I still vividly remembered the Green Corridor a.k.a known as the Rail Corridor, exploring the route with my friends, photographing the train tracks and surroundings before the tracks were removed. It’s now a Green Corridor route, great for both hikers, bikers, runners and outdoor enthusiasts.

In the year 2015, the Singapore Land Authority decided that they wanted Singaporeans to enjoy the historical former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, the Singapore Land Authority will open the State property to the public on public holidays, it started on 20th February 2015 during Chinese New Year 2015. It was great to see this historical monument opened up to the public to relive, enjoy and share the history, culture, significance and memories behind it.

Visiting the Tanjong Pagar Railway Open House on 1st May 2015 during the Labour Day holiday, it felt good to be back into the historical former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. Many memories flowed back to the time when I was documenting and photographing them with fellow photographer friends. It was good to see people, from young to the elderly, visiting Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. I can even hear story telling, by the parents to their children, on how the train station was like, how it was operating and where the trains pulled into the station’s platforms. These are the memories and stories that we need to Pass It On to the next generations and beyond.

Walking down the remaining Tanjong Pagar Railway tracks at the railway station, most of the tracks were gone. What we left were memories in our hearts, mind, soul and photographs that I documented and curated over the years.

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The Green Corridor Run 2014, a unique trail run that starts from Tanjong Pagar Railway Station to Bukit Timah Railway Station, over a distance of 10.5km surrounded by the natural green environment and the Singapore heartlands. In their 2^nd year, it was great to see a great turnout of runners running in the Green Corridor running singlet and the runners blend themselves beautifully with the beautiful greenery of the Green Corridor/Rail Corridor. I was at the Kampung Bahru Road flyover and photographed the first and second wave of Green Corridor Run runners running out from the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station area and it was a nice sea of green runners among the greenery! The weather during the Green Corridor Run 2014 was very wet and kudos to the runners for completing the run in very wet and muddy conditions!

I wasn’t able to cover the Green Corridor Run 2014 from the Tanjong Pagar towards the end point at Bukit Timah Railway Station due to a clash of schedules, like what I did in the Green Corridor Run 2013. However, I hope that my small contribution in sharing about the Green Corridor Run 2014 and some photographs from the Green Corridor Run 2014 would encourage future Green Corridor runners to join! I also hope that more people would continue to love and explore our Green Corridor/Rail Corridor for leisure and recreational activities, along with the history and culture of the KTM Railway operations in Singapore.

I personally feel that the Green Corridor Run is great and suits the Green Corridor perfectly! Let’s keep the Green Corridor Run going in the years ahead and beyond! Let’s keep the Green Corridor status quo and an area for outdoor recreation, fun, healthy living and leisure activities!

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

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On the 1st July 2012, the public was once again allowed to revisit the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and Bukit Timah Railway Station, rekindling their memorie and passion. Besides that, there were nature walks from Bukit Timah Railway Station to Old Holland Road or towards Tanjong Pagar Railway Station for the more adventurous ones. This wonderful and meaningful event is organised by Friends of the Rail Corridor and Nature Society (Singapore).

I started to look back in time when my friends and myself were exploring, photographing and documenting the KTM Railway and the Old Jurong Railway line,

– (Abandoned) Railway Track Photo Walkabout 

– (Abandoned) Railway Track (Part 2) Photo Walkabout 

– Railway Track Exploration Part 3 – Bukit Timah To Ten Mile Junction

– So Long! Farewell! The Last Train from KTM Tanjong Pagar

– A Goodbye (Thank You) Walk to the Railway Tracks

– Old Jurong Line Update 1 – Teban Gardens to Sunset Way

– Bukit Timah Railway Station to Holland Road (Bridge)

These photojournalistic trekking adventures gave me many beautiful memories and photographs (some were sad too) with my friends who were just as enthusiastic, adventurous and making a difference to document and share the last months leading to the return of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Bukit Timah Railway Station and the railway land/tracks back to Singapore.

On the Rail Corridor Open Day 2012, I trekked along from Bukit Timah Railway Station towards Ghim Moh HDB estate area before  leaving for Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. While I did not trek from Bukit Timah Railway Station to Tanjong Pagar Railway  Station, I might do it one day in the future with my friends. The lush greenery and vegetation were still as beautiful and mostly untouched. The weather was great with clear blue skies and beautiful sunshine. The participants were treated to great sharing on the flora and fauna by the volunteer guides from Nature Society Singapore along with bird watching too!

At the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station Open House, the activities started in the afternoon and the visitors were allowed to explore the main hall and platform freely. There were screening of documentaries – Platform 1932, wonderful nostalgic photography and memories sharing by Darren Soh and Jerome Lim. Thereafter, there was also a guided tour on Tanjong Pagar Railway Station architecture and history by Dr Lai Chee Kien. Check out Jerome’s post on the Rail Corridor Open Day too!

I took this wonderful and grateful opportunity to explore and photograph those places that you will most likely unable to access them when the Tanjong Pagar KTM Railway Station was in operation, those of the train operations offices, warehouses, immigration customs booths, and kitchens that served very delicious food. The main hall, the ticket counter, the artwork, the platforms and railway tracks were photographed once again, same old place, quite a lot of difference 1 year later.

At 5pm on 1st July 2012, the metal grille gates to the platform were closed again. However, the metal grille gates “resisted” and seemed that they do not want to be “closed” again, they were not allowing the security officers to close them easily before they were closed tight. This omen was spotted by Jerome, who highlighted to me and it was probably sending a message that the Grand Old Dame, our Tanjong Pagar Railway Station wants to be back to her glory days again. When and how will this happen, change and metamorphosis, the supporters, Friends of the Rail Corridor, Nature Society Singapore and We Support The Green Corridor , would be there to welcome her back in operation (without the trains though)

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

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With each day counting towards the end of chapter in Singapore’s history and Malaysia’s history as well, it marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new era ahead. Many people from all walks of life gathered, remembered, reminisced, shared, trekked, taking photographs of the Grand Old Dame, her railway tracks, The Green Corridor, the traditions, heritage and history. The elderly, the parents bringing their children to know about the history of the railway tracks. The papers, social media, blogs and internet were buzzing with great interest and publicity on the KTM Railway lines and the KTM Railway Stations Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah.

Thursday 30th June 2011, on the final day of her railway operations in Singapore, it was the best to send off The Last Train Out From KTM Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in style and honour that she fully deserved, by being part of the history; to be there to remember her heritage, history and achievements, taking photographs and videos with their friends, family and loved ones, taking the last passenger train at 2200hrs out from Tanjong Pagar or the VIP train at 2300hrs driven by His Excellency, the Sultan of Johor himself, out of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, marking the end and handing over of KTM Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.

A time of mixed emotions, I studied beside the KTM Tanjong Pagar Railway Station for 4 years (when I was studying at Gan Eng Seng School when it was situated at Raeburn Park) and the railway line situated behind Clementi HDB estate and Sunset Way Railway Bridge (when I was studying at Clementi North Primary School whereby it was situated at Clementi Avenue 6). With this closure, what lies ahead ? For the railway stations in Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah, we know they will be preserved for our history and heritage, how about the beautiful Green Corridor? Only time will tell …

I will not forget about them and did not choose to remember it just because it was near to the end of her long service, it’s for the memories that I grew up with that is unique to me and maybe others too.

Lest We Forget, the KTM Railway in Singapore, let the photographs continue telling the stories from here ….

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

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