Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - Official Website

In the 1880s, the  “White Rajahs” of the British Empire established the British North Borneo Company by obtaining parts of North Borneo from the Sultan of Sulu. The wild jungles provided a wealth of adventure and natural resources. As the need for larger plantations grew, the question of transportation became a major issue for these young plantation owners. A railway straight into the heart of Borneo was the only viable solution to keep the company afloat.

In 1894, the Chartered Company elected William Clarke Cowie as the Managing Director of the British North Borneo Company. Cowie appointed an English Civil Engineer, Arthur J. West, to build the railway line from Bukau, north to Beaufort and south to Weston. Named after Mr. West, Weston was to be the new port at Brunei Bay. However, upon completion of the railway in 1890, Weston was discovered to be too shallow for a deep-sea wharf.

Instead, Arthur J. West extended a 64 km line from Beaufort to Tenom and to Melalap where labourers, mainly  of Hakka and Cantonese origins, were lured from China to undertake what was known to be the most challenging construction work along the gorge section. In the meantime, George Pauling & Company was appointed to continue the railway from Beaufort to Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu).

The Vulcan engine of the North Borneo Railway train is the last of a fleet of steam engines that have plied the tracks of Borneo since the last 1800s. Then, under colonial rule, land was cultivated for coffee, coconut, tobacco, ramin and cocoa, which prompted the development of infrastructure facilities from the interior of Sabah to the South China Sea. The railroad was built in 1896 to transport the agricultural wealth of Sabah to vessels waiting to carry the riches back to England. For many years, steam engines travelled between Jesselton (the old name for Kota Kinabalu) and Tenom.

However, victory did not last long, for in 1930, the Great Depression spread throughout the world. This threw men out of work everywhere; trade was almost halted; there was no sale of rubber and established companies collapsed. Hardly had the world recovered from this when the Second World War started in 1939. The Japanese 37 Army, under Lt. General Masao Baba occupied North Borneo. WWII and the Japanese Occupation almost paralyzed the whole railway system between 1944 and 1945. Despite severe damages, the railways continued providing its vital service to the state during the war. Locomotives continued running between bridges and “Rail Jeeps” were modified to replace damaged locomotives.

During the Post-War period, immediately after liberation of North Borneo by the 9th Division Australian Imperial Force (AIF), the British North Borneo Company faced the gigantic task of reconstruction and decided to relinquish its ownership of North Borneo to the British Colonial Office. From then on, North Borneo became a Crown Colony until independence on 16th September 1963 when Malaysia was formed.

The railway remained the only means of transportation into the interior until only half a century ago, playing a vital part in the economic development of Sabah. It helped open up the country and the emergence of towns like Bukau, Weston and Jesselton. It now continues to run through six main stations, namely Tanjung Aru, Papar, Bongawan, Beaufort and Tenom. The smaller stations are Putatan, Kinarut, Kawang, Kimanis, Lumat, Saliwangan, Halogilat, Rayoh and Pangi.

After Malaysia was formed, the North Borneo Railway assumed the name of the Sabah State Railway Department and several changes were again made to improve passenger and cargo facilities. By 1971, technological advancement in the form of diesel and petrol-powered locomotives replaced the steam engines. The railway celebrated its centennial anniversary in 1996 as the oldest form of transportation in the state. The re-launch of the North Borneo Railway brings forth yet another phase of train development in Sabah.