Sabah State Railway
Encyclopedia
Sabah State Railway is a railway system and operator in the state of Sabah
in Malaysia. It is the currently the only rail transport
system operating on the island of Borneo
. The railway consists of a single 134 km line from Tanjung Aru
, near Kota Kinabalu
, to the town of Tenom
, in the Interior Division
. It was formerly known as North Borneo Railway.
from the interior to the coast for export. The first line built was a 32 km track from Bukau River, north to Beaufort, and south to the port of Weston
. This was then extended with a further 48 km route in 1903 to Tenom, the works for which was completed in 1905. The line was extended again in 1906 with a further 16 km from Tenom to Melalap.
At the same time as this work, was work on another line from Beaufort to Jesselton
(now known as Kota Kinabalu) which was completed in 1903, running mostly near or beside the coast. With the completion of these works the network routes covered some 193 km. However the network was almost entirely destroyed during the Second World War. In 1945, 24 Australian Infantry Brigade Group operated the railway. Motive power was mostly converted Jeep
s.
In 1949 then North Borneo Railway embarked on an ambitious programme to rehabilitate the network and improve service, and once again in 1960. However in 1963 the decision was taken to close the Weston branch line, and in 1970 the Melalap extension from Tenom was also closed to traffic. The high costs of operation of the lesser used routes and the competition from the many new built roads made their situation increasingly untenable. In 1974 the main part of the line was also cut from Kota Kinabalu back to Tanjung Aru
.
The line has been closed during 2007 for maintenance and repair. The entire Tg Aru-Tenom reopens on 21 Feb 2011 and the trip will take 2 hours and 15 minutes and the coaches will run at a speed of 80km per hour compared to 50km previously.
There will be a total of 14 stations between Sembulan and Tenom, namely: Secretariat-Tg Aru-Putatan-Kinarut-Kawang-Papar-Kimanis-Bongawan-Membakut-Beaufort-Saliwangan Baru-Halogilat-Rayoh-Pangi-Tenom
line.
Passenger services are run using two-car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit
) sets from 1970. These have a single-class seating structure and are non-air conditioned
. SSR also has standard passenger cars which can be connected to freight trains. These too are single class non air-conditioned. At present there are three passenger-carrying trains operating daily in each direction running the full length of the route. There is reduced service on Sundays. One of the trains running the full length route is a mix of freight and passenger service.
Freight trains are hauled by Hitachi
or Kawasaki
diesel locos, which were introduced at the beginning of the 1970s to replace earlier steam units. These units are less powerful than those used by Keretapi Tanah Melayu
(KTM) in Peninsular Malaysia
, with the various models being rated between 320 hp and 580 hp.
Operating speeds on the line are low, due to the nature of the terrain and the use of relatively low powered equipment. Passenger services take 4 hours to complete 134 km journey from Tanjung Aru to Tenom, allowing for stops on the way. Also the line can be hazardous, with mudslides in rainy weather a real threat which can lead to the service being disrupted or suspended for brief periods.
Recently, the federal government charged KTM
to work alongside SSR to undertake short and medium term works on the railway to enhance its safety. This included rehabilitating the track and signalling and also overhaul of the rolling stock
in order to ensure continuation of service.
As already stated, at present the railway is currently undergoing rehabilitation. This is both a short term measure to ensure continued operation, and a medium term one to improve operational safety and to somewhat modernise the system. A possible reinstatement of the Tanjung Aru to Kota Kinabalu part of the route has been considered, although it is not yet known whether or not this will be given approval.
Current rehabilitation work on the railway is however being handled jointly by SSR along with Keretapi Tanah Melayu, the corporatised (but wholly federal government owned) railway operator for the railway network in Peninsular Malaysia. Despite this, SSR is still operationally and administratively completely separate from KTM, and uses different operational equipment.
. The Beaufort - Tenom stretch of track runs through the Padas River gorge and is regarded as incredibly scenic. In addition the railway itself is something of an attraction to some, and a historic North Borneo Railway tourist train is operated by Sutera Harbour Resort especially to capture this market. With the growth of Sabah as a "light adventure" destination, the use of the railway by tourist traffic is quite likely to increase.
