North Borneo Railway
North Borneo Railway
Duration 5 hours

Brass logo on the carriage

Boarding at Tanjung Aru Station

The Vulcan Steam Locomotive

Breakfast en route
In 1903, Arthur J. West, an English civil engineer, extended a 64 km railway line from Beaufort to Tenom, and to Melalap, where labourers, mainly Hakka and Cantonese, came from China to undertake what was known to be the most challenging task of construction along the Padas gorge section. In the meantime the 90 km line from Beaufort to Jesselton (now known as Kota Kinabalu) was also constructed. This is the line which the train runs along today, however, only as far as Papar, which is located some 45 km North of Beaufort.

View of the train en route
The North Borneo Railway was established on 01 August, 1914, and things began to pick up in 1924. However, victory did not last long, because 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 began in 1939. The Japanese 37 Army, under Lt. General Masao Baba, occupied North Borneo. WWII and the Japanese Occupation almost paralysed the whole railway system between 1944 and 1945. Despite severe damage, 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.
The trip follows the line through villages close to the coast line. A stop of about 20 minutes will be made at Kinarut Town around 10.40 hrs, allowing you to visit Tien Shi Temple, one of the oldest Chinese temples in the region.

Tien Shi Chinese Temple at Kinarut

Tiffin Lunch is served

Tiffin Lunch
Enjoy the return journey – keep an eye out for things which you may have missed on Southbound journey. You should arrive at Tanjung Aru Station in KK around 13.45 hrs, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
[includes a late breakfast – Danish pastries, croissant, fruit preserves and coffee or tea – and tiffin lunch]
Note that this tour currently only operates on Wednesday and Saturday only.
Tour Code | Destination | Duration | Inclusions | 1 Person | 2 People | 3 People |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KK16 | North Borneo Railway to Papar | Half Day | Breafast and Tiffin Lunch, vist to Papar, visit to Tien Shi Temple |
$220 | $195 | $195 |
Prices per person in Australian Dollars and valid 01 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 (E.O.E.) Refer to General Booking Conditions