Gardens by the Bay East | Marina Barrage

Gardens by the Bay East

Tanjong Rhu Suspenson Footbridge

One of our walking buddies found out that the Gardens by the Bay East was open with all barricades removed. So for this walk we wanted to see what was in store for us at the Gardens. Our plan was to visit Gardens by the Bay then cross over to the Marina Barrage and finish off by walking along the roads of Marina South to Lau Pa Sat.

Gardens by the Bay East

We began the walk from the bus stop near Mountbatten Community Centre and walked along the Geylang Canal in the direction of the Singapore Indoor Stadium. There was a park connector on the left bank all the way to Costa Rhu but we chose to walk on the right bank where we had to walk on the concrete slab anchoring the guardrails along the canal. Just before the stadium was a drain where we turned right and aimed for the Kallang Leisure Park where we had an early lunch to provide us the calories for the main walk.

Lily Pond

After lunch we walked passed the Kallang Indoor Stadium to cross the pedestrian foot bridge. The site of the former Kallang Stadium was walled up to allow for the construction of the future Kallang Sports Hub. The main entrance to the Gardens is from Rhu Cross. For those who prefer going there by bus take 158 from opposite the Mountbatten Community Centre or from Aljunid MRT and get down at Costa Rhu.

Marina Bay Sands

The Gardens by the Bay East is about 1900m long. The width varies from 150 to 200m. It is sandwiched between Marina Bay Golf Course on the east and the Marina Channel on the west. They are situated on a triangular-shaped piece of reclaimed land (Marina East) bounded by the East Coast Parkway ECP in the north, the Marina Channel on the west and the sea in the south. From the Gardens, you will have spectacular views of the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, the Singapore Flyer, Marina Sands, the two domes in Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore skyline.

Singapore Flyer

Although the Gardens looked bare from the Benjamin Sheares Bridge compared with mature parks in the rest of Singapore with their decades-old trees forming a dense canopy, nevertheless on the ground the perspective was different. The plants as well as some trees were flowering attracting butterflies and dragonflies and our walk through the park was a a surprise because the view was breathtaking. It would be most pleasant in the evenings with the lighted Singapore skyline as the backdrop.

Marina Barrage Water Feature

The Gardens are fully developed with plant life, rain shelters, ponds, rock gardens, swales, etc. Now it's waiting for the trees to mature over the years to extend their crown to provide more shade.

Sustainable Singapore Gallery

Marina Barrage
As we crossed the Marina Barrage, we could see on the left the construction of the underground Marina Coastal Expressway connecting the East Coast Expressway to Keppel Road near the Marina South Pier.

Marina Barrage on opening day

The Marina Barrage implemented several energy saving ideas such as a grass-covered rooftop and a solar energy farm. The rooftop also served another purpose providing visitors with a place to relax, play, or have a picnic while absorbing the views of the city skyline. When we were there the sky opened up and we spent the time enjoying the model demonstration of the function of the barrage as we waited for the rain to stop.

Related Posts
East Coast Park to Gardens Bay East
Gardens by the Bay South and East
Kallang Basin and Marina Reservoir Walk

Route

Map data ©2015 Google, Urban Redevelopment Authority

Woodlands Town to Bukit Panjang via Ulu Sembawang Park Connector

The Route
This route came about to satisfy two criteria viz. to walk along park connectors with their well paved tracks and secondly along forests for their shade, greenery and away from traffic. We achieved this by starting from Woodlands (Causeway Point) after a hearty lunch and proceeding southward along the Woodlands Park Connector (Ave 2) to the Ulu Sembawang Park Connector (PCN) to the Mandai PCN. Then we travelled along Track 15 (Central Catchment PCN) in Mandai to the Gangsa Bike Trail to Bukit Panjang. See the GPS track below.

Open field at Woodlands Park Connector

Woodlands Park Connector
Walking along the Park Connector from Woodlands to Ulu Sembawang was uneventful except for the hot weather as we started walking at about 12 noon. After walking southward along Ave 2, we passed the Singapore Sports School where our elite athletes train and have their education. The path eastward from the school was blissful and reminded us of the Von Trapp children singing in the Austrian Alps as the track bordered a huge expanse of wide open field on high ground making us feeling liberated. On a previous trip one of our fellow walkers found a lost kite and ran with it and I sang "the hills are filled with the sound of music, etc." Unfortunately he suffered a minor injury as a result but is okay now. Before embarking on this stretch, one got to be careful of thunderstorms as it is exposed.