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
in Malaysia. It is the currently the only rail transport
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
system operating on the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. The railway consists of a single 134 km line from Tanjung Aru
Tanjung Aru
Tanjung Aru is a sub-district of Kota Kinabalu of Sabah, in Malaysia. Its main feature is its beach called Tanjung Aru Beach which stretches to over 2 kilometres long. It also has its own township called Pekan Tanjung Aru...
, near Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
, to the town of Tenom
Tenom
Tenom is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The town was called Fort Birch in the early colonial period. Its population was estimated to be around 46,200 in the year 2000....
, in the Interior Division
Interior Division
Interior Division is an administrative division of Sabah, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It occupies the southwest portion of Sabah, bordering on Sarawak...
. It was formerly known as North Borneo Railway.
History
Construction of the then North Borneo Railway began in 1896 under the command of civil engineer Arthur J. West. It was originally intended primarily for the transport of tobaccoTobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
from the interior to the coast for export. The first line built was a 32 km track from Bukau River, north to Beaufort, and south to the port of Weston
Weston, Sabah
Weston is a town on the west coast of the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is located in the Interior Division of Sabah, and is about 100 kilometres south of Sabah's capital Kota Kinabalu. Weston is one of the towns along the Pan Borneo Highway....
. This was then extended with a further 48 km route in 1903 to Tenom, the works for which was completed in 1905. The line was extended again in 1906 with a further 16 km from Tenom to Melalap.
At the same time as this work, was work on another line from Beaufort to Jesselton
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
(now known as Kota Kinabalu) which was completed in 1903, running mostly near or beside the coast. With the completion of these works the network routes covered some 193 km. However the network was almost entirely destroyed during the Second World War. In 1945, 24 Australian Infantry Brigade Group operated the railway. Motive power was mostly converted Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
s.
In 1949 then North Borneo Railway embarked on an ambitious programme to rehabilitate the network and improve service, and once again in 1960. However in 1963 the decision was taken to close the Weston branch line, and in 1970 the Melalap extension from Tenom was also closed to traffic. The high costs of operation of the lesser used routes and the competition from the many new built roads made their situation increasingly untenable. In 1974 the main part of the line was also cut from Kota Kinabalu back to Tanjung Aru
Tanjung Aru
Tanjung Aru is a sub-district of Kota Kinabalu of Sabah, in Malaysia. Its main feature is its beach called Tanjung Aru Beach which stretches to over 2 kilometres long. It also has its own township called Pekan Tanjung Aru...
.
The line has been closed during 2007 for maintenance and repair. The entire Tg Aru-Tenom reopens on 21 Feb 2011 and the trip will take 2 hours and 15 minutes and the coaches will run at a speed of 80km per hour compared to 50km previously.
There will be a total of 14 stations between Sembulan and Tenom, namely: Secretariat-Tg Aru-Putatan-Kinarut-Kawang-Papar-Kimanis-Bongawan-Membakut-Beaufort-Saliwangan Baru-Halogilat-Rayoh-Pangi-Tenom
The railway today
The current operational railway is used for its entire length to carry both passengers and freight. The route consists of a single track metre gauge non-electrifiedRailway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
line.
Passenger services are run using two-car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
) sets from 1970. These have a single-class seating structure and are non-air conditioned
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
. SSR also has standard passenger cars which can be connected to freight trains. These too are single class non air-conditioned. At present there are three passenger-carrying trains operating daily in each direction running the full length of the route. There is reduced service on Sundays. One of the trains running the full length route is a mix of freight and passenger service.
Freight trains are hauled by Hitachi
Hitachi, Ltd.
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...
or Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
diesel locos, which were introduced at the beginning of the 1970s to replace earlier steam units. These units are less powerful than those used by Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...
(KTM) in Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
, with the various models being rated between 320 hp and 580 hp.
