North Borneo Railway

NORTH BORNEO RAILWAY

The North Borneo Railway, a collaboration between

Sutera Harbour Resort and the Sabah State Railway

Department, allows passengers to experience the

unique sights and sounds of the Sabah landscape

on board a vintage steam engine train.

Refurbished to recreate the nostalgic romance of the

bygone era of British North Borneo, the train runs

every Wednesday and Saturday from Tanjung Aru to

Papar. Passengers are offered free seating on one of

the five colonial-style train carriages.

HISTORY

The North Borneo Railway features a British Vulcan steam locomotive,

designed and built by the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows,

England in 1954 as part of the last order before the factory converted

to diesel and electric locomotive construction. The Vulcan 6-015, a 2-

6-2 carrying a green livery with polished boiler bands and red edging

to the running plate and tender frame, was de-commissioned for

general use in the early 1970’s by the Sabah State Railway

Department. It is one of the only few functional wood-burners left in

the world.

It was proudly re-launched on 22nd January 2000, in honour of Kota

Kinabalu, Sabah’s capital, achieving City-Status.

The naming of locomotives has been a tradition since the early days.

By following tradition and also in honour of City Day celebrations, the

Steam Engine is named the "Kota Kinabalu City".

CAPACITY

The five carriages have been meticulously restored and renovated to reflect the era

of the steam train. Each of the carriage is named after a town along the route:

• Tanjung Aru • Putatan • Kinarut • Kawang • Papar

The interior, highlighting the natural woods of Sabah, has comfortable seating and

dining facilities. Every carriage provides the amenity of a modern washroom

onboard. Each carriage can accommodate 16 passengers, with a total train

capacity of 80 passengers.

The North Borneo Railway is available for private charters and incentive theme

parties. Functions can also be held at the railway station, which provides an

interesting and versatile venue. For private charter, the passenger load may

increase to 160.

The North Borneo Railway is built and operated to the highest of international

standards and is fully compliant with modern safety standards.

THE JOURNEY

Along the journey, passengers will pass the small towns of Putatan,

Kinarut, Kawang and Papar.

Putatan is a town and a suburb of Kota Kinabalu. The name Putatan

originated from a tree call Putat. It was believed that the gate

surrounding the area of the administration of the Chartered

Company of North Borneo in Lok Bonu was made from Putat tree,

hence the British resident choose to called the area PUTAT TOWN.

Among the locals, Putat Town is pronounced in the local dialect as

Putatan which remain until today.

The train will stop at Kinarut and passengers will disembark to visit

the Tien Nam Shi Temple. The temple was built in honour of

Mainland Chinese by the local community. It features 18 statues of

Buddhist monks, a 20-foot giant smiling Buddha, and a lotus-pond

in honour of Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Kinarut is famous for

its pre-war shop houses, located about 20 kilometres south of Kota

Kinabalu. A destination well-known for its rich heritage and culture,

filled with many historic buildings from the turn of the last century.

After Kinarut, the train passes through Kawang, home to Kawang

Forest Reserve. Along the route, passengers will be able to bask in

the many interesting facets of this place ... mangrove jungles, fruit

orchards and nurseries, a brick factory, paddy fields and the

occasional sighting of water buffaloes.

Enroute to Papar, the train will take passengers through the 450

metres Pengalat Tunnel, which was built in the early 1900 by the

British.

Papar is a district located in the West Coast Division of Sabah,

Malaysia and is situated 38 kilometers south of Kota Kinabalu. The

town has seen considerable growth in recent years but still manage

to maintain some of its older buildings. The Railway Station is much

the same as ever and the huge old banyan tree is still there. The train

makes a 30-minute stop at Papar district and passengers are

allowed to disembark to explore the small district of Papar.

A visit to the Papar Tamu is a must for visitors. Tamu, an open-air

market which started a long time ago, is a place for the locals to

meet and trade their agriculture harvest or hunted game with one

another. Despite, being an aged old traditional place of trade, Tamu

still play an important role today as a venue for rural folks to sell their

home grown produces, ranging from fresh vegetables to exotic

flowers at good bargain prices.

A must try when visiting Papar district is the Kuih Cincin, a flower-like

cookie with palm sugar fillings and very popular with the locals.

Papar is also well known for fresh fruits especially Rambutans and

Durians.

THE MAP

NORTH BORNEO RAILWAY

DINING

Passengers are served with a continental breakfast as the

locomotive pulls out of the Tanjung Aru station for its

journey to Papar.

On the return journey, experience lunch in traditional tiffin

containers featuring an exotic blend of continental and

Malaysian delights.

TANJUNG ARU(5.8 KM)

PUTATAN(11.9 KM)

KINARUT(20.3 KM)

KAWANG(27.4 KM)

PAPAR(38.5 KM)

RA I L W A Y

NOR

TH B O R

NEO

KOTA KINABALU

SOUTH CHINA SEA

Petagas War Memorial

Putatan Wet Market

Putatan Water Village

Lok Kawi Army Camp

Tien Nam Shi Temple

Brick Factory

Paddy Field

Level 2, The Magellan Sutera Resort, 1 Sutera Harbour Boulevard, Sutera Harbour, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Tel: +60 88 308 500 Fax: +60 88 311 136 Email: nbrinfo@suteraharbour.com.my