Ulu Sembawang Park Connector

Near the junction of Ave 12 and the SLE we headed southward along the Ulu Sembawang PCN. This track took us through the forests of Mandai used by Mindef for training their troops. On the west was the Mandai forest with the forbidding "Protected Area" sign and on the east were the farms. The track was just opened several months ago - kudos to the Nparks for building it and allowing us access through the Mandai forest. At the end was Mandai Road and the Seletar Reservoir. We turned west towards the Singapore Zoo direction. We could see the outline of durian trees as we walked, but no fruits as it was out of season.

Central Catchment Park Connector
At the Mandai Lake Road which led to the Zoo, we followed a track called the Central Catchment PCN. This narrow track is within the forest of Mandai and is left unpaved as close to its natural condition. There were occasional fallen trees due to heavy rain and wind but we were able to continue our trek. This trail roughly parallel Track 15  leading to the Mandai Rifle Range. On certain days we could hear the sound of gunfire. As we proceeded along, we could spot the silhouette of durian trees. This was dutifully recorded as a POI on our GPS track for a visit when the fruit is in season. The Central Reserve PCN had been realigned to join up with the Gangsa Bike Trail to which we emerged when we came to the end of the park connector.

Gangsa Bike Trail

Gangsa Bike Trail
We did a side trip to the PUB pumping station to clock up the mileage we wanted to achieve. The bike trail was easy going although we were accompanied by mosquitos but thanks to our buddies for whom they had more affection, the rest of us were spared the ordeal. Towards the end of our trek we arrived at the abandoned garden beside the BKE under which we walked toward Bukit Panjang Kim San Leng coffee-shop for a short rest before heading home.

See Also:
Admiralty Park to Sembawang
The Pipeline Trail
Woodcutter Trail

GPS Track

Map data ©2020 Google, Urban Redevelopment Authority

Punggol Waterway | Punggol Promenade

It was a gloomy and cloudy day with constant light rain throughout our walk. We were in high spirits as our group had swollen to 9 that day as all could make it for the walk and with the addition of a new member PC. It was strange that the 'initiation' (though uncalled for) of a new member seemed to involve wearing long pants on his first walk while the rest wore shorts.

Jewel Bridge

Route
We immediately commenced our walk after alighting from the bus at the Punggol Interchange. We started the walk with one arm stretched out with our brollies unfolded to receive the blessings from the sky. The aim was to recce the Punggol Waterway from the Punggol Reservoir in the west to the Serangoon Reservoir in the east, then turn left at the Horseshoe Bridge to the north and walk on along the Punggol Promenade to Punggol Point covering about 10km.

Adventure Bridge

Punggol Waterway
At the bridge on Punggol Walk, the bridge with the leaning semicircle, we clambered down the slope toward the park connector below to begin our walk toward the western part of the Waterway. At the western end of the Waterway was the Jewel Bridge. From here one could see the Punggol Dam and the Punggol Marina is next to it. This bridge is also part of the Punggol Park Connector which runs along the Punggol Reservoir. Using the Jewel Bridge we crossed the Waterway to head back toward the eastern part of Punggol. After passing under the LRT line, there was a boardwalk (Watersports Promenade) that extended over the Waterway. This provided visitors a closer perspective of the Waterway. Opposite this was a small viewing platform that jutted out from the hillside. Its roof resembled a Minangkabau house with its front end jutting high into the sky. After this we came past the Kelong Bridge as its pillars reminded us of the kelong stakes driven into the sea.

Watersports Promenade

We started our walk at 11am hoping to find some F&B outlets along the track. But there was none. Luckily we remembered from an earlier walk that there was a coffee-shop on Punggol Road so when the track was about to cross Punggol Road (just after the Kelong Bridge) we headed for this place which was just about 600m away on the right at Block 301. By this time, we were ravenously hungry but some members were so absorbed in the walk that they forgot that we had not eaten. Finally we had a satisfying lunch while the sky was pouring outside. We resisted the temptation to have a beer despite a suggestion from P as we needed all our senses to enjoy our first visit to the Punggol Waterway and the Punggol Promenade.

