KTM Train on the Causeway

After the closure of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, many people might think the KTM trains do not travel to Singapore anymore.

They still do! It just that it terminates at Woodlands.



The train was zooming past us as we were stuck in the Causeway Jam.
Waiting for the day that the Singapore MRT is connected to Johor Bahru!

Someone should really come up with flavours of Jam and name it the Causeway Jam, PIE Jam etc.
Doesn't that sound cool? LOL

The Changi Depot

The bird's eye view of the MRT Changi Depot, while we were circling around Changi Airport.



Info from Wikipedia, this depot comprises a train yard, which can hold a capacity of 35 trains and has an area of 250,000 square metres.

SMRT Depot

Recently I noticed that the fences of SMRT Depot has been more secure.
After having their trains vandalised they announced that they are stepping up security.



Can you see the new shinier fencing that is replacing the older green and shorter one?

Last train out of Singapore.

I was on the last train into Singapore tonight and when we arrived, we realised they were preparing for the same train to leave Singapore.

We saw a huge mob of people coming towards all the passengers who just got off the train. We knew why later. The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ismail was the VIP in our midst. He was to drive the last train out of Singapore at 11 PM.



The Sultan earlier passed right in front of me and shoke the hands of the person beside me!
He then signed the t-shirt in front of us.




We left Tanjong Pagar KTM Station and rushed to the Bukit Timah Station on the way home after a long day.  We made it just in time and caught the train driven by the Sultan of Johor. Can you spot him?

There was a huge crowd waving good bye at the Bukit Timah Station!

At the stroke of midnight, Tanjong Pagar Station and Bukit Timah Station will be returned to Singapore.

SMRT Train Depot Ulu Pandan.

Everytime I pass by this place, I have an urge to take a photo of it. So here it is.
Since the last 'Swiss Invasion', I think security has been tightened.

I always wonder if SMRT is going to organise some guided tours of the depot. I think many people would be interested. Probably not for everyone, but for people who takes the trains very frequently. They could always check the transaction records on our EZ Link / Flashpay cards to see how often people take their trains.

If McDonald's have Open Doors for their kitchen, Universities have Open Days, why not SMRT having an Open Train Day?



Looking at the huge space they occupy reminds me of Melbourne. When I was living and studying there long ago, it was all ugly tracks near the Flinders Street station. What they have done is to cover it and made it into Federation Square. It's now a place where everyone gathers.

I wonder if they can do something similar. This depot is not below ground like in Melbourne, so I guess they just can't cover things up. But they can use the space below the huge depot right?

Build a flood retaining pond below it? That will be a very very huge retaining pond. Water from Bukit Timah Canal can be diverted to Ulu Pandan River along Clementi Road. Ulu Pandan River overflow can be diverted to below the Ulu Pandan Depot. Sounds ridiculous? LOL. The train depot is too far from Ulu Pandan River? That's the point right? Let is flow.....

Or divert the excess flood water into the South Tunnel of the S$3.65 billion Deep Tunnel Sewerage System?

KTM Tanjong Pagar Station

By the end of this month, the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) trains from Malaysia will stop traveling into the heart of Singapore's CBD at Tanjong Pagar.

The short story:
The governments of Singapore and Malaysia reached an agreement on 24 May 2010, (about a year ago!) to relocate the last stop for KTM's train to terminate at Woodlands Train Checkpoint. The Tanjong Pagar or Keppel Road station which opened in 1932 will cease operations on 1 July 2011.



Do you see FMSR on the pillars of the building?
It stands for Federated Malay States Railways. It has so much historical significance that this building has been gazetted as Singapore 64th National Monument.

(The Bukit Timah Railway Station will also be preserved but won't be gazetted as a National Monument, but a conserved building.)

For Momo and myself, we want to be part of history. We will be taking the last train on 30 June 2011 that will come into the Tanjong Pagar station. We are following a group of online friends that we have not met! If you are interested, go visit: http://www.facebook.com/LastTrainToTanjongPagar If you read today's Straits Times, you would have seen the article in the Life Section.

Another interesting fact that I read online is that, the Sultan of Johor, HRH Sultan Ibrahim Ismail will be driving the last train out of Singapore. The Sultan of Johor is a 'train person'. He has driven the KTMB's train a few times, and you can read it in the news.

For more interesting notes about Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, read Jerome Lim's blog. It's an eye opener. URL: http://thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com

313 Somerset

It has just daunted on me, the few train stations that's located on Orchard Road is becoming more and more like subways in big cities like London.



When I took this photo, I was thinking of Covent Garden station because of the sign. I thought for a moment that sign was a lift (elevator) sign. Then I realise, hey, Somerset station does not have the lifts like in Covent Garden tube station. haha..

Piling around the traffic lights.

The Circle Line is being constructed and roads have to be diverted.

Despite all the work around it, the traffic lights pole stands tall and proud.
It still has the power to stop vehicles.



If you have cable TV at home, you should tune in tonight to Discovery Channel at 10 pm. It's showing a series call "Underground Singapore". It's about the Circle Line which the mess on this photo is about.

When completed it will be the world's longest driverless railway system. (33.3 kms)
The schedule on Discovery's website says it will repeat the same show tomorrow at 1 pm and 9 August on 6 pm.

(if you are wondering, it's not sponsored post. :-) I like watching Discovery Channel, and also Asian Food Channel. hehe)

Tanjong Pagar MRT Station

Tanjong Pagar MRT with the tallest HDB in the background.

Train tracks...

A view of the Malayan Railway tracks in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore.



These tracks will one day connect Singapore all the way to Kunming in China, passing through Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Old Railway Track @ Sunset Way

Remnants of an old unused railway bridge over Sunset Way in the west of Singapore.



These are the old unused Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) tracks I believe.

If you want to read more about KTM trains there's this fan club.
http://www.ktmrailwayfan.com/


Singapore viewers, have you heard of the Singapore Kranji Railway? Read this article by Lam Chun See. It sure is interesting!

Bright HDBs and Train Tracks

Just a quick shot this afternoon, after having lunch with colleagues.

A not too long painted HDB block with a train track with the MRT passing by..



Do you take the train to work everyday? Or you take other forms of transport?
I take the bus as it is just a few stops away from home :-)

Malaysia in Singapore...

There's a strip of long Malaysia land in Singapore. It's the railway belonging to Keretapi Tanah Melayu. (Malayan Railway). This strip of land starts from Tanjong Pagar near the Financial District all the way to Woodlands. (and then across the causeway into Malaysia, all the way till Thailand).



The stones on the tracks have recently been refurbished. You can also see 775.75 on the sign. I guess this must mean KM 775.75, but from where? KL?