Preserve heritage and nature by turning railway lands into eco-tourism spot
Letter from Lee Seow Ser Today Online 17 May 11;
On a recent Saturday, a handful of enthusiastic nature and heritage lovers like myself participated in a guided walk along the tracks of the rustic Bukit Timah Railway Station. This was followed by an insightful sharing session - "The Green Corridor" forum - organised by the National Library Board and Nature Society of Singapore (NSS).
In a proposal titled "The Green Corridor - A Proposal to Keep the Railway Lands as a Continuous Green Corridor" submitted by NSS last year to the authorities, representations were made to preserve the railway lands which brim with historical value and biodiversity in flora and fauna, after the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station ceases to operate on July 1.
In land-scarce Singapore, there is perennial pressure for commercial development to unlock the economic value of land parcels. Many people, myself included, yearn not for yet another mall tenanted to franchise outlets but a link to roots, authenticity and space.
With creative and sensible urban planning, the two goals are not necessarily mutually exclusive. In fact, a balanced co-existence is feasible and may even generate eco-tourism, enhancing Singapore's standing as a model urban garden city. For example, there could be funicular rides - like the popular Alishan tramways in Taiwan - powered by clean energy sources. Artistic enclaves could be nurtured in the surrounding environs for sketching, painting, sculpture or pottery.
Let hikers and cyclists ramble along the vertical corridor from south to north, and stretches of tracks can be adapted for use as a wheelchair-friendly system of trolleys. The National Parks Board's island-wide park connector systems would get a boost, as would the Community-in-Bloom gardening projects in the heartland and private estates nearby.
The Green Corridor is economically viable if points of interests are integrated in an eco-friendly manner to attract local and overseas visitors to enjoy the old cast-iron railway bridges; the black-and-white colonial bungalows in the Portsdown area; or a locomotive museum showcasing yesteryear's mechanical switchboard technology of rail tracks, to name but a few possible attractions.
I was disturbed that public tenders have apparently been called for the removal of rail tracks in some parts. Policy-makers should deliberate carefully and consult interest groups and individuals, particularly where the decision will greatly impact the collective memory of citizens.
Significance of 'Green Corridor'
Heritage should be understood and protected in making redevelopment plans
Jon Cooper The Adam Park Project Project Manager Today Online 19 May 11;
I READ with interest the enlightening letter "A green corridor down memory lane" by Mr Lee Seow Ser (May 17) on the fight to save the heritage and nature along the abandoned railway lines in Singapore .
I would like to add another round to the arsenal of good reasons for the protection of the "Green Corridor". The stretch of line at the west end of Bukit Timah Road which includes the Bukit Timah railway station and girder bridge is perhaps the most iconic and best preserved section of the World War II battlefield in the area.
The railway line, embankments, rail bridge and station marked the furthest point of advance of the only British counter-attack during the seven-day fight for Singapore.
The officers and men of three British battalions (also known as Tomforce) under Lieutenant-Colonel Lionel Thomas advanced up Bukit Timah road on the Japanese dug around Bukit Timah village on Feb 11, 1942, in an attempt to arrest the Japanese advance on the city.
The Loyals Battalion (18th Reconnaissance Corps) in the centre, astride the main road, made it as far as the railway station and were forced to take shelter along the railway embankment around the girder bridge. Elements of the force did manage to get into the village and onto Bukit Tinggi but most of the men hunkered down along the railway and braved the Japanese bombardment.
Finally, after a morning of fierce fighting, The Loyals, along with their compatriots in the 4th Norfolks and the 1/5th Sherwood Foresters, were ordered back down the road and into new positions within General Arthur Percival's last line of defence along Farrer and Adam Road. Gen Percival's one and only counter-attack of the campaign had floundered along the line of the railway.
Recent archaeological surveys on the battlefield at Adam Park (http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/battlefieldarchaeology/centreprojects/singaporewwiiproject/) just off Adam Road have ably demonstrated that, where sites have remained relatively untouched by modern development, such as the old black and white estates and the railway lands, World War II heritage may well be remarkably preserved just a few centimetres under the surface.
It is, therefore, essential that before any further decisions are made in the redevelopment of the "Green Corridor", full historical significance of the construction is understood and Singapore's industrial and military heritage is duly protected and shared with the people.
