A nostalgic journey by rail

Those with a penchant for history and antiquities will find a train ride on the North Borneo Railway, the oldest running steam train in Sabah and the big island of Borneo, just their cup of tea. Given a new lease of life under the collaboration between of the Sutera Harbour Resort and State Railway Department, the North Borneo Railway was re-launched on January 22, 2000 after the state capital received its city status.

Stylish: Passengers are greeted by well-dressed train stewards.

However, the service was temporarily disrupted due to reconstruction to the track by the State Railway Department. The partnership between the private sector and government intends to enhance the existing infrastructure and to promote Sabah as a tourist destination. The North Borneo Railway was established on August 1, 1914 to transport agriculture produce but railway system was nearly derailed due to the worldwide Great Depression and Japanese occupation subsequently.

Tourist draw: Some of the foreign tourists in the nostalgic British era of the steam locomotive, North Borneo Railway.

During the post-war period, the British North Borneo Company relinquished ownership of the North Borneo Railway to the British Colonial Office and took on the name Sabah State Railway Department following the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Due to technological advancements in locomotives with the construction of diesel and petrol-powered trains, the steam engines were replaced in 1971. Refurbished to recreate the nostalgic feel of the bygone era of British North Borneo, the train runs through a 38.5km track from the main Tanjung Aru station here to the southwestern district of Papar.

The British Vulcan steam engine locomotive that is still in service with the Sabah state railway is one of the few functional locomotives fueled by wood.

The North Borneo Railway features a British Vulcan steam locomotive, designed and built in England in 1954 as part of the last order before the factory converted to diesel and electric locomotive construction. It is the last of a fleet of locomotives that plied the tracks through Borneo since the last 1880s. The train has a capacity for 80 passengers accommodated in six colonial-period carriages that have been refurbished and restored to reflect the luxury of the era.

On the move: The steam locomotive, North Borneo Railway passing through Kawang.

Passengers on board the train will be able to take in the sights and sounds of the countryside, paddy fields, mangrove jungles and beaches as the train makes its way from Tanjung Aru and going through the towns of Putatan, Kinarut and Kawang before reaching Papar. The entire train ride takes approximately four hours with a typical ‘tiffin’ colonial lunch served on the return trip.

-thestar online.

http://www.suteraharbour.com/v3/