The train, a lifeline for Kimanis folk

By Rohana Nasrah

KIMANIS, Jan 8 -- As early as 5am, the Bongawan train station near here is already packed with  passengers lining up for tickets to their respective destinations.

Some manage to find seats while waiting for the train from Beaufort, scheduled for arrival at 5.30am, before proceeding to Papar and the last station in Kota Kinabalu.

The Bongawan town rail station, which operates under the supervision of the Sabah Railway Department, is a picture of calmness amidst the cool morning air, with staff greeted by smiling passengers, mostly comprising students and workers.

Regular passenger, Nuratiqah Mohd Nazri, who works in the private sector in Putatan, about 55 kilometres from Bongawan town, said the train is her preferred mode of transportation as it cost saving and allows her to arrive in her workplace earlier without having to deal with traffic jams.

Nuratiqah, 23, who has been using the service since 2016, said one-way fare from Bongawan to Putatan is only RM2.65.

However, she hoped the government could upgrade the railway infrastructure as the service has always been the first choice of Kimanis folk to go to the city.

“The existing train station needs to be upgraded and the number of train carriages should be increased as  more and more residents of Beaufort, Membakut and Bongawan town who work in Kota Kinabalu are taking the train,” she said.

Another regular, Mervin Shim, 17, said it had been his daily routine to catch the train to go to school at Sekolah Menengah St Joseph in Papar, located about 28 kilometres from Bongawan town.

The Form Five student said he has been using the train service every day since primary school since there were no school bus services to Papar as the number of students who studied there were small.

“Every morning my mother will send me to this station. Catching the train is an exciting experience. I still feel excited even though it has become my daily routine and I have to wake up early. It will always be my first choice,” he said.

Mervin said the train fare was also very cheap and very affordable for students, as he only spent RM19.20 a month.

Meanwhile, Bongawan stationmaster Mohd Kasim Mohd Yusof said the station operated through four sections every day starting at 5.30am, 9am, 11.30am, before closing at 7pm.

According to him, the fares were still based on the old rate and considered very cheap. For instance, one-way fare to Kota Kinabalu is RM3.20 while the one-way fare to Beaufort is only RM1.40.

“On average, 150 customers use this station every day,” he said, who has been serving at the station for 25 years.

Looking at the growing number of passengers, Mohd Kasim agreed that the train station needs to be upgraded for comfort, including a larger waiting area and ample seating.

He said upgrading the train service could also boost the tourism sector in the area as Bongawan has many interesting attractions. 

“We receive many foreign tourists, including those from China and South Korea who use the train service to Bongawan, besides local tourists, especially during the school holidays. The train route has many beautiful sights from the beach to the mangrove forests,” he explained.

In fact, upgrading the railway infrastructure as well as boosting local public transport in the Kimanis parliamentary area are among the commitments listed by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal in his campaign for Parti Warisan Sabah’s Kimanis by-election candidate Datuk Karim Bujang.

Mohd Shafie said Warisan as the current governing party in Sabah is committed in developing Sabah’s railway services, particularly in the districts, as an efficient transportation system to connect the city and rural areas.

The Kimanis by-election will see a straight one-on-one contest between Warisan’s Karim, 67, and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Mohamad Alamin, 48.

The Election Commission has set polling day for Jan 18, while early voting is on Jan 14.

-- BERNAMA