Western Sabah Railway Line

The Western Sabah Railway Line (Malay: Laluan Keretapi Barat Sabah) in Sabah, Malaysia is the name given to rail services that operate from Tanjung Aru until Tenom in the West Coast and Interior divisions under the management of Sabah State Railway. The line previously known as North Borneo Railway Line.

Following the large demands of tobacco prior to the industry success in 1880, there was a great demand for lands for the tobacco plantation. The process to transport the produce was hardened due to lack of transportation. In 1894, following the appointment of a director and managing director for the North Borneo Chartered Company; the involvement of William Clark Cowie become crucial for the establishment of railway systems in North Borneo. Already in the early months of his involvement, Cowie had commenced work on telegraph line and the railway; with a vision to connect the east and west areas of North Borneo through the forests, mountain ranges, rivers and swampland. An English civil engineer, Arthur Joseph West was then appointed to establish the railway line from Bukau in the north of Beaufort and south to Weston. At the same time a ferry service have been established between Beaufort North to Beaufort South to carry passengers and cargo across the Padas River.

A new port in Brunei Bay was established under the name of West. It was only discovered soon in 1890 after the completion of railway lines there that the area in Weston are too shallow to be made for a deep-sea wharf; resulting to his ambition to link the whole areas of North Borneo only an ambition. The plan was also met with financial problems as the construction required a large sum of money to be wholly financed by the company and majority of the officials did not show a real enthusiasm over the plan. Cowie however persisted and raised a further £200,000 in 1901 through the issue of debenture stock. The next year, the company rejected further request from Cowie's to borrow £500,000 more as the plan would cause them bankruptcy. This result the line only managed to be finished until Melalap as Cowie's plan could proceed no further.

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