North Borneo Railway ‘Vulcan’ returns to offer rides down memory lane

KOTA KINABALU: The steam locomotive from the North Borneo Railway (NBR), featuring the British ‘Vulcan’, one of a few that is still functioning in the world is now back on track.

After being put into retirement in the 1970s after it was replaced by diesel and petrol-powered locomotives, the steam locomotive was relaunched in 2000, through a joint venture project between Sutera Harbour Resort (SHR) and the State Railway Department.

Today, the NBR provides two scheduled runs on Wednesday and Saturday, departing from the Tanjung Aru station to Papar town at 9.30am and returning at 1.40pm.

The train features five carriages named after all the five stations where it stops and it can carry a maximum of 80 passengers.

The route which covers 38.5km will take passengers from the Tanjung Aru station to Putatan and will make a 20-minute stop at Kinarut town before continuing the journey to Kawang and finally arriving at Papar town.

It stops in Papar for 30 minutes during which passengers can disembark to explore the town.

A ride on the Vulcan will certainly evoke nostalgic memories of a bygone colonial era of the late 19th century.

SHR director of marketing communications, Kattie Hoo said: “The train service was resumed on July 4, this year and the response has been encouraging as most of the passengers are our hotel guests, while some came after reading about it.”

“This is an old locomotive train and it has attracted people to come because they want to experience the ride as this is one of a few that is still functioning in the world. The people want to enjoy the natural beauty and the sights of the countryside which they cannot see in the city,” she added.

The steam engine train is operated by a five-member crew after a six-year break since 2005 to allow for the upgrading of the railway tracks.

Continue reading at: North Borneo Railway ‘Vulcan’ returns to offer rides down memory lane

.
.

Twice weekly on steam locomotive ride to Papar

KOTA KINABALU: The steam locomotive of the hitherto North Borneo Railways brought 60 guests back down memory lane yesterday when it took a jaunt to Papar, about 39 kilometres from the state capital.

Launched as a joint-venture project between the Sutera Harbour Resorts and the Sabah State Railways Department in 2000, it aimed to preserve the historical significance through the run, while supporting the tourism sector in the state.

Commenting on yesterday’s run, the resort’s director of communications and marketing Kattie Hoo said, although the guests on the ride were mostly hotel guests, there were also some members of the public who were interested in the event and merely wanted to participate.

Hoo said, the train may well be the last locomotive in the world and as such it was an attraction not only to tourists but to locals as well.

According to her, the steam train which utilised wood as its fuel ensured a scenic ride for passengers at it brought them through villages and settlements that were still basically untouched by time.

“We started on July 4 this year and seats were fully booked which only goes to show that the response had been very encouraging so far,” she told reporters during the event yesterday to coincide with the train’s third run.

She expressed hope that the trend would continue and pick up more as it goes along.

Meanwhile, the train would be carrying out two runs weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays with five carriages.

It would leave the Tanjung Aru train station at 10 am and reach Papar at 11.45am.

Guests who take the package would be entitled to breakfast and lunch.

Continue reading at: Twice weekly on steam locomotive ride to Papar
.
.

Plans afoot to extend railway services to major towns in Sabah

SANDAKAN: The Ministry of Transport plans to extend the railway transport services to connect all major towns in Sabah.

In this connection, the ministry through the Sabah State Railway Department (SSRD) and the Malayan Railway Berhad (KTMB) has been carrying out short-term work projects to modernise the railway service from Tanjung Aru to Tenom spanning 133.7 kilometres as a precursor to linking the major towns in the state.

This modernisation work has been divided into two sectors, i.e. Sector 1 (Tanjung Aru to Kimanis) and Sector 2 (Kimanis-Tenom).

In terms of progress, modernisation works for Sector 1 has been completed in full whereas Sector 2 is 74.5 per cent complete. The modernisation work for Sector 2 is expected to be completed by March 2012.

This was the ministry’s response to the oral question raised by MP for Batu Sapi, Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin in Parliament recently.

The short-term work projects to modernise Sabah railway services from Tanjung Aru to Tenom are among the efforts undertaken by the ministry to connect the major towns in the state. Plans to link the other major towns in the state will be implemented after the ongoing modernisation work is completed.

The ministry has taken note of a study conducted by the State Ministry of Infrastructure Development (KPINS) to have railway services connected to all major towns in the state and this study will be scrutinised and taken into account in the planning for the future railway services.

Continue reading at: Plans afoot to extend railway services to major towns in Sabah

.
.

North Borneo Railway Going Full Steam Ahead on 4th July 2011

On 4th July 2011, the North Borneo Railway featuring the British ‘Vulcan’ Steam Engine will be making its 1st run.

Visitors to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia will be able to enjoy a nostalgic journey on this vintage steam locomotive, one of the few functional locomotives left in the world that is fueled by wood, in beautifully-restored, historic green carriages. This classic train is operated to the highest of international standards and is fully compliant with modern safety standards.

The North Borneo Railway is a joint project between the Sutera Harbour Resort and the Sabah State Railway Department to help enhance the existing infrastructure and to promote Sabah as a tourist destination. The North Borneo Railway was officially launched on 22nd January 2000 in honour of Kota Kinabalu achieving city status on 2nd February 2000 and it was temporarily closed due to the reconstruction of the track by the Sabah State Railway Department.

The steam locomotive, the last of a fleet of locomotives that once plied the tracks through Borneo since the late 1880s, was manufactured by the Vulcan Foundry Ltd in Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, United Kingdom. In 1954, Vulcan Foundry received the final order from the North Borneo Railway for three locomotives that resulted in a neat 2-6-2 tender locomotive of 58’-0” length, weighing 85 tons.

