sharen@nst.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: The federal government has grand plans to further develop the country's rail network including a train link to Indonesia's Kalimantan province.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Sabah and Sarawak have a plan to build a rail connection to Kalimantan.
"Currently, there is the Pan Borneo Highway in Sarawak, which is already constructed and almost completed. The state's vision is to have a rail link, not only connecting the key cities in Sarawak but eventually going to (Nusantara), the new capital of Indonesia.
"In terms of key areas in Sarawak, they will connect a few cities along their coastal line, like Kuching to Sibu, Sibu to Bintulu, and Bintulu to Miri. That is, of course, the major corridor of all the cities," he said on the sidelines of the Women in Rail Malaysia Conference 2023 here today.
Loke said Sarawak can be a gateway for Kalimantan in terms of goods and maritime trade if there is a rail link.
"The major ports are all on our shores. We have the Bintulu Port, which is a major port facing the South China Sea. I think this is a very strategic vision by the Sarawak Premier and the Sarawak government, and I can see that vision. That makes sense, and it is a very logical and ambitious plan," he said.
According to Loke, the ministry and Sarawak are in the early stages of discussing the state's railway network plan. A study would be done to assess whether a railway network in Sarawak is feasible.
"Sarawak is the only state that does not have a rail network. Probably, we could apply for a budget in order for the study to be conducted for the state," he added.
Sabah, he said, has a short rail network called Sabah Rail, and there is still much room for improvement.
The building of new railway lines to connect to Sabah's current railway network, beginning from Beaufort to Sipitang and Lawas with a distance of 82 km, has been requested by the Sabah state government, according to a June report. The project will cost RM786 million, according to the preliminary estimate.
Meanwhile, Loke said Peninsular Malaysia's railway infrastructure has gaps, particularly for cargo. The only significant link for cargo at the moment is the ECRL-affiliated Serendah to Port Klang line.
"We hope the ECRL will be completed in the next couple of years and fully realised. Port Klang is still our major port in Peninsular Malaysia," he said.
Loke envisions that there could possibly be an alternative route to Port Klang that will avoid the need for goods to pass via Kuala Lumpur.
He also said new railway development projects will be rolled out soon, like the Mass Rapid Transit Line 3 (MRT3) in the Klang Valley and the light tail transit (LRT) in Penang.
Additionally, the ministry will push for the timely completion of the Gemas-Johor Bahru double track rail project, the ECRL and the Johor Bahru-Singapore rapid transit system link.
"These infrastructures are economic catalysts that will change how we and the next generation live and work in the future," said Loke.
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