KTM Singapore Sector 12 Years On • Visiting Bukit Timah Railway Station, Tanjong Pagar Railway Station & Rail Corridor (North) Kranji Node

It’s been 12 years since the KTM Singapore Sector closed. This year in 2023, my journey to visit the KTM Singapore Sector started all the way from Tumpat by Ekspres Rakyat Timuran 27dn, after a short stay in Kota Bharu after alighting from the Ekspres Lambaian Aidiladha 1026up (ELA1), and I made my way down to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station after my train trip, to properly end my trip at the former end of the railway.

Shuttle Tebrau 81dn

To properly enter Singapore by train despite being no traffic jams on the Causeway, I took Shuttle Tebrau 81dn after my lunch in JB following my arrival from Ekspres Rakyat Timuran 27dn from Tumpat.

Woodlands Train Checkpoint (Woodlands CIQ)

My Shuttle Tebrau 81dn at Woodlands Train Checkpoint (Woodlands CIQ). This marks the start of my annual visit to the KTM Singapore Sector.

To get to Bukit Timah Railway Station, I took the direct SBS Transit Bus Service 170.

Boarding SBS Transit Bus Service 170.

Not a train, but it does its job well.

Kranji Gate

A symbolic picture of passing by Kranji Gate, which is located 635 meters away from this junction.

Sungei Kadut Gate

Passing by Sungei Kadut Gate.

Mandai Gate

Passing by Mandai Gate.

Bukit Panjang Gate

Passing by Bukit Panjang Gate.

Gombak Gate

Passing by Gombak Gate.

Bridge 1861

Passing under Bridge 1861. I contemplated alighting here to pay the bridge a visit, but decided against it since I have bags with me.

Bridge 1871

Passing under Bridge 1871 on approach to Bukit Timah Railway Station.

King Albert Park MRT Station

The vicinity of Bukit Timah Railway Station is now served by another train, the Downtown Line at King Albert Park MRT Station.

Bridge 1871

Instead of crossing the bridge of King Albert Park MRT Station, I decided to use Bridge 1871 instead to access directly.

There is a gravel path connecting Rifle Range Road with the Rail Corridor track.

Not railway track though, cycling track.

Most, if not all, of the Rail Corridor is designated as a shared path shared by all park users.

Heading on to Bridge 1871.

An information sign of the 2 truss bridges in Singapore, Bridge 1861 and 1871, is displayed on the bridge.

The original track is now “extended” by decorative tracks connecting Bridge 1871 to Bukit Timah Railway Station, embedded in the shared path.

A new ramp slopes up to the platform of Bukit Timah Railway Station.

The replica station sign of Bukit Timah Railway Station at the northern end of the platform.

The replica Wickham trolleys on the loop line and siding for phototaking purposes.

The decorative track merges with the original track within the station building vicinity.

The station building of Bukit Timah Railway Station.

The station master’s office remains locked.

The waiting hall of Bukit Timah Railway Station.

The former store room has been removed to reveal the ticket counter.

The other side of the waiting hall with old maps of Malaysia and Singapore.

The signal room of Bukit Timah Railway Station.

The replica signal board of Bukit Timah Railway Station with printed colours instead of light bulbs.

The 6 spare levers which remain in Singapore. The other 30 have been taken back by Malaysia.

An interactive panel for how the levers work is installed in the signal room.

A picture of the original rack of 36 levers is displayed on the interactive panel.

The blue lever still shows the wrong locking point.

Grass is overgrowing the old signal panel and water point again.

The original and reconditioned station sign of Bukit Timah Railway Station, though painted with slightly wrong dimensions.

The original and reconditioned token exchange pole on the southern end of Bukit Timah Railway Station.

Looking back at the station building.

Station Master’s Bungalow

The Station Master’s Bungalow is now Café 1932 selling food and drinks.

Heading out of Bukit Timah Railway Station.

The Yard is a new pavilion built by the former road for horses heading to and from the Turf Club.

Toilets are available at this pavilion.

The information board describing the Rail Corridor starting from 1903 as a railway till now.

The new welcome signs to the Rail Corridor at Bukit Timah Railway Station.

Bukit Timah Railway Station is now connected to King Albert Park MRT Station by a sheltered walkway.

Here, I headed on to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station by MRT and connecting bus.

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station

Passing by the old signal cabin at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, not in use on 30 June 2011.

The painted KTM logo on the retaining wall still remains, though behind some overgrown shrubs.

Alighting from the bus at Bus Stop 14069 Former Railway Stn.

Most parts of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station are now used for the construction of Cantonment MRT Station on the Circle Line (CCL) Stage 6, with the entire Tanjong Pagar Railway Station site closed off to the public.

There is a small access door to Platform 3 for workers in the site.

