Rail transport — a long-term solution
I MUST congratulate Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) for introducing an undergraduate subject related to railway transportation in collaboration with Wuyi University China.
UMS has recently signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Wuyi University China to form collaboration in staff and student mobility, as well as on research projects.
The later is the only comprehensive higher learning institution that offers mostly engineering courses in the west bank of the Pearl River Delta. It is our utmost hope that we can learn from the Chinese experience in rail development.
I have been advocating the importance of transport and rail services in Sabah ever since I started this column.
In fact when I told my students at UITM in 1982 that the future of logistics advancement in Sabah is via rail link, I believe many of them thought that I was a nutcase if not outright “temberang”.
Many of my good friends also thought that it was a long shot when I suggested that we must link up the whole of Sabah by rail if we were to reduce the cost of the goods in this land below the wind.
Looking at the rail developments in Europe, Russia, China and Japan, I am confident most of my critics are thinking otherwise now.
Rail or train transport is a means of transport on vehicles which run on tracks (rails or railroads). It is one of the most important, commonly used and highly cost effective modes of commuting and goods carriage over long, as well as, short distances.
In contrast to road transport where vehicles run on a prepared flat surface, rail vehicles (rolling stock) are directionally guided by the tracks on which they run.
Tracks usually consist of steel rails, installed on ties (sleepers) and ballast, on which the rolling stock, usually fitted with metal wheels, moves.
Other variations are also possible, such as slab track, where the rails are fastened to a concrete foundation resting on a prepared subsurface.
Since this system runs on metal, it has an inherent benefit of lesser frictional resistance which helps attach more loads in terms of wagons or carriages.
The trains normally are powered by an engine locomotive running on electricity or on diesel. Complex signaling systems are utilized if there are multiple route networks in this one of the fastest modes of land transport.
Rail transport has come forth as one of the most dependable modes of transport in terms of safety. Trains are fast and the least affected by usual weather turbulences like rain or fog, compared to other transport mechanisms.
Rail transport is better organized than any other medium of transport, which has fixed routes and schedules. Its
services are more reliable, consistent and regular compared to other modes of transport.
Looking back, having originated from human hauled contraptions in ancient Greece rail transport has evolved into a modern, complex and sophisticated system used both in urban and cross-country (and continent) networks over long distances.
Understandably, rail transport is an enabler of economic progress, used to mobilize goods as well as people. Versions include passenger railways, underground (or over ground) urban metro railways and goods carriages to contribute to other obvious benefits which include the followings:
1. Encouragement to Tourism: The connectivity of Railways to various tourist spots gives encouragement to tourism.
2. Helpful during Calamities: During natural calamities railways help the stranded persons to reach their destinations and these are helpful during famines by carrying foods from surplus to affected areas.
3. Social Importance: Railways links our communities. They have shortened the distance and developed the outlook of people.
4. Strategic Importance: These are useful for internal security of country and also carry the defense material effectively and efficiently to various locations during external threat.
5. Improve Internal Trade: By connecting various areas of the country railways have made internal trade convenient. They carry goods and passengers to various places easily.
6. Development of Agriculture: Railways have commercialized agriculture. Now farmers do not just produce for self-consumption but also for sale in the market.
7. Growth of Markets: Railways have increased the size of markets. Bulky goods can easily be transported by Railways.
8. Mobility of Labour and Capital: Railways have increased the mobility of labour and capital which has contributed to the rapid industrialization of the country.
Undoubtedly rail transport has some constraints and limitations too. One of the biggest constraints of rail transport is its very capital intensive.
Trains need high financial back up to build and maintain and the cost is exaggerated when a whole rail network is to be built.
The cost of construction, maintenance and overhead expenses are very high compared to other modes of transport. Many government commit significant portions of their budgets to building and maintaining rail infrastructure. For example, nearly 20 percent of the money lent from the World Bank to developing countries is earmarked for transportation infrastructure projects like rail, which is more than education, health and social services combined.
Also, even though railway transport is capable of high levels of passenger and cargo utilization and energy efficiency, it is often less flexible than road transport, when lower traffic levels are considered. It cannot provide door-to-door service as it is tied to a particular track. Intermediate loading or unloading involves greater cost, more wear and tear and wastage of time.
Logistically speaking, the economic importance of transportation/logistics development is related at improving the welfare of a society through appropriate social, political and economic conditions.
In view of its intensive use of infrastructure, the transport/logistics sector is an important component of the economy and a common tool used for development, and rail transportation should be considered as a long-term solution for economic development of a nation.