Handbook of the federated Malay states - Sabrizain.org

18 . Handbook of the
It is expected that these works will be completed in about
two years' time, when the railway system of the Federated
Malay States will consist of a Trunk line about 292 miles
in length, having its northern terminus on the mainland
adjoining the harbour of Penang, and thence running south,
through the principal towns of the Western States, to Port
Dickson on the sea-coast, not far from the colonial territory
of Malacca.
From the Trunk line three branches will diverge at
intervals to harbours on the western coast, the first from
Taiping in Perak to Port Weld, the second from Tapah to
Teluk Anson in the southern portion of the same State, and
the third from Kuala Lumpur to Port Swettenham in
Selangor.
The main line can at any future time be carried further
down the peninsula, proceeding southwards from Seremban,
the chief town of Negri Sembilan. Should further exten-
sion be thus undertaken, the present line from that town to
the harbour of Port Dickson will become a fourth branch
line running from the Trunk route to the coast.
Up to the present time no railway construction has been
taken in hand in the Eastern State of Pahang. Connection
by railway between that State and its western neighbours
will necessitate crossing the main range of the peninsula at
an elevation of nearly three thousand feet, and though a rough
survey of the proposed route has been made from Selangor
into Pahang, it is improbable that anything more will be
done until the extensions now in hand in the Western
States have been completed.
All the towns and principal mining centres of the States
of Perak, Selangor, and Negri Sembilan are connected by
metalled cart roads.
The road system throughout these States is very efficient.
The roads are well bridged and very carefully upkept at
considerable cost to the Grovernment, and no toll is levied for
their use. They are easily traversed by any description of
wheeled traffic, and those in Perak in particular are of a high
order of excellence, which is probably unsurpassed in the
East.
A road of much importance has recently been completed
by the Public Works Department of Selangor, running from
that State over the main chain of mountains to Kuala Lipis,
the capital of Pahang. It is about eighty-five miles in length,
of which twenty-three miles are in Selangor and the rest in
Pahang. The range is crossed at an elevation of 2,700 feet,