Location: Singapore
Year: Since 2011
The Rail Corridor in Singapore is a 24-kilometre-long greenway that stretches from the northern border with Malaysia to the southern coast of the island nation. When the railway ceased operations in 2011, the land was returned to Singapore. Since then, the Rail Corridor has been transformed into a unique recreational space that conserves its rich biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Unlike traditional hiking paths, the railway corridor uses repurposed train tracks, allowing visitors to walk directly on the track bed.
The corridor serves as a vital social infrastructure that links communities together. Various community activities were organised to encourage engagement, such as walks, workshops, design charrettes, public exhibitions, and design competitions. These efforts helped establish a common understanding of the corridor’s development vision. As a result, 9 Planning and Design Goals were created to guide the Rail Corridor’s conceptualisation and design, reflecting this shared vision. The public was encouraged to provide feedback on the selected concept proposals.
The ecological significance of the Rail Corridor is widely acknowledged and is safeguarded under the Planning and Design Goals, which aim to “retain the Green Corridor identity” and “enhance biodiversity and ecology.”
Image Attribution: “Singapore Rail corridor: Enjoying the feel of railway on a truss bridge (Rail Mall)” by GT#3 – OFF permanently is in the Public Domain https://www.flickr.com/photos/j0035003/51120997685