#singapore #hiking #jurong
As the Jurong Industrial Estate expanded in the 1960s, there was a need to establish better transport links for the import and export of goods. To facilitate this, Keretapi Tanah Melayu (Malayan Railways Limited) built Jurong Railway as a new section of the main Singapore-Malaysia railway line with a loan from the Economic Development Board. The Jurong Railway was the first new line to be built by Malayan Railways since the Second World War.
The line was completed in early 1996. A total of 12 miles (about 19.3 kilometres) of track were laid. The main Jurong line ran for nine miles (about 14.5 kilometres) starting from the Bukit Timah Railway Station (next to King Albert Park off Bukit Timah Road) and heading westwards to Jurong via Pasir Panjang.
The line ended at Shipyard Road near the Mobil Refinery. Three branch lines ran to other sections. One led to the National Iron and Steel Mills, the estate’s first factory, another to the heavy industries section and the third to the wharves of Jurong Port. The railway officially opened on 5 March 1966.
The railway was a vital cog that drove Singapore’s economic development following its separation from Malaysia in 1965. Regular cargo services brought new materials from Peninsular Malaysia into Jurong. It was also responsible for the transportation of products for export to the rest of the world. A Straits Times article from 1965 projected that two to three million tons of cargo could be moved a year, and train frequency was expected to be seven to ten trains a day.
Over the next few decades, however, the advent of better transport options very likely led to the decline in demand for rail transport. It is believed the Jurong Railway ceased operations in the mid-1990s.
The majority of the railway has been removed or has rusted away over the years. The bridge over the Pandan River is one of the best-preserved segments of the line. Another bridge can be found over Sunset Way.
