Operating every Wednesday and Saturday, this threehour ride takes visitors on a nostalgic journey along some of the most scenic spots in Sabah. The North Borneo Railway steam train service is a joint-venture between Sutera Harbour and the Sabah State Railway Department. It gives visitors a chance to experience the bygone British era through a journey on the steam engine train. 

The train runs from Tanjung Aru in Kota Kinabalu to the small town of Papar - a distance of around 35 km each way - on tracks owned by the Sabah State Railway. Passengers should arrive at Tanjung Aru Railway Station at 9:30 am where a continental breakfast will be served onboard before the train departs at 10am. It chugs along at a leisurely 20 kph through KK?s urban sprawl and provides glimpses of the South China Sea near Lokawi Bay. More rural kampung village scenes are next before reaching the town of Kinawat. The train stops here for 20 minutes allowing passengers a chance to disembark for a quick look at Tien Shi Temple. 

Then the journey continues past paddy fields before reaching Papar at 11:45am. The train stops here for 35 minutes so you can get off to stretch your legs and perhaps visit the local wet market and some local shops. The train departs Papar at 12:20pm following which a colonial inspired tiffin lunch is served before arriving back at Tanjung Aru at 1:40pm. Please contact Mybarter JomTour! for tour arrangement. If budget is an issue, or if the fact that this train only runs twice a week is a problem, you could take the Sabah State Railways regular train service instead, which runs six services per day from the same Tanjung Aru station.

The train only runs twice per week - on Wednesday and Saturday only.

• Boarding is at 9:30am at Tanjung Aru Station. Arrive on time to enjoy the continental breakfast before the train departs at 10am.
• Train returns at 1:40pm.

You need to book at least one day prior to departure.

• Office opening hours: 10:00am-6:00pm (Monday-Friday), 9:00am to 5:00pm (Saturday)