Horseshoe Bridge

After lunch we returned to the Kelong Bridge next to Punggol Road and continued our walk along the Punggol Waterway. The tracks on both sides of the Waterway were finished save for some finishing touches. Several cyclists passed us so we were confident that the rest of the tracks were ready. Along the canal were rain shelters and rest stops and plants with the environment landscaped to give a natural look. The newly planted trees did not provide any shade. At the eastern end was the so-called Horseshoe Bridge because of its shape. This was tastefully designed to provide a gentle curve and also allow bikes to be pushed up. When you lookout from the bridge you could see from the left the Serangoon East Dam, in front the Lorong Halus Wetland Park and on the right the bridge leading to Lorong Halus Wetland Park from the Punggol Promenade.

Punggol Promenade

Punggol Promenade
After a short rest at the Horseshoe Bridge, we moved on to the dirt track made of red laterite. It is a better surface than the railway track (before the removal of the rails) but when it's wet your shoes and bike tyres will be dirty. Other than that the walk here was easy going with trees on the left and the Serangoon Reservoir on the right. There was also a dirt track that parallel the Punggol Promenade. We walked nearer the dam and then followed the coast opposite Coney (Pulau Serangoon) Island. The walk throughout was on level ground so nothing strenuous. From the Horseshoe Bridge to Punggol Point was about 3.5km to which we eventually reach by about 4pm a most enjoyable walk with the light drizzle and excellent camaraderie from the group. After boarding the bus for home we informed PC that he was now a full member of the group and could wear shorts on the next outing.

Arriving at Punggol Point

Related articles
Punggol Park Connector - from Buangkok to Punggol
Punggol Point
Pasir Ris to Buangkok

The Pipeline Trail

The Pipeline Trail
The trail is the result of the passage of several pipelines that bring in water from Johor in Malaysia to Singapore. Three pipelines can be seen on the causeway joining the two countries continuing all the way to the Dempsey Road area. Most of the pipelines are buried with the ground above kept free from trees but covered with grass. Some sections are exposed when crossing streams/drains. These exposed sections can be seen in Google Earth.

The trail begins at Marsiling in a southerly direction to Farrer Road. Our walk took us from Marsiling to Rifle Range Road where we would divert through the Durian Loop (a former durian plantation) to check for durians. The length of the walk would be 12km.

Woodlands 
We started our walk on the trail next to Woodlands St 41. As this street turned south we could see the trail as we walked along it. To access the trail we followed the well-trodden footpath next to the fence that was opposite block 413A. About 250m away we came across the first exposed pipes. One of these allowed us to walk on it to cross over the low lying area.

Start of the trail at Woodlands St 41

We stepped around a fenced-up area protecting control valves just before walking under the SLE heading south. After this, we noticed durian trees on our left. Again there was a slight delay to search for durians. We met a guy who had been waiting and was rewarded with three fruits which he claimed tasted good. He suggested we go further south near the highway crossing where there were plenty of fruits. We left him and continued southward. We believed that this guy was just trying to get rid of us.

First set of exposed pipes

The next set of pipeline crossing was about 400m from the SLE and were about 170m long. It was exciting walking across these. There was no danger walking on these as they were about 5 feet in diameter but a fall could be nasty.

Mandai Road
The approach to Mandai Road was steep but manageable. We crossed this road at the traffic light and proceeded back to the trail, but were blocked by fences. So we skirted along the access road to the BKE and spotted a footpath in the undergrowth. At the end of the path was the trail again but the area here being low-lying was muddy. There were bamboo poles lying on the ground. These helped prevent us from getting too dirty.

Up the slope of the trail we proceeded and were rewarded with a breath-taking view at the top of the hill. This spot overlooked the army transport base and the BKE ahead of us. We took a short rest here.

About 400m further, the pipeline crossed under the BKE, resuming its southward heading on the right side of the highway, as we looked south.

Looking towards KJE

There was a dirt road immediately after this with lorries carrying soil moving along it. I accidentally stepped into a drain that was overgrown with wild grass but except for some dirt and minor scratches was okay. About 1km further south we crossed under the KJE. Immediately after this was the Segar Road Estate. We had a break at a coffee-shop that was situated in the newly-built Zhenghua Community Club at the east junction of Segar Road and Bt Panjang Ring Rd.

