Sabah State Railway
| Sabah State Railway (SSR) | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Basic information | |
| Company headquarters | Kota Kinabalu |
| Web presence | http://www.sabah.gov.my/railway/ |
| owner | Sabah State Railway |
| Board | Tuan Jj. Mohd Zain bin Hj. Mohd Said |
| Lines | |
| Gauge | 1000 mm ( meter gauge ) |
| railroad | 1 |
| Length of line network | |
| Railway lines | 134 km |
| Operating facilities | |
| Depots | Tanjung Aru , Beaufort |
| Other operating facilities | Rail material depot at Membakut |
| Tanjung Aru – Tenom railway line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Sabah State Railway route map
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| Route length: | 134 km | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gauge : | 1000 mm ( meter gauge ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top speed: | 80 km / h | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dual track : | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Sabah State Railway (SSR) is a state railway company in the state of Sabah in Malaysia . It currently operates the only rail transport system on the island of Borneo . The route network consists of a single 134 km line from Tanjung Aru near Kota Kinabalu to the city of Tenom in the Sabah hinterland. The Sabah State Railway was formerly known as the North Borneo Railway .
history
Large-scale tobacco cultivation began in Sabah in the 1880s and 1890s, initiated by the North Borneo Chartered Company .
In 1894, William Clarke Cowie was appointed managing director of the British North Borneo Company and tasked with finding a logistical solution for transporting the tobacco. Inspired by the success of the railroad on the Malaya Peninsula, Cowie suggested building a railway line.
Construction of the North Borneo Railway began in 1896 under the direction of civil engineer Arthur J. West . Originally, the railroad was primarily intended to transport tobacco from the interior to the coast. The first section of 32 km in length therefore ran from the Bukau River north to Beaufort and south to the port of Weston . The line was opened on February 3, 1898. This line was then extended from 1903 to 1905 by a 48 km long line to Tenom. In 1906 it was extended by 16 km from Tenom to Melalap . Workers from China, mainly from the province of Guangdong and the Hakka minority , were hired for the technically complex and strenuous sections .
At the same time, the George Pauling & Company was commissioned to build a second line from Beaufort to Jesselton , today's Kota Kinabalu, as it had turned out that the port in Weston was too shallow for larger ships. The line ran on or near the coast and was completed in 1903. With the end of the construction work, the route network had reached an expansion of about 193 km. An expansion planned in 1899 to include an east-west connection from Tenom to Cowie Harbor was never realized.
In 1930 the Great Depression also reached Borneo. Trade almost came to a standstill and the natural rubber and tobacco transportation business collapsed completely. The country had barely recovered from the effects of the economic crisis than the Second World War began. North Borneo was occupied by the Japanese 37th Army under Lieutenant General Baba Masao . Despite many hardships, operations were temporarily maintained. Trains and destroyed locomotives that ran between the destroyed bridges were replaced by converted military vehicles - so-called “rail jeeps”. When the 9th Division of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) recaptured North Borneo, the tracks were almost completely destroyed.
In 1945 the railroad was operated by the Australian 24th Infantry Brigade, mainly converted jeeps were used as locomotives .
After the war, North Borneo was under British administration as a colony. Under pressure from the huge volume of repairs required to restore the destroyed railway line, the British North Borneo Company ceded its ownership rights to the North Borneo Railway to the British Colonial Office . The North Borneo Railway belonged to the British Crown until Malaysia's independence in 1963.
In 1949, the North Borneo Railway launched an ambitious program to rehabilitate the network and improve service. A similar initiative was also carried out in 1960. Nevertheless, the section to Weston had to be closed in 1963 and the line from Melalap to Tenom in 1970. The high operating costs of the little-used sections and the competition from the many newly built roads made these routes unprofitable. In 1974, the main line was finally shortened by the section between the port of Kota Kinabalu and the Secretariat depot .
In 2007 the entire line was out of service for maintenance and repair work. The Tanjung Aru – Tenom line reopened on February 21, 2011.
A total of 14 public stations and stops are distributed along the route, as well as other non-public operating facilities such as the "Secretariat" station (also known as the Sembulan stop ), the depots and repair shops and a warehouse for track material. Between Beaufort and Tenom there are around 20 other stops that are not listed in the timetable, which ensure the infrastructural connection of individual houses and settlements in the roadless Padas Valley.
