A Journey till the End

In May 2010, it was announced that from 1 July 2011, KTM train services from Singapore will depart from Woodlands instead of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.

KTM stands for Keretapi Tanah Melayu, which means Malayan Railways. Everyday, it operates a few train trips between Singapore and many parts of Malaysia. Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is KTM’s only station in Singapore.

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, built in 1932, will then be “conserved given its historical significance. It will also be the centrepiece for the proposed new development on this site.” (ChannelNewsAsia, 24 May 2010)

We in Singapore know that the word “conserve” can only mean one of two things: 1) The building will be given a new coat of paint and some renovations and it will be leased or sold to the highest bidder who will convert it to a restaurant, a pub, a shopping mall, a discotheque or a residential property (quite unlikely for this case though); or 2) The building will be given to some government entity (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc.) and the place will become out of bounds to the general public.

Following the announcement, my immediate thoughts were that it might suffer the same fate that had beset on other historical buildings in Singapore such as the former National Library at Stamford Road (demolished) and Old Thong Chai Hospital (since 1990s, it has existed as a nightclub, a few restaurants and others at different times).

Although I had only commuted on KTM trains not more than 10 times in my 39 years of life, I nonetheless felt strongly that this will mark the end of yet another legacy in Singapore. Documentary Photography has always been close to my heart, especially so in the past couple of years. Singapore has changed so much and is still changing so quickly that I firmly believe that I, as a photographer and a Son of this Land, have the moral obligations to our future generations to preserve images of Singapore that will be gone forever.

Thus my journey began at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station on a Thursday afternoon in June 2010…

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station

Built in 1932, the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is the showpiece of the KTM Railway System within Singapore and is located along Keppel Road.

Location of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station:

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Tanjong Pagar Railway Station #2

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station #3

Road Signs

Quite inevitably, road signs and other markers associated with the Railway Station will be changed or removed.

The most prominent of all would be this particular signboard at the entrance to the carpark of the Railway Station along Keppel Road (notice Malaysia names it “TanjUng” while Singapore calls it “TanjOng” ).

Bus Stops

The bus-stops will also be affected.  Will this bus-stop be renamed to “Former Railway Stn”, or what?

Fencing on the North side of the Railway Station

On the north side of the Railway Station, there is a side entrance into the Station compound from Spottiswoode Park Road.

The fencing on this side of the Station looks simple and easily "penetrable" - in total contrast with the high-security fencing found in Singapore's governmental buildings.  I am reminded of the simplicity and innocence of an age gone by.

North side of the Railway Station #1

The north side of the Railway Station faces Spottiswoode Park Road.

On this side of the Station, there are several entrances that lead, via eating places or corridors, into the main hall of the Station.

North side of the Railway Station #2

North side of the Railway Station #3

North side of the Railway Station #4

Many motorbikes are parked on this side of the Station.  They probably belong to the people who work in the Railway Station.

North side of the Railway Station #5

Kiriman Ekspres

This parcel van comes in at 0624hrs with the night train from KL, and is then shunted to Platform 3 to allow easy loading and unloading of goods from the Kiriman Ekspres (KTM Distribution) office.

It departs Singapore at 2230hrs the same day with the night train to KL, stopping at stations to pick up or drop off goods. Sometimes, 1 or 2 parcel vans are used, depending on the requirement.

Notice the simplicity of the fencing.

Johor Baru’s Nasi Lemak & Mee Rebus | Kampong Kitchen | serving authentic malaysian cuisine

This is found on the south side of the Railway Station facing Keppel Road.

The Clock that has Stopped

This clock is located at the south side of the Railway Station facing Keppel Road.  It has stopped at approximately 12:30.  No one knows exactly on which day this clock stopped working.  I guess no one bothered it was not working anymore.

The other Clock that has also Stopped

This clock is right behind the earlier clock that has stopped. Strangely, it had stopped at a different time from the latter.

F.M.S.R.

The acronym "F.M.S.R." can be found in several places at the Railway Station.  It stands for "Federal Malay States Railway".  I guess it must have been the name of the railway systems in Malaya during the British colonial period.

An example where F.M.S.R. can be found is above the 4 towering statues at the entrance of the Railway Station.  These 4 statues are named Agriculture, Commerce, Transport and Industry - symbols of Malaya's economic pillars, with each personification holding symbols unique to their character.

