Papua is the name of the western part of the island of New Guinea, which is part of Indonesia. It should not be confused with the neighbouring country of Papua New Guinea. Confusingly, the name Papua is sometimes used to refer to the whole island. For this reason, Indonesian Papua is sometimes referred to as West Papua; but this itself is a potential source of confusion, as West Papua also refers to a Special Autonomous Region of Papua under the Indonesian government.
In the early 21st century, PT Freeport Indonesia opened a new underground mine in the Grasberg area. A railway transports ore from a loading area near the working face to the processing facility on the surface.
In 2015, plans were published for an ambitious 1550km network of new standard (1435mm) gauge lines serving the island. Although official ground breaking took place near Sansapor in 2017, the project does not appear to have been progressed.
© 2020-2026 Glyn Williams
Photo image: PT Freeport Indonesia