Historical technical equipment
From the first beginnings in 1896 until today, various types of locomotives have been used for passenger and freight train operations. Steam locomotives were used until the 1970s, including the
- Locomotives Gaya No. 6 and Sir H. Ralph Hone , built by Hunslet Engine Company Ltd., England. They were purchased in 1912 and operated until 1968. Both locomotives are now in the Sabah State Museum in Kota Kinabalu.
- Locomotive Sentinel No. 13, built by Sentinel Wagon Works Ltd., England. It was delivered in 1927 and operated until 1964.
In 1913, the company from the bankruptcy of the former on the acquired Marudu Bay make British Borneo Exploration Syndicate Company Limited locomotives BILIAJONG (type "Waterloo", built in 1905, serial number 767, built by Kerr Stuart) and Marudu (built by Dick Kerr & Co. Limited, Engineers and Contractors, London and Kilmarnock, 1905). While BILIAJONG was scrapped shortly after its purchase, the MARUDU locomotive was used in Jesselton and survived both world wars. It was only scrapped in 1954.
Because of the almost inexhaustible huge forest areas of Sabah, wood firing was used from the beginning. In addition, the entire course of the railway line was either surrounded by jungle or ran close to the jungle, so that an inexpensive supply of fuel was ensured.
Previous records of rolling stock show the following:
| Rolling material | Number 1941 | Number 1949 |
|---|---|---|
| Steam locomotive | 21st | 4th |
| Petroleum locomotive | - | 4th |
| Rail bus (6 people) | 8th | 4th |
| Rail bus (52 people) | - | - |
| Rail jeeps | - | 7th |
| Freight wagons | 156 | 144 |
| Passenger coaches | 36 | 18th |
In 1971 the steam locomotives were replaced by diesel locomotives, which were cheaper, faster and more user-friendly. These diesel locomotives came from the Japanese companies Kawasaki , Hitachi and Nippon Sharyo .
Technical equipment today
passenger traffic
Until recently, travel was carried out with two-part diesel railcars from 1970. These units have only one class (Economy) and do not have air conditioning. SSR also has regular passenger coaches, which can also be added to freight trains. These cars also have only one class and no air conditioning.
For the reopening of the line in 2011, new diesel multiple units and fully air-conditioned passenger coaches from the Chinese company CSR were purchased.
Freight transport
The freight trains are hauled by diesel locomotives from Hitachi or Kawasaki , which date from the 1970s and 1980s. These locomotives are less motorized than those used by the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway company on the Malaysia peninsula , with an output between 320 hp and 580 hp.
Historical trains
In 2000, the Sabah State Railway Department and Sutera Harbor Travel Sdn Bhd entered into a joint venture with the aim of attracting steam locomotive enthusiasts from all over the world. The completely renovated Vulcan steam locomotives are used as tractors. The passenger coaches were renovated in such a way that they convey the atmosphere of the colonial times to the passenger.
Incidentally, the locomotives are not fired with coal, but with wood.
The distance
The entire current route network is used for both passenger and freight traffic. The line is single-track, meter-gauge and not electrified.
The government of the state of Sabah obliged KTM to work with SSR to improve the safety of the railway line in the short and medium term. This required renovation of the track and signal systems as well as an overhaul of the rolling stock.
In this context, considerations are also taking place to put the section between Tanjung Aru and Kota Kinabalu back into operation. No result is known.
The Tanjung Aru – Beaufort line was completely renovated and reopened in February 2011 after a delay of several years. The Beaufort – Tenom line is currently being renovated (as of November 2011) and is also expected to meet more modern standards in two years' time.
In the Beaufort – Tanjung Aru section, the trains now travel at a speed of 80 km / h compared to the previous 50 km / h, in peaks on a few straight sections even up to the maximum speed of the locomotives of 100 km / h.
Since the Beaufort – Tenom route does not currently meet the requirements for operation with the new vehicles, the timetable is divided into two parts. In Beaufort, you have to switch from the modern, air-conditioned car to the non-air-conditioned old one.
The speed in the Beaufort – Tenom section is low, due to the terrain and the relatively weak motorization of the trains. In addition, the route harbors particular dangers such as landslides after heavy rain, which means that operations must be interrupted or even stopped for a short period of time.
The route consists of today
- Tanjung Aru station (also called "Tg Aru")
- Putatan stop
- Kinarut stop
- Kawang stop
- Papar station
- Kimanis stop
- Bongawan stop
- Membakut stop
- Beaufort train station
- Saliwangan stop
- Halogilat stop
- Rayoh stop
- Pangi stop
- Tenom train station
The connection of Saliwangan, Halogilat, Rayoh and Pangi to the rail network is of particular importance to this day, as these localities have no connection to the road network.
