SINGAPORE – The Rail Corridor that cuts through the Agri-food Innovation Park was initially meant for development, but was kept as a “green corridor” by JTC corporation and the National Parks Board (NParks).

In a media briefing on Monday (Feb 22), a JTC spokesman said that the entire 25ha site at Kranji Road and Kranji Close was originally slated for industrial development.

In 2019, JTC planned for 40 per cent of the site to be set aside for green cover as part of the Agri-food Innovation Park. The green cover includes preserving a stretch of the Rail Corridor to create a green corridor between 75 and 100m wide and spanning 6ha.

“This provides ecological connectivity between Sungei Pang Sua and Sungei Mandai leading to Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat…(and) serves as a focal point that adds character to the estate,” the JTC spokesman added. A linear park will also be developed along Sungei Pang Sua, where NParks will care for natural vegetation and enhance the banks’ native plants.

Plans for this “green spine” in the Agri-food Innovation Park were publicly displayed in the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Draft Master Plan 2019 and JTC’s Sungei Kadut Eco-District Master Plan exhibition last February.

“As Singapore’s first eco-district, JTC and NParks are conceptualising a green masterplan that blends nature with a built environment,” JTC said.

“This includes creating lush green spaces where existing natural assets will be restored and enhanced to help cool the environment.”

When completed, Sungei Kadut Eco-District will also be integrated into the Rail Corridor. Meanwhile, all works on the Kranji site remain suspended while investigations are ongoing.

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