Railways in

Sulawesi (Celebes)

Makassar station, on the occasion of the opening of the railway in 1922.

The first railway in Sulawesi was a 47km, 1067mm gauge line between Makassar and Takalar, opened in 1922. It was planned as part of a network of lines extending to the north of the island.

The railway was not a financial success and closed in 1930. The other proposed lines of the time did not come to fruition.

In the early 21st century, ambitious plans emerged for a network of up to 2000km of new standard (1435mm) gauge lines covering the island. The first section of line, 66km between Mandai and Garongkong, opened in 2022. Work on other sections is ongoing.

• Celebes Railway Indonesia the train operator