Driving operation
All stops and stations are equipped with a ticket office. Cardboard tickets are issued for short journeys; for longer journeys and return journeys, a ticket is issued by hand.
The driver's cab of the passenger trains is manned by two men, with the assistant primarily operating the dead man's switch (vigilance) .
The route is not electronically monitored. The train notification procedure stipulates that the train driver has a “Line clear order” or “Crossing Order” given to him by the station's board at each station before he is allowed to drive on the next section of the route. GPS-based “radio block signaling” is built into the trains, but is not operated.
The level crossings are only partially restricted. However, every level crossing is manned by a gatekeeper who either operates the barrier or interrupts traffic in good time. The gatekeepers contact the engine driver by radio and confirm that the passage is clear.
Nonetheless, it should be noted that people, vehicles or animals can be expected to cross the tracks along the entire route. The engine driver therefore operates the air horn almost continuously.
administration
From an administrative perspective, the age of the railroad in Sabah began with Cowie in 1898. The North Borneo Railway was founded in 1914 as a separate company.
The administration of the railway was carried out from 1963 by the Sabah State Railway Department as part of the administration of the state of Sabah. The Sabah State Railway Department was founded on August 1, 1914 on the basis of Chapter 116 of the Railway Ordinance and is now part of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development. The head office is located in Tanjung Aru station. Further administrative units are connected to the rail network through the non-public “Secretariat” stop.
The recent renovation work was carried out by SSR together with Keretapi Tanah Melayu, the operator of the railway network on the Malaya peninsula. Even so, SSR places great emphasis on establishing that the operation and administration of Sabah State Railways are completely independent of KTM.
Directors of the railway company
| Period | Directors of the company |
|---|---|
| 1896-1902 | No records available |
| 1902-1903 | TR Hubback |
| 1903-1904 | AM Gavey |
| 1904-1910 | AJ West |
| 1911-1928 | JW Watson |
| 1928-1931 | JG Rowan |
| 1931-1934 | FCS Philipps |
| 1934-1937 | J. Beatty |
| 1937-1940 | WF Smith |
| 1940-1945 | No records available |
| 1945-1950 | Mr. Lougi |
| 1950-1957 | Mr. Harry Jetford |
| 1957-1963 | Mr. AF Lucorotti |
| 1963-1978 | Datuk Wong Len Hin |
| 1978-1988 | Mr. Daniel Wong Thien Sung |
| 1989-1994 | Datuk Mohd. Tahir Jaafar |
| 1994-1997 | Datuk Hj. HA Majin |
| 1998 | Ir. Datuk Cosmas Abah (6 months) |
| 1998-2006 | Ir. Benny Wang |
| 2006-2008 | Ir. James Wong, P. Eng. |
| 2008-2010 | Mohd. Arshad Hj. Abd. Razak |
| since 2010 | Tuan Jj. Mohd Zain bin Hj. Mohd Said |
Leisure and Tourism
The increase in tourism in Sabah has opened up new perspectives for the railways. The Beaufort – Tenom route runs through the Padas River gorge and is described as scenic. The railway itself is an attraction in itself for railway enthusiasts. In addition, the North Borneo Railway's historic operating equipment is operated as a tourist attraction by Sutera Harbor Resort at certain times , including the Vulcan 6-016 steam locomotive, which is one of the world's last wood-fired steam locomotives. After the operation of the historic steam locomotives was stopped due to a landslide and the subsequent rehabilitation of the line in 2008, it was resumed in July 2011. The trip on the Volcano begins in Tanjung Aru. A half-hour stop will be made in Kinarut. The journey is interrupted in Papar to oil the locomotive, turn it around on the turntable and take water. The return journey takes place without stopping.
The tourism industry's classification of Sabah as an "easy adventure" is also likely to go hand in hand with an increase in passenger numbers.
Accidents
April 9, 2008
On April 9, 2009 at 2:50 p.m., a locomotive with two passenger coaches derailed on the journey from Tenom to Beaufort. After days of rain, the substructure was softened. The train crashed three kilometers behind Tenom in the Padas River, which was about 10 to 15 m lower . Two travelers died and numerous others were injured.
