Removal Works

As agreed with Malaysia, Singapore will remove the tracks and ancillary structures of the KTM railway and hand them over to Malaysia. The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is now commencing these removal works as well as conducting maintenance works around the various railway sites.

From 1 July 2011, minor works have been carried out at the Bukit Timah Railway Station and the railway crossings at Kranji Road, Sungei Kadut Avenue, Choa Chu Kang Road, Stagmont Ring, and Gombak Drive.

Works to remove the railway tracks along the rest of the former railway line also commenced from 1 August 2011. The removal works include the clearance of minor buildings, sleepers, tracks, cables, gates, posts and debris around the various sites from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands. Other items to be removed include railway equipment, such as signal lights, level crossings, controllers and traffic lights. The removal works are to be fully completed by 31 December 2011.

Due to these extensive removal works, the perimeters surrounding the affected areas have been cordoned off. For safety reasons, members of the public are advised to keep away from the areas when removal works are ongoing.

NParks has identified the areas that are rich in biodiversity along the rail corridor. We want to assure the public that SLA will ensure that these are not inadvertently cleared as the tracks are being removed.

As part of the works, the removal of the tracks and ballast will result in uneven ground and potholes. Hence, some earthworks will need to be done to level the ground so that it is safe for walking later, as well as to prevent ponding and subsequent mosquito breeding.

We seek the public’s understanding that some messiness is unavoidable during the course of these works. SLA is working hard within the constraints of space and a tight deadline to minimise the impact of these works to the environment.