Zhenghua Park
After the break, we proceeded south along the Ring Rd and rejoined the trail at the fence on the north side of Greenridge Sec School. The drop to the trail was steep so we relied on the fencing to support us as we climbed down the slope. There was the Bukit Panjang Park Connector parallel to the trail so we followed it instead as it was paved. The Park Connector Network is a series of track for hikers and cyclists usually along canals/parks linking parks in different parts of the island. After about 500m we arrived at the Zhenghua Park. There was a track that went under the BKE on the left leading to the Gangsa Bike Trail. We continued southwards along the track crossing the Bt Panjang Rd. Since leaving the school, we had been following the shaded paved track that parallel the exposed pipeline trail. 300m away we crossed Chestnut Ave. This is an access road for the pumping station at the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. Another 300m we crossed Dairy Farm Rd using a path that went under the road.

Zhenghua Park

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
The track became the Belukar Track of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, part of the bike trail that ran along the border of the reserve. After 1km the bike trail turned right. This is where we left the bike trail and rejoined the pipeline trail that headed for Rifle Range Road. After crossing Rifle Range Road the trail followed the boundary of the Murnane Reservoir and on to Kg Chantek Road. We explored the Durian Loop to check for durians but we were too late in the season as there were no more fruits on the trees. We continued on to Kg Chantek Road and took a rest at the coffee shop at Binjai Park, then to Bt Timah Road where we took the bus for home.

Near Rifle Range Road

The Route

Map data ©2017 Google

See Also:
Pipeline Trail from Bukit Panjang to Woodlands
Admiralty Park to Sembawang
Woodcutter Trail
Woodlands Town to Bukit Panjang via Ulu Sembawang Park Connector 

Kallang Park Connector

Fishing at Lower Peirce Reservoir Park

Bishan Park
For this walk, we chose to start from the direction of Bishan Park and end at Kallang. Before starting on the park connector, we paid a visit to the Lower Peirce Reservoir Park which was nearby. In this park there is a small area set aside for fishing. The Lower Peirce Reservoir is the start of the Kallang River. The river used to be a concrete lined canal all the way to the Kallang Basin. However the canal in Bishan Park is being converted into a riverine type environment with plants growing along the banks giving the river a softer more natural look. Part of this was completed as seen in the accompanying photos. McDonald's has an outlet in the park near one of the futuristic looking bridge with its gentle curves. The outlet is clean, modern and fairly large but surprisingly with a small toilet facility. This will cause congestion during weekends with many families from Bishan and Ang Mo Kio visiting with their families and baby strollers. Bishan Park stretches almost 3km from west to east with landscaped lakes, river banks and a driving range nearby. It is bordered to the north by Ang Mo Kio and on the south by Bishan.

Bishan Park

Kallang Park Connector
The Kallang Park Connector runs along the Kallang River connecting Bishan Park to the Kallang Park. The distance is about 10km from Upper Thomson Road to Kallang Station. The walk is easy and basically on level ground. It is well marked and maps strategically placed. Easy to find your way along the route but tricky near Kallang as there are several canals joining up. The river within Bishan Park is well landscaped and attractive. One can spend some time here admiring the scenery and the bridges once the park is fully redeveloped and open.

St Andrew's Bridge

Across from the eastern edge of Bishan Park is the Bishan depot of the SMRT where recently there was a break-in and a train got a free paint job on its side panels. The traditional top-down approach was evident. As we walked along the park connector we could see some photographers checking out the fences. We did not know that they were reporters from the local media until the next day when an article analyzed how the break-in was supposed to have occurred.

We crossed Braddel Road using the overhead bridge. At the Central Expressway, the Kallang Park Connector went under it. It is well lit and lined with shrubs and flowering plants along the way. It allows both cyclists and hikers to use it.

Kolam Ayer Waterfront

After Potong Pasir Avenue, we walked under a sheltered bridge that spanned the Kallang River connecting St. Andrew's Jr College to St. Andrew's Junior School. This is the only school with its own private bridge across a river.