Operating speeds on the line are low, due to the nature of the terrain and the use of relatively low powered equipment. Passenger services take 4 hours to complete 134 km journey from Tanjung Aru to Tenom, allowing for stops on the way. Also the line can be hazardous, with mudslides in rainy weather a real threat which can lead to the service being disrupted or suspended for brief periods.
Recently, the federal government charged KTM
Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...
to work alongside SSR to undertake short and medium term works on the railway to enhance its safety. This included rehabilitating the track and signalling and also overhaul of the rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
in order to ensure continuation of service.
As already stated, at present the railway is currently undergoing rehabilitation. This is both a short term measure to ensure continued operation, and a medium term one to improve operational safety and to somewhat modernise the system. A possible reinstatement of the Tanjung Aru to Kota Kinabalu part of the route has been considered, although it is not yet known whether or not this will be given approval.
The route
Main stations are indicated in bold.- Tanjung AruTanjung AruTanjung Aru is a sub-district of Kota Kinabalu of Sabah, in Malaysia. Its main feature is its beach called Tanjung Aru Beach which stretches to over 2 kilometres long. It also has its own township called Pekan Tanjung Aru...
- PutatanPutatanPutatan is a town and a suburb of Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, East Malaysia.-Location:The town was located within the district of Penampang on the coast of the West Coast Division but from March 1, 2007, Putatan became a district on its own....
- KinarutKinarutKinarut is a town just outside Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. Located about 20 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu, it is one of the stops for the North Borneo Railway. Popular tourist destinations in Kinarut are the Kindawan Horse Riding Centre, Dinawan Island, Lok Kawi Wildlife Center and...
- Kawang
- Papar
- BongawanBongawanBongawan is a town in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is located in the West Coast Division and is approximately 60 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. Bongawan is situated within the parliamentary constituency of Kimanis...
- MembakutMembakutMembakut is a subdistrict in Sabah, Malaysia. Located in the district of Beaufort in the Interior Division, it is one of the stops for the North Borneo Railway.-External links:*...
- Beaufort
- Saliwangan
- Halogilat
- Rayoh
- Pangi
- TenomTenomTenom is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The town was called Fort Birch in the early colonial period. Its population was estimated to be around 46,200 in the year 2000....
Administrative aspects
The railway is now operated by Sabah State Railway Department, which is an arm of the Sabah state administration.Current rehabilitation work on the railway is however being handled jointly by SSR along with Keretapi Tanah Melayu, the corporatised (but wholly federal government owned) railway operator for the railway network in Peninsular Malaysia. Despite this, SSR is still operationally and administratively completely separate from KTM, and uses different operational equipment.
Leisure and Tourism
The future of the railway has also been brightened by the increasing use of it by touristsTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. The Beaufort - Tenom stretch of track runs through the Padas River gorge and is regarded as incredibly scenic. In addition the railway itself is something of an attraction to some, and a historic North Borneo Railway tourist train is operated by Sutera Harbour Resort especially to capture this market. With the growth of Sabah as a "light adventure" destination, the use of the railway by tourist traffic is quite likely to increase.
Accidents
- On 9 April 2008, a Sabah State Railway train plunges 10 metres into Padas River after derailment caused by a landslide near TenomTenomTenom is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The town was called Fort Birch in the early colonial period. Its population was estimated to be around 46,200 in the year 2000....
killing 2 passengers.
- On 31 October 2011, a Sabah State Railway train carrying 200 passengers from Tanjung Aru Station heading towards PaparPaparThe Papar were, according to early Icelandic historical sources, a group of Irish or Scottish monks resident in parts of Iceland at the time of the arrival of the Norsemen...
collided into a fuel tanker allegedly making an illegal railway crossing in KepayanKepayanKepayan is a sub-district, or a neighbourhood, within the city of Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. It is located within Kota Kinabalu city district, and borders on with the district of Penampang. The Sabah Contingent Police Headquarters, as well as Kota Kinabalu Central Prison, are located in Kepayan....
, Kota KinabaluKota KinabaluKota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
. The collision resulted in an explosion resulting in 12 serious injuries and no fatalities as of 1 November 2011.