BRUNEI infrastructure company Brunergy Utama has proposed a high-speed rail network linking Brunei with cities in neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia. According to local news outlet Malay Mail, The Trans-Borneo Railway project envisages the creation of 1620km of new line, with four major stations, at Kalimantan in Indonesia and Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia, as well as Brunei, serving as interchange hubs, plus 24 additional stations. It would be built in two phases.
The first would run west-east, between Pontianak, West Kalimantan, and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Intermediate stations could include Sipitang, Lawas, Bintulu and Kuching.
The second phase would run through North and East Kalimantan, connecting the first phase with Samarinda and Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, with potential intermediate stations at Long Bawan, Tanjung Selor, Pengadan, Bontang and Balikpapan.
Brunergy Utama suggests that trains would run at speeds of 300-350km/h, with an estimated average journey time of 30 minutes between stations which would be built, on average, 150km apart.
The Trans-Borneo Railway would be the Brunei's first significant rail undertaking. Historically, only small industrial lines and minor railways have been built in the country.
