#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Singapore Forum >  >  Tg Pagar Rail Station a National Monument

## Mid

*In Pics:Tg Pagar Rail Station a National Monument*
Ashutosh RavikrishnanApr 8, 2011

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The Tanjong Pagar Railway Station -  opened in 1932 - will be gazetted as Singapore's 64th National Monument._ 
ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

BOTH the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and the Bukit  Timah Railway Station will remain where they are, due to their deep  historical and cultural significance.

The Tanjong Pagar Railway Station - opened in 1932 - will be  gazetted as Singapore's 64th National Monument, while the Bukit Timah  Railway Station will be gazetted as a conserved building.

The decision comes after an earlier decision in May 2010 by  the Prime Ministers of Singapore and Malaysia to relocate the Keretapi  Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) station from Tanjong Pagar to the Woodlands  Train Checkpoint (WTCP). The relocation will be completed by July 1,  2011.

The Tanjong Pagar Railway Station stood out for its  architecture, which was notably influenced by both the Neo-Classical and  Art-Deco schools of architecture. Ms Jean Wee, director of the  Preservation of Monuments Board, said: 'The gazette of...the Tanjong  Pagar Railway station, recognises the uniqueness of the structure and  its existence as the key operational railway station in Singapore.'

The Bukit Timah Railway Station was one of the smaller  stations built as part of the 1932 railway scheme to serve the suburban  parts of Singapore. The single-storey station follows in the style of  several traditional small town stations in both Malaya then, and the  United Kingdom.

Go to URA's website at Conservation Matters for a listing of conserved buildings in Singapore.

*Photo gallery*

*Compiled By Priscilla Goi*

            
More Galleries

straitstimes.com

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## Mid

*Tg Pagar Railway Station Farewell*
Jul 1, 2011

 
_Crowds thronged the inside of the KTM  Tanjong Pagar Keratapi Tanah Melayu railway station, which will be  closing for good on 30 June 2011._
ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

MR SHAMSUL Bahari became somewhat of a celebrity on  Thursday evening, as hundreds of visitors swamped the Tanjong Pagar  Railway Station on its last day of operations. 

The station manager, 43, who's worked at the station since  1996, was signing autographs for the people who came up to him bearing  souvenirs -- from coffee mugs to PVC folders with images of the station  imprinted on them. 'Must be more than 1,000 people already since this  morning,' Mr Bahari said, smiling. 'No, my hands not tired yet!'

Around the station, shutterbugs scattered themselves, adding  to the sense of occasion, bulbs flashing at every corner of the  79-year-old KTM Railway Station. Music blared through stereos brought by  visitors; necks craned behind iron grilles that separated the ticketing  booth from the train platforms. On Friday, the land on which the  station sits will revert to Singapore.

Retired station manager Sukhairi Ahmad Junid, who arrived on  the last incoming train at 6pm together with 40 other retired KTM  staff, said he was sad to see the station stop operations. 'We worked  here, we ate here, we were happy here,' said the 59-year-old. 

Visitors included also Mr Phill Seah, a tourism consultant  in his 50s, who, like many others, said he came by out of curiosity. 'I  just want to see what the fuss is about,' he said.

University student Denise Chua, 20, who came with a group of  15 friends, described the final send-off was an event 'not to be  missed'. She said: 'We want to be part of this history-making moment.'

The last passenger train will leave the station at 10pm. The  Sultan of Johor is expected to drive the final train into Malaysia at  11pm.

straitstimes.com





_Uploaded by solomonrajw on  1 Jul 2011_

_KTM Malaysian Railways Last Day Train from Tanjong Pagar, Singapore passing Buona Vista on 30 June 2011 in HD._

youtube.com





_Uploaded by NewsSingapore on  1 Jul 2011_

_       A historic chapter closed on Thursday at  the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. Many people flocked to the station  to take a last train ride from the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. First  published Jun 30 2011._ 

youtube.com

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## slimboyfat

Never took the train but I went there for lunch fairly often. I will miss the chicken biriyani stall in particular.

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## Mid

_HDB's_ coming to an ex-railway line near you soon .

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## Mid

*Why I drove the last train out        * 
                    July 01, 2011 Friday

 
_HRH Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor_
Guest Blogger           

                    His Royal Highness, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, on why  he asked to drive the last KTM train out of Tanjong Pagar Railway  Station.                       WHEN I found out last year that Tanjong Pagar Railway  Station would be closed, I expressed my desire of driving the last train  out of Singapore to the KTM chairman.

 What the governments do has got nothing to do with me. To me, it is a sentimental matter.

 It was my great grandfather, the late Sultan Ibrahim, who opened the  Causeway, designed for both road and rail links. He paved the way,  literally, for the first train to rumble into Singapore from Malaysia  back in 1923.
 I felt it was only appropriate for me, as the ruler of Johor, to drive the last train out.

