Sabah is a state of Malaysia located on the northern portion of Borneo. In the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, there is no railway. However, the Malaysian part of Borneo has an interesting railway, very popular among tourists. The railway line starts in Tanjung Aru near Kota Kinabalu and leads to the city of Tenom. The total length of the railway line is 134 kilometers. Train travel in Sabah in the past was very slow. The railway line was closed in 2007 and upgraded. Tracks and rolling stock fleet were replaced. The line was reopened four years later – in 2011.
A small railway museum is located in Kota Kinabalu.
There is proposal of the extension of the railway line to major towns of Kudat, Sandakan and Tawau.
There are plans to build the 1,620 km long Trans Borneo Railway between Brunei, Sarawak, Sabah and Kalimantan provinces.
Last updated: 31.03.2024
Train travel in Sabah – basic information
Travel by train in Sabah is unexpensive but complicated. Despite the modernization of the line trains in Sabah run relatively slowly and due to landslides train traffic is sometimes interrupted. The route consists of a single track metre gauge non-electrified line. Passenger services are run using two-car DMUs sets from 1970 or second class carriages in mixed trains. Trains are not air-conditioned.
Tickets can be purchased in cash at the Railway Station Counter. Ticket sales will start half an hour or an hour before departure time. ‘Pre-book’, ‘online booking’ or purchase the day before is not available. Ticket purchase is only for the day of travel There is no first class available.
Useful websites:
Sabah State Railway – official website
Sabah State Railway – timetable
Probably there are 3 trains per day on each direction between Sembulan (Sekretariat) and Beaufort and 3 trains per day on each direction between Tenom and Beaufort. Check the timetable.
The railway line is a scenic route leading through the jungle, partly along the banks of a river but these areas are prone to natural disasters.
(Photo: Uwe Aranas, CC-BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons)
Train travel in Sabah – North Borneo Railway
The North Borneo Railway is the former name of today’s Sabah State Railway. Currently, the brand North Borneo Railway means a tourist train hauled British Vulcan steam locomotive. Train is comprised of five Japanese-designed carriages that have been restored and renovated to reflect the era of the steam train. The carriages were built in the 1970s, both the exterior and interior provide an environment that is typical of stepping onto a train in the 1900s. Each of carriages is named after the stations along the way. Carriage No. 1 is “Tanjung Aru”, carriage No. 2 is “Putatan”, carriage No. 3 is “Kinarut”, carriage No. 4 is “Kawang”, and carriage No. 5 is “Papar”. There is a toilet in each carriage.
Each carriage accommodates 16 passengers, with a total train capacity of 80 passengers. Windows remain open throughout the journey. The carriages are non air-conditioned but high-powered fans line the ceilings to ensure maximum comfort.
The tourist train operates twice a week – on Wednesdays and Saturdays along the Tanjung Aru – Papar route (38.5 km). The train starts its journey at 09:30 from Tanjung Aru station. There is a twenty-minute stop at Tinarut station, where passengers can visit the Tien Shi temple and purchase souvenirs. At 11:45, the train arrives at Papar, where passengers have 35 minutes for shopping. Then the train returns to Tanjung Aru. Lunch is served on the return journey. The tour ends at Tanjung Aru station at 13:40.
North Borneo Railway – official website
Railways in Sabah – history
The railway line in Sabah was built in the late 19th century to service tobacco plantations. Construction of the line began in 1896. Tracks were run from the Bakau River northeast to Beaufort and southwest to Weston, where there was a port. The 32 km long line was put into operation in 1896 or 1898.
In 1903 construction of the Beaufort – Tenom line (48 km) began. The line was completed in 1905, and next year the Tenom – Melalap section (16 km) was completed. At the same time, the Beaufort – Kota Kinabalu line was built. The railway network was 193 km long.
During World War II, the railway network in Sabah was almost completely destroyed.
In 1949, the North Borneo Railway adopted an ambitious program of rebuilding railway lines and modernizing rolling stock.
The 1960s and 1970s saw the gradual decline of unprofitable railways – among others, the branch leading to Weston (1963) was closed, followed by the Tenom – Melalap section (1970). In 1974, the Kota Kinabalu – Tanjung Aru section was closed.
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