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)