Sungei Ujong Railway

These two images were originally published in the 1935 book "Fifty years of railways in Malaya: 1885-1935" Federated Malay States Railways. F.M.S., Kyle, Palmer & Co., Ltd., printers and engravers, 1935

Straits Times Weekly Issue, 4 August 1891, Page 4

On the 25^th Instant, Mr. Miller (of Messrs. Gilfillan Wood & Co.), Mr. Swan (Engineer for the Sungei Ujong Government) and the hon’bles John Burkinshaw and G. S. Murray left Singapore and proceeded to Port Dickson, the new port of Sungei Ujong, for the purpose of attending the function of formally taking over the Sungei Ujong Railway by the railway Company from the contractors – Messrs. Hill and Rathborne. This company is styled: “The Sungei Ujong (Malay Peninsula) Railway Company, Limited,” and the capital was all subscribed in London, nearly all the subscribers having at some time or other been interested in the Straits. Messrs. Gilfillan Wood & Company are the general agents for the Company; and the general manager is Mr. Greg Maitland, who resides at Port Dickson and Mr. Swan is also the Company’s consulting Engineer. On arrival at Port Dickson a special train was in waiting to take the party to the terminus at Seramban which is the residency town of Sungei Ujong. A brief stoppage was made at each of the three stations en route: Quala Sala, Rasa and Baubau. On Tuesday the 28^th instant the ceremonial function of the Company formally taking over the railway was performed at Seramban.

Mr. Miller thinks the line is in as good a condition as can be expected; a great deal of inconvenience has been caused by the wet weather, but when the ballast gets a chance of settling, the line should be a very smooth one. There are three classes of carriages, which are of a comfortable description. The stations at Port Dickson and Seramban are well built roomy structures. After the 1^st August it is intended to run the trains to suit the arrival and departure of steamers from Port Dickson, and any reasonable suggestion in the working of the line will meet with the consideration of the Company’s agents.

Singapore Free Press 12 March 1892, Page 2

Sungei Ujong Railway

We learn from the local agents here that the traffic on this recently constructed line is now steadily increasing. The native population are taking very kindly to the new means of locomotion and that is shown by the fact that whereas at first a large proportion of traffic went by road, now that the people have got into the habit of using the Railway, the bullock carts find very little to carry by road. At present there is only a single service of trains running between Port Dickson and Seremban – that is one train up and one down daily. But of late so many special have had to be employed to overtake the traffic that the manager has decided to run a double service from 1^st April, when the trains will be despatched daily as follows:-

these being the hours best suited to the convenience of those arriving and departing by steamers at Port Dickson.

In pursuance of the pronounced policy of the F. M. S. Administration in unison with that of the Colony, of amalgamating all the Railways of the Malayan Peninsula within the F. M. S. Railway system, the Perak Pioneer understands that steps are being taken to secure the immediate taking over of the Sungei Ujong Railway. This "Zig Zag" Railway, 25 miles long, though burdened with the cost of a separate management and of a Home Board of Directors has been earning during the past few years a considerable surplus over the guaranteed interest of five per cent. The Negri Sembilan Government has been therefore recouping itself from its share of surplus profits, in some measure, for the payment of the deficits it had been called upon to make good in the earlier years of the company's existence in terms of the guarantee. three years yet remain to run before the expiry of the company's concession. The F. M. S. Railway Administration are however anxious to secure its reversion, and the Government has accordingly offered it a compensation for immediate surrender. But, says that journal, the Board of Directors of the Company naturally demur to give away a good thing especially when it is paying better than ever, and the prospects of the line during the ensuing triennium are the brightest in its history. A variety of causes have combined to produce such large profits for such a short length of an independent line. The company's undertaking has never been overcapitalised and the cost per mile has been far below the ever increasing large average of the F. M. S. Railway system which is going up by leaps and bounds. The sum spent on repairs and maintenance of the permanent way has been ridiculously low with the result that the line and the station buildings are in a deplorably dilapidated condition , and appear all the more so in comparison with the spick and span appearance of the Seremban Station of the F. M. S. Railway over the way. The heavy traffic of railway material from Port Dickson to Seremban has also materially increased the profits of the line.

A wedding is to take place at Seremban on Saturday next (4th) the contracting parties being Mr. H. H. Armstrong, of the Secretariat, and Miss B. Stork, eldest daughter Mr. L. A. Stork, Station Master, Sungei Ujong Railway. The prospective bride is well-known to many in Kuala lumpur.

Mr. and Mrs. Stork will celebrate their silver wedding on the 9th of this month.

Issue on 4th July of a £546 6s. 8d. per cent. second debenture, part of a series created 1st June, 1993, to secure £15,000. charged on the company's undertaking and property, present and future, including uncalled capital, subject to £110,000 first mortgage debentures. Holders - Mercantile Bank of India, Ltd., 40, Threadneedle street, E.C. No trustees. Total amount previous issued of same series, £14,353 6s. 7d.

The Sungei Ujong Railway which is to be acquired by the F. M. S. Government is to be handed over on the 1st July next, when important improvements and alterations on the line will be taken in hand. It is anticipated that the line will yeild a handsome return on the capital outlay incurred in this purchase.

It is officially notified that the Federated Malay States Railway administration will assume control of the Sungei Ujong Railway on and from to-day.

The Federated Malay States Railway Administration will assume control of the Sungei Ujong Railway on and from the 28th July 1908, to whom all communications should be addressed.

The passenger train services between Seremban and Port Dickson will be entirely suspended.

A goods train service will be maintained between Seremban and Port Dickson and parcels and goods traffic will be received for conveyance to and from Port Dickson, Siliau, Kuala Sawah and Mambau stations.

Received from "EMU12" via the KTM forum: KTM's 1971 Annual Report makes a remark about the realignment commencing in that year. The 1977 Annual Report contains reference to the Ruler of Negri Sembilan officiating the opening of that realigned line in that year (1977).

The KTM forum is now a useful source of information, with old maps being found and members tracing the routes of old railways on the ground using GPS and creating files for use with Google earth.

Sungei Ujong Railway locomotives
Manufacturer	Works number	Year built	number/name	FMSR Class	FMSR 1908	Notes
Andrew Barclay	309	1888	Sunjei Ujong			Kerr Stuart order 537, passed on to Selangor and renamed
Dübs	2462	1891	1	J	99	4-4-2T rebuilt 1902 from 0-6-2T, sold to Malayan Collieries 4/1922
Dübs	2463	1891	2	J	100	4-4-2T rebuilt 1902 from 0-6-2T, scrapped 5/1919
Dübs	2464	1891	3	J	101	4-4-2T rebuilt 1902 from 0-6-2T, scrapped 11/1924
Dübs	3621	1899	4	K 1	102	4-4-2T, withdrawn by 1924, scrapped 8/1926

Unclassified	A & B classes	A² class	C¹ class
Burma E and O	C² class	D class	E class
F class	G class	H class	I class
J class	K¹ class	K² class	L class
M class	O class	P class	Mallet
Q class	R class	S class	T class
WWII	Sentinel	WD class

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