Batu Arang
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Batu Arang was a coal main mining town in Selangor, Malaysia. Apart from coal, Batu Arang was also known for its bricks manufacturing. Today it no longer supplies coal and holds no significant role.
There used to be a railway line connecting the mainline of Malayan Railways at Kuang to Batu Arang, which was opened in 1915, and westwards to Batang Berjuntai which was opened in 1918. In 1971 Malayan Railways shut down the line and dismantled the tracks with introduction of more diesel locomotives into its fleet; up to that point Batu Arang was the only source of coal for its steam locomotives.
In 1948 the Malayan Communist Party seized the town's police station, killing one, as well as holding people at the local railway station hostage. Batu Arang was a hotbed of communism and the authorities had problems eradicating the menace due to the hilly terrain which gave the communist guerillas advantage in launching ambushes and hiding away after such attacks.
Batu Arang suffers from serious soil erosion problem due to the deep-earth coal mining activities, and consequently much of its original area had been evacuated.
[edit] External links
- Modern Day Batu Arang in pictures
- Sleepy Hollow With a Rich Mining Legacy
- Batu Arang railway station, c1915
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