Interactive Time-Based Animation Map

This Article is work in progress

by Pemanducomm

As the Post heading suggest, I am pleased to inform you that I just launched the Railway History Map of Malaysia. It was built on solid research and powered by ArcGIS Online - Malaysian Railway History

Concept

Two years ago, I designed multiple map platform to understand the nature of the Railway. It contained operational year of the railway, number of tracks and status of operation of the tracks. Refer to Malaysian Railway Portal. However, it lacked one thing - Time capability. I revisited this project and focused to create a map of railway network evolution of Malaysia.

I believe so far no one has built such a map. Why I don't start one? Make a foray into the world of time based animation.

Data

The number one challenge of the project is the data for the operational years for the railway. As railways come and go, I need to know when they first being in operation and when they became disused. I downloaded DIVA GIS for the base railway network layer. I made a policy if there is no operational dates or years for the railway, it will not be shown on the map. DIVA GIS showed a lot of unknown railways which I have no evidence to back them.

On the Attribute part, I scouted heaps of blogs, railway fan sites, Wikipedia and every possible source available online.

Accuracy

I have made every attempt to ensure the highest accuracy of the dataset. Below here is the accuracy level of dataset

1. Railway Network of Malaya: The opening date and closure date of the network is mixture based on the year and date level accuracy. Upgrading of the railway line to double track from Padang Besar to Gemas has resulted some of the previous tracks becoming disused. No definite year or date is found when the track got disused. Disuse status of Pasir Mas to Rantau Panjang is yet to be found. Subang Jaya to Subang Airport 1980 rail link has no disuse date.
2. Railway Network of Sarawak: The only evident railway with opening and closing year is around Kuching.The route is drawn based on 1940s army map of Borneo. Railway from Brunei to Miri is not shown due to lack of information
3. Railway Network of Labuan: The railway track is based on 1800s map of North Borneo. It is meant for general viewing, not determining the absolute alignment of the track
4. Railway Network of Sabah: The only railway network in Sabah is shown in the map is the passenger based route. Since there insufficient evidence for commercial plantation railways, they are omitted in the map
5. Railway Network of Sarawak: Significant amount of assumption is required to determine the disuse dates of networks of Bukit Timah to Tanjong Pagar (via Singapore City Centre) and Tanjong Pagar to Pasir Panjang. Various websites and blogs have placed contradictory information on the alignment histories of the networks above. 

Train Station opening date accuracy varies. Most of them have accuracy to year level with few stations with complete date level accuracy.

Sources

Malaya
1.  http://searail.malayanrailways.com/KTM.htm
2.  http://history.malayarailway.com/
3. Wikipedia
4. KTMB Railway Museum in KL Old Station (For verification of Pelabuhan Klang to Pulau Indah Railway
5. MySin Chew (For opening year of Port Weld Station) 

Singapore

1. http://searail.malayanrailways.com/KTM.htm
2. https://www.ura.gov.sg/ms/railcorridor/about/history/1932#subContainer
3. National Library of Australia Online Map Catalogue
4. http://joyloh.com/blog/?p=4715

Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan

1. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/borneo/ (Refer to Kuching for railway alignment)
2. http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/6346822?lookfor=sabah%20{access_type:%22NLA%20digitised%20material%22}%20%23[format:Map]&offset=2&max=6 (For Labuan and Sabah Railway Alignment)
3. http://www.railwaystationlists.co.uk/pdfasia/sabahsarawakandbruneirlys.pdf (Credit to Peter A. Weenink for showing timeline of Labuan railway service)
4. Wikipedia
5. http://searail.malayanrailways.com/Sarawak/Sarawak.htm (For Kuching - Batu 10 Railway Line history

I, Danesh Prakash Chacko, hereby acknowledge completely all the source listed and unlisted below in the publication. Hence, I do not exercise the ownership of the attribute data (the operational years of the railway network and train stations). Should errors and omissions are found, please submit on the blog comments as below.