Thursday 28 February 2013

Announced! The Quick Zip Up North!

The gahmen announced that they've come into an agreement with our northern counterparts to build a high speed railway system between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Finally, the masses breathed. Bus companies probably got very nervous and the airlines knew they'd lose their most profitable route ever. But the masses, well, embraced the thought of blazing past oil palm estates in the blink of an eye, within two hours' grasp of true ampang yong taufu and black Hokkien mee. And relatives, of course, well, why not. But mostly it's stomach before heart. Weekends will never be the same again.

Ok this is where it could get ugly. The gahmen might site the Singapore station in Tuas. I can understand why (available land, an easy out to Malaysia via the 2nd link, a spark for further development etc) but good God Almighty no! At least Jurong East please where MRT lines meet. Or better yet Buona Vista. Even Punggol would be a better option. But Tuas? People would get lost just trying to get there. Taxi drivers could make a killing but will be reluctant to travel to a far flung location.

It would be nice if they transformed the old Malayan Railway building at Tanjong Pagar into the new high speed terminal but keeping all the retro architecture and facade, sort of like the St Pancras London Eurostar terminal. Cool but unlikely.

Well, now we wait. For the elections in Malaysia to be over and for our connected dreams of Malaysian hawker food in quick grasp to come true.

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