Kalimantan to have railway by 2005

Kalimantan to have railway by 2005

BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: Kalimantan will have a railway
system by 2005 connecting not only major cities throughout the
island's provinces, but also connecting the island to Malaysia,
Brunei Darussalam and the Philippines, Antara said on Tuesday.

The news agency quoted Ismet Achmad, the head of the regional
development planning agency, as saying the project was to be
undertaken under an ASEAN cooperation scheme known as the Trans
Borneo and Mindanao Railway System.

Construction will start in 2001 and take place in seven
phases. The first phase will connect Miri-Baufoul-Kinabalu (a 410
kilometer distance connecting Malaysia and Brunei), while the
last phase will connect Pontianak in West Kalimantan with Kuching
in Malaysia, a distance of 320 kilometers.

The project will include ferry routes.

Funds will come from the Asian Development Bank and the World
Bank, with additional assistance from Germany.

Ismet said the system was expected to help develop various
economic potentials, such as agriculture and forestry, which have
yet to be tapped because of poor access. (swe)