We crossed the PIE via an overhead bridge to Moonstone Lane. At the Kolam Ayer Waterfront, there is a floating platform along which visitors can walk for a better sense of the Kallang River. There are also devices to illustrate different types of water pumping equipment used in the past such as the Archimedes screw. The newly completed 'The River Vista@Kallang' is situated right in the middle of this richly landscaped area. The bridges across the river here were designed to complement the environment with their aesthetic and modern curves.

Related Articles
Bishan Park - Kallang Park Connector
Gardens by the Bay East | Marina Barrage
Kallang Basin and Marina Reservoir Walk


The Route

Map data ©2020 Google URA

 

Lim Chu Kang Farms

The Route (see map below)

The objective of this route was to visit the Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park, Turut Road (BBC transmitters) or Neo Tiew Lane 2 marshland.

• Take Bus 975 from Chua Chu Kang Station.
• Alight at Lim Chu Kang (LCK) jetty.
• Walk along LCK Lanes 8, 6, 3 to Neo Tiew Road
• Turut Road or Neo Tiew Lane 2
• Neo Tiew Road to LCK Road. Take 975 back to Chua Chu Kang Station

Lim Chu Kang Jetty

The Lim Chu Kang jetty is used by fish farmers to send off their harvest to the local restaurants. There is a marine police post here to ensure users are genuine and not illegal immigrants. The post has several boats to patrol the area.


Lim Chu Kang Agro-technology Park

The Lim Chu Kang Agro-technology Park is bound by Lim Chu Kang Road and Neo Tiew Road. It was developed for companies involved in production of livestock, aquarium and food fish, vegetables, fruits, flowers and other plants, as well as for the breeding of dogs. To the east is the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Meninjau trees

Lane 8 and 6C. The roads are lined with the Meninjau trees (gnetum gnemom) that are cultivated in kampongs throughout Southeast Asia for their edible leafy shoots and ‘fruit.’ The latter can be made into a sort of flour used to prepare the fried crackers known as keropok or embing. This is a most popular snack in Indonesia and frequently found with every meal.

At the end of Lane 8, we turned left on lane 6C leading to Lane 9 to explore all the way to the coast. Along this road are fish farms breeding dragon fish.

Cashin's house

At the end of Lane 9, we noticed a track on the left. After going past the vehicle barrier, we followed this track that eventually led to an abandoned house built on a pier jutting into the Johor Straits. It used to belong to lawyer Cashin. We could see numerous fish-farms and the Johor coastline across the Johor Straits from here.

Returning to Lane 9, we continued on Lane 6C, 6, 5, 5A and 3 to arrive at Neo Tiew Road. Lanes 3 and 5 are popular access roads for traffic from Kranji side of Neo Tiew Road making the traffic along this stretch heavy. Along one of these roads we came across 3 durian trees fruiting. As it was already 1pm, we had no chance to pick up any fruits - probably already picked by the local workers early in the morning. Along these roads are planted trees such as nutmeg, butter fruit, langsat by AVA. The langsat were ripe and ready for eating.

Langsat trees

At Neo Tiew Road, we turned right in the direction of Turut Road. This is the home of the BBC transmitters. We continued along this road until we arrived at the security gate. We saw a security vehicle quickly heading in our direction to check on us. When we turned away to leave they returned to their post.

Neo Tiew Lane 2

We explored Neo Tiew Lane 2 on a separate trip. The D'Kranji Farm Resort is situated here and their vending machine quenched our thirst in the hot sun. At the end of this road is a marshland where the Nature Society had taken responsibility to take care of, and a PUB pumping station. A 2km long bund starts northward from here to protect the marshland from the reservoir. It was protected by a gate and we could not access it. It would be an interesting 4km walk along the bund.

Kranji Reservoir

After refreshing ourselves at D'Kranji, we returned to Neo Tiew Road, and turned left towards Lim Chu Kang to take 975 back to Chua Chu Kang. Along here we passed Bollywood Veggies but were too tired to stop.

