Tanglin Halt acquired its name from a time in the past when it was a train stop on the KTM line. The trains have long since stopped running and the Tanglin Halt train tracks are now a green walking trail. Soon, the Tanglin Halt neighbourhood will also be gone but you can still reminisce the past with an easy nature walk past the green corridor to the adjacent Wessex Estate.
Tanglin Halt Green Corridor: Former Malayan Railway Tracks
The tracks which once ran beside Tanglin Halt have now been reclaimed as part of the green corridor which stretches from the northern reaches of Upper Bukit Timah and through the Clementi Forest.
This stretch of the green rail corridor is easily walkable. Many office workers cross it daily as they make their way back-and-forth between Biopolis at one-north and the Commonwealth estate.
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For an easy, nature-infused urban walk which offers several sights along the way, here’s a route that you can try out.
Across the “Tracks”
Start from Block 67 Commonwealth Drive.
At the rear of the block, there is a pathway that leads to the Tanglin Halt section of the Rail Corridor. This is marked out with a signboard that provides historical information about the Malayan Railway.
Cross the (non-existent) tracks and you will find yourself transported to the lush greenery of the Portsdown Road area and the Wessex Estate.
Colonial-era black-and-white apartments stand at the top of the hill. These date back to the 1930s and 1940s and used to house British servicemen and their families. Make your way up the hill and enjoy the wide canopy of the mature trees in the area.
You will find yourself along Woking Road. This feels as close to a quiet country road as you could expect in Singapore.
Portsdown Water Tank
If you head eastwards along Woking Road, you will eventually come to the Portsdown Water Tank.
Situated at the top of a hill, the tall, concrete water tower is no longer in use, except as a photo spot for those who are curious.
Colbar
Another nostalgic pit stop in the area is Colbar, just down Woking Road. First opened in 1953, the building was relocated from Jalan Hang Jebat to the Wessex Estate. It serves old-fashioned Hainanese fare and has a selection of bottled beers available.
Back to Commonwealth
Alternatively, you can head back down the hill, across the tracks and back to the urbanity of Tanglin Halt and the Commonwealth Estate to end your walk.
This easy walk from Tanglin Halt to Wessex Estate is a chance to soak in the greenery of the Portsdown area, and view some charming sights in the form of the rail corridor, colonial apartments and the water tank at the same time.
