The 24km-long Rail Corridor stretches from north to south of Singapore and was part of an old railway line that links up to Peninsula Malaysia. This railway stretch was managed by the Malaysian rail operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) Berhad. The railway land was handed over to Singapore in 2011, and public engagement sessions were led by Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to see how to best utilise the railway space. The Rail Corridor Partnership (RCP), consisting of various stakeholders, was formed by URA as the core group involved in the discussions on the concept of Rail Corridor.
Public Engagement at Bukit Timah
In 2017, when NParks took over the Rail Corridor project, the Friends of Rail Corridor (FRC) was launched by then Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development, Desmond Lee, to cultivate active community stewardship towards the Rail Corridor as a shared community space.
The FRC community currently comprises of members from diverse backgrounds such as nature, heritage and recreational groups, as well as academics, students and residents who live near the Rail Corridor. FRC also consists of members who were from RCP. The community serves as a platform for ground-up initiatives and community-organised activities to activate spaces along the Rail Corridor. FRC also works closely with agencies to contribute to the development of community infrastructure and landscaping works.
Friends of Rail Corridor 2022 Meeting
FRC is also part of NParks’ Friends of the Parks initiative. The Friends of the Parks is a ground-led initiative to promote stewardship and responsible use of our Parks. It consists of localised communities representing active stakeholders and volunteers in our parks. Through the formation of the Friends of the Parks community, members will be able to play a more active role in promoting active and responsible uses of our Parks through ground-led programmes and initiatives.