Russian Railways to build coal railway in E. Kalimantan

Russian Railways through its Indonesian subsidiary PT Kereta Api Borneo (KAB) reiterates its plan to develop a total of 575-km railway tracks in East Kalimantan Province that would initially transport the province?s key commodities particularly coal and palm oil.

The company?s top officials met with the East Kalimantan provincial administration on Monday to unveil the latest progress of the estimated US$2 billion railway project that would link coal-producing regions in the province and the local port.

?There will be two train tracks; first is the Northern line of 305 km. and the second is the Southern line of 270 km,? said President Director of KAB, Sergey Kuznetsov following a meeting with the local administration leaders.

The Northern line will connect the Tabang area in Kutai Kartanegara, with Maloy in the coast of East Kutai, while the Southern line will start from Melak in West Kutai and end in Buluminung in the Penajam Paser Utara area, where export port and coal stockpile are being developed.

If construction can start in 2019, the coal railway project is expected to be completed by 2022.

?At the moment, we have completed a number of studies including geophysics and hydrology. We have also tested 2 thousand different soil samples along the track locations,? Head of the company?s Business and Development Vladimir Volkov noted as quoted by Antara.

Both tracks will be used for the transportation of goods, including natural resources such as coal and crude palm oil (CPO). Five years after transportation of goods, the railway would start carrying passengers as well.

KAB, however, has yet to complete the entire land requirement for the project.

?There will be a harbor, coal stockpile, and moving facilities such as rolling belts and cranes, both in Maloy and Buluminung. They will have the capacity of 5 million tons per year," said East Kalimantan Governor Awang Ishak Faroek. (*)