A Deep History

Title : A Deep History

This place is a very important place to me and my family. Or at least we come here all the time when we travel back to my homeland, Malaysia. It's VERY Malaysia-like. You can't find a lot of places like these in Singapore. Once, I wanted to use the toilet and I thought I had to pay Malaysian 'sens' to enter cause it was a Malay uncle at the entrance. But..I was obviously wrong after giving him the coins. It's not a very busy place just that trains come and go sending people or goods. I'm quite amazed by the power of the engine to cart off so many carriages at one go. It's pretty cool.When travelling on the train, my family and I would always take the beds for comfort all the way. There's either the uncomfortable chairs, the bed bunks, or the suites. I've seen one of the suites before at a glance. It's rather small with your own toilet and the confirmed safety nobody would steal your bags, but who would anyway? The bed bunks are good enough and reasonable with the luck you need in hope that you don't get noisy neighbours. :/

Anyway, more about the place :

The Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is a terminal station owned by "Keretapi Tanah Melayu" (KTM) which is basically Malaysia. The land where the station and the tracks are on in Singapore is help by KTM on a 999-year lease ! 

Before the Johor-Singapore Causeway was built, railways in Singapore was obviously limited to the island itself. Thus, construction of the causeway began in 1919 which ran across the Straits of Johor. It was opened to goods trains on 17 September 1923 and to passenger trains on 1 October 1923. Tanjong Pagar Railway Station was then completed in 1932.

The status of the railway station along with other issues like the water supply to Singapore was disputed between the governments of Malaysia and Singapore. In 1990, Malaysia and Singapore signed an agreement concerning Tanjong Pagar Railway Station that Malaysia relocate the station to Bukit Timah, freeing up the land for development and in return, Singapore agreed that the railway land at Tanjong Pagar be handed over to a private limited company for joint development. However the agreement was not settled properly as Singapore insisted that it took place immediately but Malaysia arguing back that it would only take effect after they move the station.

Since 1992, KTM has worked with Singapore on re-aligning its railway tracks at Woodlands when Singapore built a new immigration checkpoint to replace the old one.

Lastly, on 24 May2010, Malaysia and Singapore came to a certain agreement that railway operations to the train station would cease by 1 July 2011. Thus, KTM's terminal station would be relocated to Woodlands Train Checkpoint. Hence, the old building would be preserved by the National Heritage Board and may be integrated with future developments on the site.

You never thought Singapore and Malaysia just had problems with merger only did you? Both countries had a lot of conflict and hopefully would not end up doing 'rash' things to one another. As you read, the railway station is a historical landmark and it may or may not be still here in 10 years due to all the development going on in Singapore. I wanted to draw this place as a remembrance of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. Who knows? The sights, the view, the architecture and the ambiance of the place could be gone in the near future.

Check it out before that happens !

Thanks for reading .

Name : Abigail Lim

Group : DA0902

Admin No : 094081H