F.M.S.R. in the Railway Station Main Hall

In the main hall of the Railway Station, there are also two locations with F.M.S.R - high on the north and south walls. The one on the south wall is shown here.

Railway Station Entrance

No gantries, security guards, metal detectors or rifle-carrying National Servicemen.

Railway Station Main Hall

Railway Station Ticket Counter

No automated ticket machines.  No store-valued electronic tickets either.

Mural #1

There are six murals high on the east and west walls in the main hall of the Railway Station.  Two of the murals are shown here.  To properly show the beauty of the murals, these photographs have been post-processed on Photoshop to remove the "keystoning" (crooked, convergent) effect of the murals due to the angle from which the photographs were taken.

The six murals were painted to depict the way of life in Malaya from an earlier age:

• Villagers plucking coconuts from coconut trees
• Workers in a mine
• Workers in a rubber plantation (shown here)
• Workers in a rice field
• Villagers transporting goods with tools such as a bullock cart (shown next)
• Workers in a port, with a modern ship and some sailboats and Chinese junks in the background

Mural #2

Railway Station Departure Gate

Bambai Food Catering at the Railway Station

Railway Station Arrival Platform

Patrons of the eating places in the Station can sit down at the arrival platform to enjoy their mee siam or teh tarik in a relaxed manner.

Sitting at the Arrrival Platform of the Railway Station

Hydraulic Buffers | Ransomes & Rapier Ltd | Ipswich 1930 England

Seats at the Arrival Platform

Railway Station Departure Platform

Railway Station Immigration Control

If one takes a train from Tanjong Pagar Railway Station to Malaysia, he/she will first "enter" into Malaysia through the Malaysian Immigration Control at Tanjong Pagar, then "exit" from Singapore later at Woodlands Checkpoint.

A Train at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station Departure Platfrom

A Passenger Train Leaving Tanjong Pagar Railway Station

On leaving the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, a Malaysia-bound train will first travel against the traffic flow on Keppel Road before cruising alongside the Ayer Rajah Expressway in a northwesterly direction.

Location where this photograph was taken (106 Spottiswoode Park Road):

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Another Passenger Train Leaving Tanjong Pagar Railway Station

The blocks of HDB flats in the background are Blks 111, 113 and 115, Bukit Purmei Road.
They are visible from Keppel Road next to the Railway Station.

Location of Blk 113, Bukit Purmei Road:

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At Kampong Bahru Flyover

The first bridge/flyover that a Malaysia-bound train passes is the Kampong Bahru Flyover. The blocks of HDB flats in the background are Blks 104-107 Spottiswoode Park Road.

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At Kampong Bahru Flyover at Night

The train codenamed 'Senandung Sutera' leaves Tanjong Pagar Railway Station every night at 22:30 hrs.

Blk 17 Telok Blangah Crescent

After passing the Kampong Bahru Flyover, a Malaysia-bound train will pass by blocks of flats from the Jalan Bukit Merah area before going under the Lower Delta Flyover.

With Telok Blangah housing estate on the left and Henderson industrial estate on the right sides of the Malaysia-bound train, it will then go past the Henderson Flyover.

From the 30-storey Blk 17 Telok Blangah Crescent, one can see trains passing under the Henderson Flyover.

Perpendicular to the Henderson Flyover is the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) which runs alongside the railway. It is here where the AYE splits into the Central Expressway (CTE) and the East Coast Parkway (ECP).

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Henderson Flyover

From the Henderson Flyover, one can see the imposing thirty-storey Blk 17 Telok Blangah Crescent in the background.


Location where this photograph was taken:

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Depot Road

After passing the Henderson Flyover, a Malaysia-bound train continues alongside the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) with Depot Road on its left and Bukit Merah Central on its right.

There are many pedestrian overhead footbridges along the AYE that span across the railway track as well as the expressway. From one such bridge at Depot Road, one can see the trains with the stocky Defence Technology Tower A in the background.

Location where this photograph was taken:

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Taking a Shortcut

It is not surprising that some people use the railway track as a shortcut to get from one place to another, such as the couple here. However, they will need to know the schedule of the trains very well to prevent any mishaps from happening.

The 30-storey Blk 17 Telok Blangah Crescent can be seen in the background.

Jalan Hang Jebat

After Depot Road, a Malaysia-bound train continues alongside the Ayer Rajah Expressway until Gillman Flyover at Alexandra Road, where it diverges from the AYE and continues northwards. Here, it passes the Alexandra Hospital on its right before traveling past Jalan Hang Jebat, a well-concealed road that is off the beaten track.

