Currently, there are no passenger trains in Brunei. Only one railway in Brunei is an industrial 1533 mm gauge railway for the transfer of personnel and equipment to the platform, which is 4 km away from the coastline, at which tankers can be filled with LNG. The pier railway was constructed in 1970s. There are plans to build the 1,620 km long Trans Borneo Railway between Brunei, Sarawak, Sabah and Kalimantan provinces. In 2021 Brunei Metro rapid transit system has been taken into consideration for Bandar Seri Begawan but the plan was abandoned. In the past, there were two narrow-gauge railways in Brunei.
Railways in Brunei – Brooketon Colliery
The first railway line in Brunei was opened at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, connecting the Brooketon coal mine to the Muara port (probably in 1888). The line was 2.5 km long with the unusual gauge of 711 mm, initially wooden rails were used. Later the railway was regauged to 1435 mm gauge and steel rails were laid.
The mine and the railway were closed in 1924 due to significant financial losses. Probably the mine was briefly reopened during the Japanese occupation, but it is unknown if the railway operated during that time.
Much of the mine remains preserved, but only fragments of the railway are believed to have survived. It is possible that the area of the former mine will be opened to tourists as an open-air museum as part of a project promoting eco-tourism implemented by the Brunei authorities.
Railways in Brunei – Seria – Badas railway
The narrow-gauge Seria-Badas railway was the most important railway in Brunei. The line was closed more than twenty years ago, but specific date of closure is unknown. The railway was built in the 1930s. It was used for transporting timber or for transporting parts for the construction of a pipeline from wells in Badas to the refinery in Seria. Probably it was used for both purposes.
The railway line was over 19 kilometers long with a gauge of 600 mm. The railway had wagons adapted for transporting passengers, mainly workers.
It is unknown when the railway was closed. Varius sources mention the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century, although it probably occurred much earlier. There are photos of the tracks in the jungle that have survived to this day and serve as a walking path.
Brunei Mass Rapid Transit System
In 2010, there was a proposal to build a commuter railway around the capital of Brunei. The construction of a railway system in Bandar Seri Begawan assumed the construction of six lines – the expected length of the longest line is 43 km, and the shortest is 16 km.
Proposed lines:
Central Line: Brunei University – Limau Manis
Circle Line: Bandar Seri Begawan – Ong Sum Ping via the airport
Muara Line: Bandar Seri Begawan – Muara
North Eastern Line: Brunei Airport – Tanah Jambu
North Western Line: Brunei Airport – Sengkurong A
Western Line: Kupang – Gadong
The plan was abandoned.
Related articles:
