KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya has revealed plans to extend the railway line from Sembulan to Sepanggar Port, Sabah First Info reported.
This expansion is currently a priority for the Sabah State Railway Department.
The government is also exploring the development of a railway network connecting the west and east coasts of Sabah, although this is still in the preliminary stages.
"We have received several proposals, some from China and others from India, to develop a railway network in Sabah. However, these are still in the early stages," Shahelmey said.
For now, the state railway department is focusing on creating a railway route from Tanjung Aru-Sembulan to Sepanggar Port.
Shahelmey discussed these developments during a breaking-of-fast event with orphans, staff of the Putatan Parliamentary Office, and media at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
Regarding a proposal by a Brunei-based company to develop a high-speed rail project linking Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, and Kalimantan, Shahelmey said it falls under the purview of the Transport Ministry. The feasibility study for this cross-border and extensive railway network project will be conducted by the ministry this year.
The proposed Trans Borneo Railway (TBR) project, suggested by Brunergy Utama Sdn Bhd, envisions a 1,620-kilometre high-speed rail network connecting the economic powerhouses of Brunei, Sabah, Sarawak, and Kalimantan.
SEE ALSO: Sarawak unlikely to be part of Trans Borneo Railway Project proposal - Abang Jo
The first phase aims to link Pontianak in West Kalimantan to major cities in Sarawak, Brunei, and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah.
The second phase plans to connect Brunei to Sarawak and North and East Kalimantan, covering strategic locations such as Ba'kelalan in Sarawak and culminating in Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, in Kalimantan.