There is a Muslim mosque known as Masjid Hang Jebat at Jalan Hang Jebat. During the Muslim Haj period, this charitable mosque gives out free food to anyone, regardless of Muslims or otherwise - a Muslim uncle who saw me waiting for trains actually persuaded me to go get some free food there. I politely turned him down as I thought someone else needed it more than I did.

From Jalan Hang Jebat, one can see Blks 19-22, Queen's Close in the background.

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One foot into Malaysia?

Since the railway tracks are properties of the KTM, and the land on which they stand belongs to the government of Malaysia, does it mean that if someone steps onto the track, he or she is in Malaysia?

Everyday, at many parts of the railway tracks, many Singaporeans cross the tracks to get from one place to another, such as getting to Queensway at Jalan Hang Jebat.

Queensway Flyover

After passing Jalan Hang Jebat, a Malaysia-bound train will go under the Queensway Flyover and emerge on the left-hand-side of the Blessed Sacrament Church on Commonwealth Drive.

From the Queensway Flyover, one can also clearly see the colorful Blk 55 Commonwealth Drive in the background.

Location where this photograph was taken:

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Peekaboo at Woking Road

Directly opposite the Blessed Sacrament Church is Portsdown Road area. From Woking Road near Portsdown Road, one can see trains appearing peekaboo among the thick vegetation.

The tall block of flat in the background is Blk 23A Queen's Close.

Interestingly, it was observed that, from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands, many parts of the railway tracks are well concealed by thick vegetation. It could be a way to keep people out of the railway tracks without building fences. I reckon that is also the reason why few Singaporeans notice the existence of railways and trains in Singapore.

Location where this photography was taken:

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As Close as it Gets

As a Malaysia-bound train cruises past Portsdown Road area on its left-hand-side, it gets as close as about 20 to 25 metres from some of the HDB blocks near Commonwealth Park on its right-hand-side. The trains normally slow down when they reach this area.

Along this stretch of the railway track, there are several shortcuts that have been artificially made to allow people to cross the railway track to get from Commonwealth area to Biopolis and Buona Vista area, and vice versa.

One such shortcut is shown here with the futuristic building Immunos in Biopolis in the background.

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Train vs Train

As a Malaysia-bound KTM train leaves behind Commonwealth Drive and Tanglin Halt Road, it will meet the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train/track for the very first time at the junction of North Buona Vista Road and Commonwealth Avenue near the Buona Vista MRT Station.

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Ghim Moh Estate

After a Malaysia-bound train passes under the MRT track near Buona Vista MRT Station, it will emerge between Ghim Moh estate on its left and Holland estate on its right, next to North Buona Vista Road. Here, a moving train will be visible to pedestrians and motorists traveling along North Buona Vista Road.

From the top of the 34-storey Blk 18B Holland Drive, one can see the twining railway track meandering on the periphery of Ghim Moh estate, with Mount Sinai estate in the background.

Location where this photograph was taken:

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Overhead Bridge at East Sussex Lane


Many of those who used to study in Raffles Junior College in the 1980s to 1990s would have used this overhead bridge to get to school every day. Some would have seen trains passing under this bridge at one time or another.

In the background is the 34-storey tall Blk 18C Holland Drive.


Location where this photograph was taken:

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The Former Raffles Junior College

After navigating through Ghim Moh Estate, a Malaysia-bound train will cruise past the former Raffles Junior College on its left, before going under Holland Road near Cold Storage Jelita.

From this stretch onwards until the quaint and charming Bukit Timah Railway Station, the railway tracks are well concealed by the heavy forestation along the tracks. One can only catch a glimpse of the trains and track near Ewart Park, off Holland and Ulu Pandan Roads, before the Malaysia-bound train reaches Bukit Timah Railway Station.


Location where this photograph was taken:

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Signboard to Bukit Timah Railway Station

Nestled in a corner of Bukit Timah Road is the long-forgotten Bukit Timah Railway Station. Not many people knows of its existence. A signboard near King Albert Park, just below the iconic Railway Bridge spanning across Bukit Timah and Dunearn Roads, points towards this charming little station.

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A Short Walk to the Bukit Timah Railway Station

The hidden passage that leads to the Bukit Timah Railway Station is about 200 metres long and up a gradual slope. As one approaches the end of the slope, she is greeted by the railway tracks on the left running next to the condominium The Sterling.