Description

The Rail corridor [also popularly known as Greenway] is a newly developed corridor area, replacing the old railway line which was connecting Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands. The total distance is about 24 km. Trains to KL, Malaysia used to start from Tanjong Pagar and enter Malaysia via Woodlands.

The whole stretch of land from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands is claimed and redeveloped as a rail corridor for recreational activities. Such as walking (to connect with nature) and cycling ( to paddle away your worries). As it is an important ecological corridor, the Rail Corridor is not lit at night to facilitate nocturnal wildlife movement.

Whole stretch from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar is still under development in various areas. At the time of writing, the rail corridor from Rail Mall to Tanjong Pagar is open to the public for usage.

You can enter the corridor through multiple places from Rail Mall, Upper Bukit Timah Road Near Beauty world, King Albert Park, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Upper Bukit Timah Road, Biopolis at Bouna Vista,Masjid Hang Jebat and so on. Brace yourself, you are going to be astounded by the lovely sights you will witness here

Rail Mall is the most popular entry/exit route thanks to the amenities surrounding it. Remember to stop and admire the Bukit Timah Station which is renovated and preserved as a heritage site

Tips

• ● Flora and fauna are present on a large scale. But, make sure to observe it only from a distance.
• ● Your experience will be enriching only if the noise level is down.
• ● If you want to ride a bicycle please be alert of your surroundings.

Best spots to take pictures -

1. ● Bukit Timah Station
2. ● Rail Tracks at rail mall (Life is like a train track, full of possibilities and happiness)
3. ● Opposite to Clementi Forest (Rest in the lap of nature)
4. ● Along the corridor there are several green patches and backgrounds to click instagram worthy pictures..
5. ● Bridge (near Rail Mall, King Albert Park)

Suggested route to follow -

There are numerous routes with tiny patches as follows :

1. ● Rail Mall to Bouna Vista. (A pleasant route to ponder about life).
2. ● Buona Vista to Tanjong Pagar is a extremely green patch and peaceful until you reach Masjid Hang Jebat.
3. ● Followed by AYE expressway which is almost parallel to the rail corridor making it a bit noisy. From the Masjid Hang jebat, you can go to a nearby Lake for a quick getaway.

Rail Corridor connectors to different attractive locations:

1. ● Rail Mall to BTNR taking the exit from the connector from the rail corridor. For BTNR hikers, you can come back to Rail Mall if you exit via Chestnut Park
2. ● Rail corridor exit to Clementi Forest after Bukit Timah Station.

Best Spot to relax -

1. ● Rail mall with several amenities. Relax and enjoy your favorite delicacies.
2. ● Bukit Timah Station
3. ● Bouna Vista
4. ● Along the corridor there are lush green patches where you can wait for a short break.

There are not many breakout areas from Bouna Vista to Tanjang Pagar. We found Masjid Hang Jebat as a very surprising place while taking a short break. You can feel the calm and peace once you enter the area. You can use the washrooms as well as fill your water bottle here. Masjid was offering water bottles for free on one of the Sundays when we paid a visit. There are few benches where you sit, drink/eat and re-energize yourself. You can visit the nearby lake from there just behind Masjid.

Best nearby place to have breakfast -

Rail mall - has Coffee Bean, Springleaf Prata very popular with long queues (Get in the line) Bouna Vista food court opposite MRT station along Blk 43 is another popular place with yummy food to fill your tummy.

Any other tips -

1. ● Depending on your capacity to hike, select the route and destination accordingly. Else you may end up walking too far, resulting in making it difficult to come back to your starting point in case your Car is parked at the start point.
2. ● One of our first experiences where we started from Rail Mall and walked until Bouna, then we headed back. It had taken a toll on a couple of our mates. It ended up being a 15 km return trip. Instead of returning back to starting point, you may continue in one direction and take public transport on your return journey

Other Special Info -

Do visit the newly renovated Bukit Timah Station. It will be a memorable experience for you and your kids or friends or family. Shortest route to reach there can be, if you enter into the Corridor from Bukit Timah Nature Reserve .

Rating - 4/5

You get to experience everything from a prestigious heritage to lush greenery, cycling in the lap of nature, and get a experience to walk from lovely countryside to urbanized city.

What we liked or do not -

We enjoyed every second of it.

We wonder if any delicious food or drink stalls will be introduced in future, along the corridor making them more attractive to visitors of all age groups.