Places of Interest 
Bollywood Veggies, Hay Dairies, Qian Hu, D'Kranji Farm Resort, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Related Articles
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Wetland Park
Round Island Walk - Boon Lay to Kranji
Kranji Marshes and Thow Kwang Pottery 

Route

Map data ©2020 Google

Railway Track from Mandai to Bukit Timah Station

Railway Track from Mandai to Bukit Timah Station

Our aim was to walk along the track from Mandai to Bukit Timah Station. It was a most memorable walk because we almost gave up half way due to the heat. It was a bright sunny day but also a draining day as our fluids were rapidly being sucked out of our bodies to cool them. But for the rallying cry of MK "let's go on" and the "pink flag" 400 metres in front. The "pink flag" was the T-shirt of RT's wife and we had no choice but to keep moving.

Melon at the garden

Before the rail journey we paid a visit to a secret vegetable garden high in the hills. We were after the king of the fruits not vegetables. We befriended the 'uncle' living there and offered to buy durians instead he gave us two fruits, warning that they were not that good. Our official durian opener took no time at all so much so that after a few seeds I asked whether the second fruit was opened and they all had a good laugh 'cause I missed all the action.

Our uncle initially looked grumpy and still looked grumpy as he answered our questions. All these uncles like to live alone and crave the natural life. Even though children are grown up with steady jobs they still return to the soil to tend their crops. They live alone and usually are topless with well-tanned skin. Their bodies are immune to mossie bites. He said there was a hugh wild boar there tearing up the crops. Had we known this earlier we would not have ventured the trails on the ridge. Asked whether he was frighten at night he said he never met up with spirits. He had more problem with visitors wanting to cut down the rambutan trees to get at the fruits the easy way. He asked for their IC numbers if they wanted to chop down the tree so he could answer to the NEA for a missing tree.

He cultivated melons, bananas, string beans, eggplants, papayas and others I could not recognize



The start of our railway track walk at Mandai 763.25km from Butterworth

 After we took leave of him we proceeded for the railway track. We followed a small trail created by others who came before us crossing a longkang before we could access the railway track. Here was a case of team work as the stronger members helped the weaker ones i.e. me.

The abandoned hut at Sungei Kadut Crossing

The walk was uneventful. It parallel the canal and the Pang Sua Park Connector usually hidden by the undergrowth. Occasionally through the opening we can catch glimpse of it and of course the high rise flats behind. At level crossings we 'took 5' before proceeding. The Sungei Kadut crossing was busy with traffic to and from the industrial estate so patience was needed. The shed used by the gatekeeper was abandoned. Barricades were already in place across the track.

The bridge before Ten Mile Junction

The Chua Chu Kang crossing was less stressful with lower traffic. Just before Ten Mile Junction was a bridge crossing a canal. After this we took a break at a coffee shop on Woodlands Road due to the hot weather. We pondered whether to continue or do the remaining track on another day as we were feeling the heat from the mid day sun. But the strong rallying call to move on to Bukit Timah stirred us into following MK despite his sole half separating from his shoe. A few rubber bands did the trick and kept him going. Had we stopped here we would have covered only 4.5km of track, instead we achieved 9km. One member hesitated but was easily persuaded when we asked what he would tell his children/grandchildren about this great rail adventure. This was despite pain in the toe.

Bridge over Upper Bukit Timah Road at Rail Mall

Just after Gombak Drive, we passed St. Joseph's Church on the left. We crossed Hillview Road over a railway bridge before arriving at the Rail Mall. There was an outdoor dining place next to the bridge at the Rail Mall. A group of corporate trainees were out in force to pose at the bridge. Had to include them in my photos as the pink flag that we were trying to catch up with kept moving further toward Bukit Timah Station.

The stretch of rail from here to Rifle Range Road had lots of greenery and bird life. We were insulated from the traffic of Upper Bukit Timah Road, and we had the Bukit Timah Reserve on the left. Overhead cables on insulated posts reminded us of years gone. What was surprising was signal cables were still left along the track. Would have thought that the souvenir hunters or karunguni men would have taken them.

Bridge over Bukit Timah Road

The track went under the Pan Island Expressway before emerging alongside Rifle Range Road where there were several access points. Finally we arrived at the Bukit Timah iron bridge where hordes of newly recruited rail enthusiasts were busy snapping memorable images. A group of teen models were also working their bodies as they assume various pose.

At the Bukit Timah Station, most of the rail switch gear were already removed with only a set left. The mileage sign was taken down on the last day of train service when a work trolley came by for this purpose. Someone must have realised this would be a collectors item.