Managed by Sutera Harbour Resort, the train has a capacity for 80 passengers accommodated in 5 colonial-period carriages, each with a capacity of 16 passengers, and is named after a town along the journey … Papar, Kinarut, Tanjung Aru, Putatan and Kawang. For special charter services, the passenger load may be increased up to 160 passengers.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: North Borneo Railway Going Full Steam Ahead on 4th July 2011

.
.

North Borneo Railway - Nostalgia back on track with steam locomotive

KOTA KINABALU: Fancy travelling back in time? Soon, visitors and locals alike will be able to experience the good old era of the steam locomotive when the North Borneo Railway resumes operation.

The North Borneo Railway, a joint project between the Sutera Harbour Resort and the State Railway Department to help enhance the existing infrastructure in promoting Sabah as a tourist destination.

The North Borneo Railway was officially launched on 22 January 2000 in conjunction with Kota Kinabalu’s elevation to a city on 2 February 2000, but its service was disrupted due to the reconstruction of the track by the State Railway Department.

The North Borneo Railway features a British ‘Vulcan’ Steam Engine number 6-016 manufactured by the Vulcan Foundry Ltd in Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, United Kingdom and is the last of a fleet of locomotives that plied the tracks through Borneo since the late 1880s.

Comes July 2011, the steam engine locomotive, one of the few functional locomotives fueled by wood, will once again be plying these same tracks to offer passengers an unforgettable journey of rediscovery into the heart of Borneo.

The train has a capacity for 180 passengers accommodated in six colonial-time carriages that have been refurbished and restored to reflect the luxury of the era.

A kitchen car serves ‘Tiffin’ styled meals, highlighting an exotic blend of colonial and continental cuisine.

The railway, managed by Sutera Harbour Resort is operated to the highest of international standards and is fully compliant with modern safety standards.

Passengers on board the train will be able to take in the sights and sounds of the countryside, paddy fields, mangrove jungles and pristine coastal beaches as the train chucks along the tracks from Tanjung Aru to Papar and return to Kota Kinabalu after an hour-long sojourn in Papar, a small town famed for being the rice bowl of Sabah.

Continue reading at: North Borneo Railway - Nostalgia back on track with steam locomotive
.
.

North Borneo Railway locomotive goes full steam in July

KUCHING: Soon, visitors to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah will be able to experience the good old era of the steam locomotive when the North Borneo Railway commences operation once again in July 2011.

The North Borneo Railway features a British ‘Vulcan’ Steam Engine number 6-016 manufactured by the Vulcan Foundry Ltd in Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, United Kingdom and is the last of a fleet of locomotives that piled the tracks through Borneo.

Not only do these steam engines represent the last of a fleet that have plied the tracks through Borneo since the late 1880s, they are also part of the only few functional wood burners left in the world.

The train has a capacity for 180 passengers accommodated in six colonial-period carriages that have been refurbished and restored to reflect the luxury of the era.

A kitchen car serves ‘Tiffin’ styled meals, highlighting an exotic blend of colonial and continental cuisine. The railway is operated to the highest of international standards and is fully compliant with modern safety standards.

Continue reading at: North Borneo Railway locomotive goes full steam in July

.
.

Sabah railway service to resume with free rides

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Railway Department is resuming its train service from Tanjung Aru to Beaufort and is celebrating the event by offering free rides to the public for one week.

According to its general manager, Mohd Zain Mohd Said, the service to and from Tanjung Aru to Beaufort will commence on February 21.

“So from February 21 to February 28, commuters from these two areas can take a train ride for free,” Mohd Zain told reporters yesterday.

The train will depart from Tanjung Aru at 7.45am and 1.40pm daily while the return trip will leave Beaufort station at 11am and 4.30pm.

Commuters traveling to and from Tanjung Aru and Beaufort can also request for the return tickets before leaving the respective stations, he said, adding that the coaches can accommodate about 210 passengers one way.

“As of March 1, the fare to and from Tanjung Aru and Beaufort is RM4.80 per adult while children under 12 will be charged 50 per cent off,” he said.

“We will be using Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) 6601 and 6602 as well as a locomotive with open deck carriages for cargo,” he disclosed.

The trains are expected to travel at a maximum speed of 80kph which is 30kph faster than the previous engines.

“This means that the traveling time between Tanjung Aru and Beaufort now is about two hours and 15 minutes,” he said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sabah railway service to resume with free rides
.
.

Kota Kinabalu-Beaufort rail service resumes Feb 21

Kota Kinabalu: The rail service between here and Beaufort which has been disrupted for quite sometime for improvement works on the tracks will fully resume on Feb. 21.

State Railways General Manager, Hj Mohd Zain Hj Mohd Said, said to commemorate the resumption of service, the rides would be free until Feb.

27. However, commuters will still have to take the free tickets from the counters being boarding the train. "From Feb 28, there will be promotional rates until the officiating ceremony end of March," he stated.

He added there will be six services between Tanjung Aru and Beaufort as follows:

l 6.10am - Papar-Secretariat (Sembulan) l 5.10 pm - Secretariat-Papar l 7.45 am - Tg Aru-Beaufort l 11.01am - Beaufort-Tg Aru l 1.40 pm - Tg Aru-Beaufort l 4.30 pm - Beaufort-Tg Aru

From Beaufort, commuters can continue their journey onto Tenom.

The entire Tg Aru-Tenom 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.

Meanwhile, Hj Zain said the railway service was introduced in Sabah (then North Borneo) by the then British North Borneo Chartered Company Limited.

"The first railway track, a distance of 32 km, was laid in 1896 and completed in 1990 , linking Weston and Beaufort.

Continue reading at: Kota Kinabalu-Beaufort rail service resumes Feb 21
.
.