The need for a rail system in colonial Singapore arose as early as the 1860s when demand for primary produce from the Peninsula grew. Materials and goods had to be moved efficiently to Keppel Harbour which was the main point of import/export trade. But, the construction of the much needed railway only started in 1903. The first system centred around the main station at Tank Road located at the existing large traffic island in front of the Tank Road Chettiars Temple. In the 1910s, the line was extended south across the river, finally connecting to the Tanjong Pagar Docks and all the wharves. A direct link to Johor was later realised when the Causeway was constructed in 1923. This marked the beginning of the heydays of rail as a means of goods transport, communications and travel between Singapore, Malaya and Siam. The natural wealth of Malaya, particularly tin and rubber, could now be seamlessly transported to the ships by a combination of human sweat and steam power to the markets of the world.
(Text from URA http://www.ura.gov.sg/railcorridor/ )
Tank Road Railway Station circa 1900 Source: National Archives of Singapore
Bukit Timah Railway Station (BTRS)
The BTRS was part of the three (Alexandra and Tanglin Halt) smaller railway stations constructed to serve the suburban areas of Singapore. The BTRS followed the style of the traditional small town stations that were common in the United Kingdom and Malaya. It is an open-sided single-storey brick building that fronts the main railway line with an open platform. Its cosy country cottage appearance has made it an endearing local landmark. Cargo such as horses used to be unloaded and loaded at the BTRS. While it no longer performed the role of a freight interchange in its recent history, the BTRS was where key tokens were exchanged between the train drivers and the station master. The exchange of key tokens was to ensure the safety of the trains and prevent head-on collision with an on-coming train, as the entire route is on a single track, except at the stations. A train coming from the north would deposit the key token for the northern stretch (ie Woodlands to Bt Timah) before picking up the key token for the southern stretch (ie Bt Timah to Tanjong Pagar) at BTRS. The key tokens have thus come to symbolize the authority to pass through a sector. The BTRS was gazetted in 2011 as conserved building. (Text from URA http://www.ura.gov.sg/railcorridor/ )
Fun Facts!
Distance Marker: These markers are in intervals of 0.25km along the entire railway line.
The origin point (0km) is at Butterworth in Penang. In Singapore, the marker at Woodlands Train Checkpoint indicates 759.00km while that at Tanjong Pagar railway station indicates 784.50km.
Railway tracks: Consist of the metal rails, the sleepers (wooden or concrete) and the track ballast. The track ballast is the stones which help to distribute the weight loading on the tracks and facilitate drainage of water. You can see track ballast on our MRT tracks too.
Railway bridges: There are two significant railway truss bridges each of length more than 100 feet. One spans across Upper Bukit Timah Road (near The Rail Mall) and another spans across Bukit Timah Road (near King Albert Park). These two railway bridges will be retained.
Contributed by CY Leong
Track ballast Rail Clip Sleeper 1
1 1 3 4 The Rail Mall Bus services along Upper Bt Timah Rd: 67, 75, 170, 171, 178, 178, 2 3
Points of Interest (see boxed no.)
Railway truss bridge near southern end of The Rail Mall
Concrete bridge spanning over the railway line
Valley next to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
Small railway girder bridge over Hindhede Road
Railway track crosses beneath several roads
Railway truss bridge over Dunearn Road / Bukit Timah Road
Bukit Timah Railway station (closed and fenced, but you can still view it)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 General information The approximately 3km railway stretch between The Rail Mall (1) to Rifle Range Road (3) will be open to public till 31 July 2011.
Friendly Advice Set aside about 2hrs for the walk, including time to explore the tracks and take photos. Please wear proper footwear when trekking the railway corridor, and keep yourself well-hydrated.
Walking trail contributed by C.Y. Leong Street directory maps are copyright of SLA (www.onemap.sg)
For more information, please visit http://www.ura.gov.sg/railcorridor/
Access points (see circled no.) Southern end of The Rail Mall Slope near Hindhede Road Slope near Rifle Range Road Via Bt Timah Road, up the railway bridge 1 2 3 4 2 4 5 6 7 Bus services along Bt Timah Rd: 66, 67, 74, 77, 151, 154, 157, 170,171, 174, 852, 961, 970 Rifle Range Rd King Albert Park