The Route
See http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1278690

From Mandai to Woodlands
On a subsequent trip, we walked from Mandai to Woodlands. This was a short stretch of about 3.8km. We continued from the Mandai Road Junction where we also started on an earlier walk described above and proceeded northward. Just before Kranji Road the railway track headed north-eastward.



Bridge Across Sungei Mandai Besar

At the iron bridge across Sungei Mandai Besar we met a young couple who had driven to the said river, parked near Woodlands Road and followed a trail to the railway track to begin their walk. From here on, we entered a region of mangrove forests but a fence along the railway track on either side kept us from exploring further. Very soon we reached the end of the line with a warning sign forbidding further progress. We could see the Woodlands Station further down the track.

End of the line

Near here we could see that work had already started to dismantle the tracks. A shunt track has already been dismantled with the rails and track ties and bolts lying on the ground waiting to be picked up later.

There was a locked gate on our right, the direction we wanted to go to reach Woodlands Road. Luckily, we found an opening through which we emerged on the other side before heading towards Woodlands Centre, a once bustling town centre welcoming Johorians looking for bargains, but now the flow is in the opposite direction. After a short snack break, we moved on to Singapore Immigration to head for Johor for lunch.

Related Posts

Rail Corridor

Railway Track from Bukit Timah Station to Tanjong Pagar Station

Walking the Green Corridor Former KTM Railway Track

Railway Track from Bukit Timah Station to Tanjong Pagar Station

As it was the last day for train service from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands we decided to walk the track from Bukit Timah Station to Tanjong Pagar Station.

After an early lunch at Bukit Timah Food Centre next to Pei Wah Ave, we walked along Bukit Timah Road southward towards the Bukit Timah Station. Accessed it by turning right just before the railway truss bridge which spanned across Bukit Timah Road.

Approaching Bukit Timah Station

At the Bukit Timah Station, we were greeted by a group of rail enthusiasts who were waiting to photograph the passing of the 1pm train from Tanjong Pagar Station.

A work trolley coming in from Tanjong Pagar

A work trolley came by to remove the mileage sign from the station. We waited a while to see what was happening but eventually we moved on along the trail beside the railway track.

Finally saw the train just after Holland Road with passengers in a heightened sense of history. One of them almost made the news as he was clinging to the outside of the carriage.

After the train passed we moved onto the track proper as there was no more trail for us to walk on. We walked along the track until Alexandra Road where we got onto the roads because we got tired of treading the granite stones. Walking on the stones and sleepers was uncomfortable but manageable but after a few kilometres we had enough for the day - also we were not sure of the reception at Tanjong Pagar Station as CIQ was still in force and we were technically on Malaysian soil as a quirk of history have their CIQ at Tanjong Pagar Station deep within Singapore. This would be moved to Woodlands after midnight.

The last 1.30pm train from Tanjong Pagar

The same work trolley passed us on its way south and later it returned having completed its chores. 

The 3.30pm from Johor Bahru came from behind as we continued our walk. Along the way we passed the remains of a dog skeleton, a dead monitor lizard and also a snake.

At Alexandra Road, we climbed up the slope on the left bank to surface at the road crossing. From here we continued along Depot Road, Lower Delta Road and Kampong Bahru Road. At Keppel Road, we took a bus and alighted 2 bus stops later at the Tanjong Pagar Station. Here we found crowds of nostalgia seeking people waiting for the next train to leave for Johor Bahru.

At Tanjong Pagar Station

It was a historic walk. Crowds of camera-totting well-wishers were at both stations and small groups along the route where there were easy access such as road crossings or shortcuts made by frequent users. Both bystanders and rail staff and passengers waved as they passed each other, realizing the historic significance of the day. There was an air of excitement and some vendors were merrily selling rail and station souvenirs. Those armed with cameras were busy clicking away at anything and everything. Sometimes they get in each other's way but they happily give way.

Railway Track from Bukit Timah to Tanjong Pagar video.


Related Posts

Rail Corridor

Railway Track from Mandai to Bukit Timah Station

Walking the Green Corridor Former KTM Railway Track

Route

Map data ©2020 Google

Must see blogs:
Most entertaining and informative rail blog http://thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com/
Chun See's blog on Singapore's past http://goodmorningyesterday.blogspot.com/