Authors : Mohd Hairy Bin Ibrahin, Azmi Bin Ahmad Baharom, Khairi Bin Ariffin, Baharuddin Bin Jabar, Mazdi Bin Marzuki and Kamal Bin Kamaludin
Abstract: Train service was first introduced by the British in Malaya connecting Taiping to Port Weld in 1885. This railroad service played major economic role in the state over the last 100 years. Other lines were later developed to connect tin mining areas in Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan to coastal ports. These lines ceased to operate with declining tin mining activities. New economic activities using former tin mining lands now represent new agricultural land use pattern. Port Weld-Taiping and Tapah Road Teluk Anson lines used to reflect the economic prosperity of Perak State. Rubber exports were also using these lines to reach British factories through the Straits of Melaka. Unlike the North-South rail line along the West coast of Malaya, these East-West lines are shorter and limited in usage. This resulted in unique cultural and physical landscape change delineating Northern and Southern sectors of coastal Perak. However with the decline of the tin mining in particular, these lines have been abandoned and failed to rejuvenate the coastal zones in the 21st century. Population distribution along the rail in particular has not seen any significance growth. Similarly, Perak in particular did not seem to play any significant role to activate or promote these rail lines. Population settlements, along these sectors have not grown at the same pace as the other part of the country. The physical landscape of these lines has seen significant changes. In particular, the tracks are mostly lost to destruction, theft and decay. These changes have resulted in new cultural and physical landscape change in this area.
Mohd Hairy Bin Ibrahin, Azmi Bin Ahmad Baharom, Khairi Bin Ariffin, Baharuddin Bin Jabar, Mazdi Bin Marzuki and Kamal Bin Kamaludin, 2014. Investigation of the Landscape Change in Old Malaysian Railway: Special References to Port Weld-Taiping Railway. The Social Sciences, 9: 357-361.