KUCHING: the Trans Borneo Railway Project (TBR), proposed by a Brunei-based company, is unlikely to include Sarawak, said Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
According to a report by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit, Abang Johari said that any development of such a project would require the agreement of the involved nations.
He noted that the Malaysian Economic Planning Unit (EPU) is conducting a study on the railway initiative, highlighting the necessity for a government-to-government consensus with neighbouring countries Indonesia and Brunei.
"We need to have a collective decision if we are to embark on the Borneo railway project," he said, addressing the need for an integrated approach to infrastructure development across the Borneo region.
His comments were made following the Rona Warni X-Travaganza 2024 event.
He pointed out that the project mentioned by Brunei Energy seems to be a private sector initiative, separate from government plans.
The proposed TBR, as per Brunergy Utama, envisages a two-phase construction of a 1,620-kilometre rail line, starting from Pontianak in West Kalimantan to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
The route would integrate major economic zones across Borneo, enhancing connectivity and facilitating regional growth.
While the first phase targets the western corridor of Borneo, the second phase plans to extend through North and East Kalimantan, linking strategic locations to the new Indonesian capital, Nusantara.
