Myanmar to become rail transport hub
The recent political and economic opening of Myanmar will see an upgrading of the formerly isolated country’s transport infrastructure. Due to its strategic location, Myanmar is likely to become a rail transport hub between the Indian Subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia.
Foreign investors have already expressed their interest to upgrade the run-down railway network, which hasn’t seen much maintenance since the British left in the 1950s. Currently, the 5,400 kilometers rail network (on a meter gauge) generally spans north to south with branch lines to east and west, but offers no connection to neighbouring countries.
In the future, the rail network should become part of the Trans-Asia Railway, a project to create an integrated freight railway network across Europe and Asia. The Southern Corridor of the Trans-Asia Railway is supposed to create a connection from Europe and western Russia to Southeast Asia, connecting Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand, with links to China’s Yunnan province and via Malaysia to Singapore.
In a first step, the Bangladesh government has said it is going to construct a rail line from Dohazari in Chittagong to Gundhum in Myanmar via Cox’s Bazar to establish a link with the proposed Trans-Asia Railway corridor from India to Southeast Asia.
China plans to construct several routes linking its remote southwestern regions with ports in Myanmar and on to Southeast and South Asia. In particular, a major rail line is planned to connect Kunming with a new deep-sea port and special industrial economic zone under construction at Kyaukpyu on Myanmar’s western coast.
Another rail route will connect the 1,920 kilometers between China’s Yunnan province capital Kunming to Myanmar’s former capital and major port Yangon. Construction will likely build on Myanmar’s existing north-south rail line rather than lay completely new tracks. This route would also link a new port project at Dawei on the southern coast.
A third route will run through Myanmar’s eastern Shan State connecting Kunming with the northern Thai town of Chiang Rai and from there link into the Thai rail network. This link, together with a route currently being surveyed in Laos, will enable the shipment of goods by rail between China, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore.
Apart from China, Japanese company Marubeni has expressed an interest in rebuilding Burma’s railways network.
When finished, the Trans-Asia Railway will allow more efficient transportation of goods and energy resources from suppliers in the Middle East and Africa. New rail links with Myanmar as a hub will cut the distance needed to transport oil from the Middle East and Africa by sea by almost in half .
[caption id="attachment_2946" align="alignleft" width="300"] Click to enlarge[/caption] The recent political and economic opening of Myanmar will see an upgrading of the formerly isolated country's transport infrastructure. Due to its strategic location, Myanmar is likely to become a rail transport hub between the Indian Subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia. Foreign investors have already expressed their interest to upgrade the run-down railway network, which hasn't seen much maintenance since the British left in the 1950s. Currently, the 5,400 kilometers rail network (on a meter gauge) generally spans north to south with branch lines to east and west, but offers no connection to...
The recent political and economic opening of Myanmar will see an upgrading of the formerly isolated country’s transport infrastructure. Due to its strategic location, Myanmar is likely to become a rail transport hub between the Indian Subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia.
Foreign investors have already expressed their interest to upgrade the run-down railway network, which hasn’t seen much maintenance since the British left in the 1950s. Currently, the 5,400 kilometers rail network (on a meter gauge) generally spans north to south with branch lines to east and west, but offers no connection to neighbouring countries.
In the future, the rail network should become part of the Trans-Asia Railway, a project to create an integrated freight railway network across Europe and Asia. The Southern Corridor of the Trans-Asia Railway is supposed to create a connection from Europe and western Russia to Southeast Asia, connecting Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand, with links to China’s Yunnan province and via Malaysia to Singapore.
In a first step, the Bangladesh government has said it is going to construct a rail line from Dohazari in Chittagong to Gundhum in Myanmar via Cox’s Bazar to establish a link with the proposed Trans-Asia Railway corridor from India to Southeast Asia.
China plans to construct several routes linking its remote southwestern regions with ports in Myanmar and on to Southeast and South Asia. In particular, a major rail line is planned to connect Kunming with a new deep-sea port and special industrial economic zone under construction at Kyaukpyu on Myanmar’s western coast.
Another rail route will connect the 1,920 kilometers between China’s Yunnan province capital Kunming to Myanmar’s former capital and major port Yangon. Construction will likely build on Myanmar’s existing north-south rail line rather than lay completely new tracks. This route would also link a new port project at Dawei on the southern coast.
A third route will run through Myanmar’s eastern Shan State connecting Kunming with the northern Thai town of Chiang Rai and from there link into the Thai rail network. This link, together with a route currently being surveyed in Laos, will enable the shipment of goods by rail between China, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore.
Apart from China, Japanese company Marubeni has expressed an interest in rebuilding Burma’s railways network.
When finished, the Trans-Asia Railway will allow more efficient transportation of goods and energy resources from suppliers in the Middle East and Africa. New rail links with Myanmar as a hub will cut the distance needed to transport oil from the Middle East and Africa by sea by almost in half .