 Besides trains, I fly jets, helicopters, and I sail my own yacht. I  am never a boring person. Everything to me is a challenge. I always like  to find something new to do. Every day, I look at the weather and think  to myself, what should I do today?

 So when the KTM chairman said OK, the train instructor was sent to my palace.

 There was no train simulator. I had to study the diagrams of the  controls and learn about the mechanics of how a train moves. After that,  we started the practical lessons.

 The first time I sat at the controls, it felt a little funny because  there is no steering wheel. There is only the throttle and the brake.

 It was a little scary too because, unlike a car, you cannot swerve  when youre driving a train. If there is something on the tracks, you  cannot avoid it. You will hit it. Its not like a helicopter, where I  can go up and down.

 What helps is that there is a note, or manifest, that the station  master hands you before you leave the station, and which you need to  sign for. It describes the route you would be taking, what the speed  limits are, where the crossings are, etc.

 As the lessons progressed, I learnt one other thing: You cannot think only for yourself when you drive a train.

 You need to feel it. You need to feel its length, its weight, the momentum and the gradient you are on.

 I drove around to places like Negri Sembilan, Kluang and KL, after I received my locomotive driving licence.

 Thursday night was the first time I set foot into Tanjong Pagar  Railway Station. Thats because when I come to Singapore, I usually  drive or take my yacht.

 I was told not to go more than 60km per hour, because these are old tracks and they could be a little unsteady.

 There were two safety drivers with me at the controls. One of them  was my instructor, because I always feel more comfortable when he is  beside me.

 I also brought my iPad onto the train because I always like to find  out where I am and how fast I am going (Yes, you can do that with an  iPad!).

 I felt a little sad that it was a night journey and that I couldnt see what was around me as I drove.

 But I also felt very honoured, because there were so many passengers.  

They are a testament to the bond of friendship between the people of  Johor and Singapore.

 I knew many of them felt sad about the station. Some of them feel that Singapore is developing too fast. But I dont think so.

 We cannot control development. It happens at its own pace. But we must always know our history.

 In Malaysia and Singapore, when we go to school, we do not learn about ourselves, but about the world.

 You ask a Singaporean on the street: Where is Kazakhstan? Or, say, where is Cape Town? He will probably know.

 But Segamat, Malaysia? Probably not.

 So this is the message I want to say to Singaporeans: Learn about the history we share.

 More than anything else, that is why I asked to drive the train.

blogs.straitstimes.com

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## Bettyboo

> Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor





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That's only the first few sentences; it continues all the way through, quite remarkable...

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## Mid

*URA invites public feedback on a possible 'Rail Corridor'*
Grace Chua
Jul 3, 2011

 _
A northbound train at Bukit Timah station  stops on the middle track to wait for the southbound train to pass._
ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA

THE 26km tract of railway lands that were returned to  Singapore on Friday may be kept a continuous green stretch and could  even be linked to existing park connectors. 

On its website, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) also  suggested that the stretch from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands could one  day add to the planned 150km round-the-island park connector network, or  be a linear park like New York City's High Line, itself once part of an  elevated railroad track.

The so-called 'Rail Corridor', the URA said, will offer  people new choices of outdoor activities. 'We hope that it will  encourage people to explore parts of Singapore that were less accessible  before,' it said.

Last year, nature and heritage groups asked the Government  to conserve what they term the Green Corridor, which comprises not just  the recently returned KTM lands but also a 14km western stretch of  railway towards Jurong. They argued that the 173.7ha expanse was home to  rare birds and animals, and a key part of Singapore's natural and  national heritage.

Since then, more than a thousand people have been on guided or independent walks along the tracks.

The URA did not say when it would make a decision, but it is inviting more public feedback on the Rail Corridor at its dedicated website.

straitstimes.com

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## Mid

* TTL: Memories of Tg Pagar Railway station* 
Jul 3, 2011


_When the KTM railways stations at Tanjong  Pagar and Bukit Timah ceased operations last week, many bemoaned the  end of an era._ 
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

WHEN the KTM railways stations at Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah ceased operations last week, many bemoaned the end of an era. 

Train Supervisor, Mohammad Zaid, 54, recalls the fond memories he had of the KTM in Singapore in this multimedia slideshow.

Through The Lens Multimedia: Memories of Tg Pagar station

straitstimes.com

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## nidhogg

> THE 26km tract of railway lands that were returned to Singapore on Friday


....and thats the money shot.

The rail line was sovereign Malaysian territory - right through the heart of Singapore.  The Singaporean government effin hated that for decades.  For a long time the Malaysians did not want the train station moved up to Woodlands (right on the edge of Singapore) as they would lose that ribbon of malaysia right into the heart of Singapore.

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