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:

View Maps from A Journey till the End in a larger map

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