 10.5km, running pass the HDB heartlands and lush greenery along the former KTM Railway tracks route. I confessed that I was planning to sign up and run in the Green Corridor Run 2013 but I didn’t manage to sign up in time when the run reached their quota number of participants. Therefore, I went photographing at different segments of the Green Corridor Run starting from Buona Vista MRT station, overhead bridge near Ghim Moh HDB estate, bridge near Cold Storage Jelita at Holland Road, and finally Bukit Timah Railway Station. It was a sunny day with clear blue skies, while the weather was hot today, it was great for the Green Corridor Run!
Looking at the number of runners participating in the Green Corridor Run, it was really good to see and feel that Green Corridor has the potential to be a outdoor playground for Singaporeans to enjoy, relax, keep fit and healthy, enjoy the lush greenery and fresh air. The runners also stopped along the route to take photographs for memories sake. At the Bukit Timah Railway Station, the runners were happily taking photographs at the Bukit Timah Railway Station, the partial railway tracks that were preserved and the bridge across Bukit Timah Road/Dunearn Road. There were even people queuing up to take photographs with the Bukit Timah Railway Station signboard! Nature Society Singapore (NSS) is the official charity partner and I had a good time catching up with the friendly folks from NSS, Kwok Peng and Hang Chong at the end point marquee, along with Eugene Tay from We Support The Green Corridor.
With a maiden and successful start, let us all make the Green Corridor a haven for everybody to relax, enjoy, exercise, keep fit and healthy, have fun, leisure and recreation among the lush greenery, conservation and protection of the rich flora and fauna that Green Corridor is part of, the rich heritage, history and culture of the KTM Railway operations in Singapore.
That is why the Green Corridor is very important to Singapore and deserves to be preserved as it is, for the future generations.
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
Looking at the TV footage and your photos, I almost could not recognise a train once ran through here ! The grass and ferns have cover good grounds 🙂