Walking past the corrugated zinc sheets used as fencing.

Some original fencing still remains nearer towards the façade of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.

The former KTM Distribution (Kiriman Ekspres) office at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.

The former taxi stand at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.

The façade of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. Finally ending my Ekspres Rakyat Timuran 27dn trip from Tumpat at the former end of the line.

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is now behind this gate till further notice.

Passing by the Circle Line 6 Project Information Centre on Spottiswoode Park Road.

The other side of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station from Spottiswoode Park Road.

No more chapati and bandung after a long train trip unfortunately.

The rest of the site Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is covered by hoardings for the construction of Cantonment MRT Station on the Circle Line (CCL) Stage 6.

Heading on to the Kampong Bahru Yard.

Kampong Bahru Yard

Kampong Bahru Yard is currently used to store the modular platforms and shelters of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station while construction of Cantonment MRT Station on the Circle Line (CCL) Stage 6 is ongoing.

The former wall of Sri Muneswarar Peetam Hindu Temple still remains.

A new barrier fence has been installed in front of the former set of steps down to the temple, with the old barrier fittings still slightly visible in lighter shades of concrete on the pavement.

Offerings are still being offered by members of the public here.

Part of the Kampong Bahru Yard is now a URA car park.

Royal Malaysian Customs

Ending my trip down the KTM Singapore Sector looking down at the site of the former Royal Malaysian Customs, which is today the Kampong Bahru Bus Terminal.

NEW: Rail Corridor (North) Kranji Node

On 1 July 2023, I made an additional trip to Rail Corridor (North) Kranji Node which is the new branch line off the Rail Corridor to Kranji MRT Station, which opened on 10 February 2023. I plan to make another walk on this new not-rail corridor on another day.

Kranji Node also ironically marks another site recently and suddenly announced for closure, the Singapore Turf Club, which will hold its last race by October 2024, and that the land will eventually be redeveloped after the facility is fully closed by March 2027.

Looking towards Tanjong Pagar Railway Station from Rail Corridor (North) Kranji Node.

Rail Corridor (North) Kranji Node is located just opposite Kranji MRT Station, connected by a short gravel path.

Funnily enough, connection to Malaysia on the Rail Corridor is “restored” with the new Rail Corridor (North) Kranji Node with SBS Transit Bus Services 160, 170, and 170X serving the new northernmost-point of the Rail Corridor.

Do note that this section of the Rail Corridor had never had a railway line on it.

Continuing on for a bit to the new end of the Rail Corridor.

The access point for road vehicles on to the Rail Corridor.

The end of the Rail Corridor now at Kranji Node is now an uninspiring 3-point-turn area for vehicles.

Looking back to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station from the new end of the Rail Corridor.

The Rail Corridor distance is now slightly shortened with this branch line to Kranji Node, with a distance of 21.8 kilometers from Kranji Node to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.

And funnily enough, you can now take the train from Kranji to Tanjong Pagar.

There is also a smaller footpath beside the wider shared path, with an uninspiring end.

I decided to take a little adventure to walk this smaller path to see where it leads to.

The small path just offers a small sample of the greenery that can be found on the Rail Corridor, with no landmarks along the short path.

The path leads back out to the main Rail Corridor path opposite the Singapore Turf Club.

Kranji MRT Station

Here at the new end of the Rail Corridor, Kranji MRT Station provides onward public transport connection by MRT and buses.

The section from 1.418251, 103.754105 to Kranji Lodge 1, including the former Kranji Gate, is no longer part of the Rail Corridor.

Conclusion

My sentiments of the Rail Corridor remains the same as I have wrote in 2021, which has also been my beliefs since 1 July 2011.

This year in 2023, the Rail Corridor is shortened and diverted to Rail Corridor (North) Kranji Node, which I fear that members of public may not know that this is a new diversion which is unrelated to the former railway alignment, and that future generations may think the KTM railway ran between Kranji MRT Station and Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, especially with no information signs at Kranji Node.

When I was at Bukit Timah Railway Station, I corrected a person possibly giving a tour of the station, as he claimed that there were formerly 12 levers in the signal room, with 6 taken back by Malaysia. I said that there were formerly 36 levers, to which he replied me that I have confused it with another location, and that he has the original photo of all “12” levers in the signal room. I simply told him to have a look at it again, and left the conversation there.

There was no point in insisting that there were indeed 36 levers, especially when there was a picture and description of it on the signal lever demo panel inside the signal room, since feelings are stronger than facts outside of a legal discussion. Additionally telling him that the 6 levers left in Singapore were all spares would have just make things heated.

I wonder what new “facts” I would learn of the Rail Corridor come next year.

As such, my sentiments of the Rail Corridor once again remains the same as I have wrote in 2021, which has also been my beliefs since 1 July 2011.