Rail Corridor: 8 features to check out at newly reopened 4km stretch

Laser scanning technology was used to map the position of various track parts.

ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Ng Keng Gene

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SINGAPORE - A stretch of the Rail Corridor, spanning about 4km, has been reopened after about two years of enhancement works. Called the Rail Corridor (Central), it features two aspects that Singaporeans have come to love about the trail - nature and heritage. The stretch now has eight designated access points for the public, including two which are wheelchair-accessible.

Here are some of the improvements.

1. Restored truss bridges

Laser scanning technology was used to map the position of various track parts, to ensure each part would return to the correct position after drainage works were completed. A bed of stones around the track was also relaid and bound to form a continuous and relatively flat path to make the bridges safer to walk on.

2. New access points

<p>[EMBARGOED TILL 12 NOON ON 22 MARCH 2021] ST20210319-202160513722-Lim Yaohui-Ng Keng Gene-kgrail23/</p> <p>New landscaped stairs at the southern end of the Upper Bukit Timah truss bridge near Rail Mall.</p> <p>Previously, visitors were climbing a badly-eroded slope to reach the Rail Corridor. Concrete steps, made to look like timber sleepers, were laid on the slope to make the climb safer.</p> <p>Media preview of the enhancement works at Rail Corridor (Central) on Mar 19, 2021.</p> <p>The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Parks Board have completed enhancement works at the Rail Corridor (Central) trail and will mark its reopening on 22 March 2021.</p> <p>(ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI)</p>
PHOTO: ST

To make the trail accessible to the public, eight access points have been opened, including a flight of steps right next to the Upper Bukit Timah Truss Bridge. Where possible, the access points were also made wheelchair- and pram-friendly, such as at Hindhede Drive and Mayfair Estate. Previously, visitors had to make their way across uneven slopes and overgrown vegetation to access the corridor.

3. Singapore Quarry Bridge

<p>[EMBARGOED TILL 12 NOON ON 22 MARCH 2021] ST20210319-202160513722-Lim Yaohui-Ng Keng Gene-kgrail23/</p> <p>The Singapore Quarry Bridge which links visitors to the Dairy Farm Nature Park.</p> <p>Media preview of the enhancement works at Rail Corridor (Central) on Mar 19, 2021.</p> <p>The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Parks Board have completed enhancement works at the Rail Corridor (Central) trail and will mark its reopening on 22 March 2021.</p> <p>(ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI)</p>
PHOTO: ST

The bridge once linked the quarry to old Ford Factory area. Today, it allows visitors to enter the Rail Corridor from Dairy Farm Nature Park. It was left unpainted to retain a weathered look.

4. Hindhede Bridge and Underpass

ST20210322_202175419727/pixrail/Jason Quah New underpass at the Rail Corridor (Central) at Hindhede Walk seen on March 22, 2021.
PHOTO: ST

A new underpass for pedestrians was built at Hindhede Drive after feedback from the public. The 3.6m-wide underpass, under an old rail bridge, was built parallel to Hindhede Drive so that pedestrians accessing Bukit Timah Nature Reserve would not have to walk along the road, which has no pavement.

5. Rewilding

<p>[EMBARGOED TILL 12 NOON ON 22 MARCH 2021] ST20210319-202160513722-Lim Yaohui-Ng Keng Gene-kgrail23/</p> <p>Over 1,500 native trees and shrubs have been planted along Rail Corridor, such as Leea rubra and Melastoma malabathricum, to restore a belt of native forest in the area, which in turn provides an important passage, habitat and source of food for Singapore's native fauna, and enhance ecological connectivity between natural habitats.</p> <p>Media preview of the enhancement works at Rail Corridor (Central) on Mar 19, 2021.</p> <p>The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Parks Board have completed enhancement works at the Rail Corridor (Central) trail and will mark its reopening on 22 March 2021.</p> <p>(ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI)</p>
PHOTO: ST

Some non-native plants, which include albizia trees, were removed, while more than 1,500 native trees and shrubs like the red tree shrub and common senduduk were planted. The native species will attract insects and birds, and allow the corridor to serve as a passageway for fauna.

6. Strengthened trail

<p>[EMBARGOED TILL 12 NOON ON 22 MARCH 2021] ST20210319-202160513722-Lim Yaohui-Ng Keng Gene-kgrail23/</p> <p>View from the Singapore Quarry Bridge, now links visitors to the Dairy Farm Nature Park.</p> <p>Media preview of the enhancement works at Rail Corridor (Central) on Mar 19, 2021.</p> <p>The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Parks Board have completed enhancement works at the Rail Corridor (Central) trail and will mark its reopening on 22 March 2021.</p> <p>(ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI)</p>
PHOTO: ST

The 4.5m-wide trail has been strengthened and sloped to allow rainwater to drain to its sides. Previously, the trail would become muddy and water logged after a downpour.

Porous materials that allow rainwater to seep into the ground quickly were used at points closer to urban areas, thus minimising the need for new drains to be built, while retaining the natural look of the area.