The “OG” Downtown Line

by Jerome Lim

21 May • 10:00am
21 May • 01:00pm

Take a journey back in time and retrace the route of Singapore's first railway line, the Singapore and Kranji Railway, with co-author of Secret Singapore, Jerome Lim, to discover what remnants of the line remain and explore the connection to the Downtown Line.

The “OG” Downtown Line
Sun, 21 May 2023 | 10am – 11.30am
Sun, 21 May 2023 | 1pm – 2.30pm

Meeting Point: Fort Canning MRT Station Exit B
Fee: $15 per pax
Registration: downtownline.peatix.com

The Downtown Line (DTL), Singapore’s fifth MRT line has been described as a game changer for public transport, catering to the formerly unserved residential areas of Bukit Panjang, Bukit Timah, MacPherson and Bedok Reservoir. Did you know that an old rail line connected the city with Singapore’s north way before the swanky DTL surfaced on our streets in the 2010s. Segments of DTL trace the old line, which terminated where one of DTL’s stations stands today, trace the old line’s alignment.

Hop on a ride down the old line with heritage buff Jerome Lim who will give you a rundown of the Singapore-Kranji Railway’s heritage and take you on a hunt of places and spaces significant to the old railway. You may be surprised by what the railway has left behind!

Jerome Lim

Jerome Lim is a heritage enthusiast, a keen photographer, and a blogger who captures Singapore’s fast evolving urban and cultural landscape through the award-winning ‘The Long and Winding Road’ blog.

He is also the author of ‘Uncommon Ground: The Places You Know, The Stories You Don’t’ and co-author of ‘Secret Singapore’ through which he brings out the stories that are hidden in many of Singapore’s lesser-known sites.

Through Jerome’s collaboration with the Singapore Land Authority, he has led guided visits to State Properties under the agency’s care since 2017, including several that have featured in NHB’s Battle for Singapore and Singapore HeritageFest tour programmes.

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