November 1, 2011
On November 1, 2011, the 200-passenger train collided with a tanker truck at 5:30 p.m. between the Tanjung Aru and Putatan stops near the airport terminal. Shell Timur Sdn Bhd's tanker had used one of the many illegal railroad crossings to deliver to the Kepayan gas station in the immediate vicinity of the accident site. 12 people were injured in the collision; the tanker truck loaded with 27,000 liters of fuel exploded and burned out completely.
Others
The former depot in Tanjung Aru housed an abundance of historic wagons and locomotives. Since the procurement of spare parts is usually difficult and expensive, many vehicles serve as spare parts dispensers for trains that are still in service. Much of this legacy of railway history was moved to the new depot near Kinarut in 2015.
While a freight wagon with two wooden benches installed on the side walls is specially designed for the transport of goods of all kinds and animals in the section from Tenom to Beaufort, durian fruits, freshly slaughtered fish and domestic animals are carried on the trains between Beaufort and Tanjung Aru not allowed on the train.
"Historic Vehicles" picture gallery
Steam locomotive Vulcan 06-016, built in 1955 in the Tg Aru depot
Steam locomotive as a spare part donor in the Tg Aru depot
Rail jeep at Beaufort train station
Freight wagons in the Tg Aru depot
Tank wagons at the former Muatan Keretapi freight yard
Cattle trucks in the Tg Aru depot
Open freight car at the former freight yard Terminal Muatan Keretapi
Passenger coaches
Picture gallery regular operation
Locomotive CSR built in 2009
Interior view of the driver's cab
Inside view of a new passenger coach
Locomotive 6105 (Hitachi, manufactured in 1992)
Passenger carriage for the Beaufort – Tenom route
Rail bus for special tasks, e.g. B. Ambulance
See also
literature
- KG Tregonning: A History Of Modern Sabah - North Borneo 1881–1963. 2nd edition, University of Malaya Press, Kuala Lumpur 1965, Reprint 1967.
- Views of British North Borneo. North Borneo Chartered Company, London 1899.
Web links
- Sabah State Railway
- Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) (Malayan Railway)
- Sabah State Railway's official Facebook page
- New North Borneo Railway schedule and train journey details
Remarks
- ↑ Weston Harbor was named in honor of Arthur J. West.
- ↑ The planned route is drawn in an area map of the North Borneo Chartered Company from 1899.
- ↑ Location of the secretariat depot: 5 ° 57 ′ 32 ″ N , 116 ° 4 ′ 6.6 ″ E
- ↑ In November 2011 there were additional stops in the Padas Valley at route kilometers 91.7, 97.3, 98.4 (Montenior Batu), 99.1, 100.1, 101.7, 102.4, 103.4 (Saliwangan Lama), 104.3, 104.7, 106.7, 107.4, 108.2 (Parrang), 109.9, 112.5, 115.3, 123.5, 126.8, 138.6
Individual evidence
- ^ Views of British North Borneo with a brief history of the Colony. British North Borneo Company, London 1899.
- ↑ a b c Information from the Sabah State Railway on an information board at Tg Aru station, explored on site by U. Aranas on May 19, 2011
- ↑ Baba Masao. In: The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 21, 2011
- ↑ Jim Harvey: The 24 Brigade Railway - The AIF in North Borneo: 1945. In: Australian Railway History | Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin. November 2000, pp. 403-427
- ↑ a b c KK-B'fort rail service resumes Feb. 21. Daily Express, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF EAST MALAYSIA, February 12, 2011, accessed May 21, 2011
- ^ ANM Garry: Industrial Locomotives Overseas - Chapter 5: Borneo. Accessed April 12, 2012
- ^ History of the North Borneo Railway ( Memento of the original from March 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the SRR website, accessed on May 21, 2011
- ↑ Railway line upgrading work faces delay. Retrieved May 18, 2011 .
- ↑ a b U. Aranas, on-site exploration on May 20, 2011
- ↑ List of all known directors of the railway company ( Memento of the original from August 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , published by the Sabah State Railway, accessed May 18, 2011
- ^ The North Borneo Railway Project.
- ^ North Borneo Railway locomotive goes full steam in July. The Borneo Post, April 15, 2011, accessed May 21, 2011
- ↑ The Padas River Tenom train plunge. ( Memento of the original from December 12, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed November 2, 2011
- ^ THE STAR, online edition November 1, 2011 ; Accessed November 2, 2011
- ↑ worst mishap in the history of Sabah Railways. ( Memento of the original from December 6, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed November 2, 2011
