Southeast Asia Railways
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KL-Singapore high speed rail project back on

KL-Singapore high speed rail project back on

Royal Railways Cambodia-Thailand freight railway launches, proposed East Kalimantan railway network, and three train systems in one photo in Bangkok.

July 31, 2023

Hello from Medan. I arrived here via Kualanamu International Airport, which has an airport train to central Medan. I’m always impressed when a city you wouldn’t expect has an airport train, probably because my home city of Melbourne still doesn’t have one.

North Sumatra has a railway system that radiates from Medan, though it is practically useless from a tourism perspective. That won’t stop me from riding it though to see how the system looks.

Here is this month’s summary of rail news in Southeast Asia. If you are new here, you can subscribe for monthly updates here…

News

• Famed luxury train is returning to Southeast Asia with two new routes

• Railway Travels in South-East Asia with Michael Portillo

“BBC Earth’s latest travel and history documentary series ‘Great Asian Railway Journeys’ covers over 4,000-kilometre journey around Southeast Asia. Hosted by Michael Portillo.”

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• In a first, Royal Railway operates rail link with Thailand

This is a freight service, so we now wait for authorities to approve cross-border passenger services between Thailand and Cambodia.

• Feasibility study planned for rail links with Thailand and Vietnam

• MPWT examining light rail transit from PP to new airport proposal

• Light-rail line to new Siem Reap airport?

The new Siem Reap airport is about 50 km from the city centre, so an airport railway would be welcome.

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Transportation ministry plans massive railway network for Nusantara

"Risal said the ministry was currently conducting an environmental impact analysis for three railway lines that would connect Nusantara with East Kalimantan's capital Balikpapan, with the Sepinggan Airport and one commuter line that would link downtown Balikpapan with the planned new capital's administrative center."

“The Philippine National Railways (PNR) will halt operations in December 2023 to give way for the construction of the ₱873.6 billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.”

• Private sector funding sought for 4 railways

The railways are North Long Haul, South Long Haul, Subic-Clark Railway, Mindanao Railway Project.

• WATCH: DOTr eyes trains for Butuan-Cagayan de Oro, Panay rail revival

🇸🇬 Singapore

• KTM train frequency between Woodlands & JB to be increased to 36 times a day

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Construction deal for section of high-speed railway signed

“An Italian-Thai Development (ITD)-led joint venture last week inked the 9.34-billion-baht construction deal for the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway megaproject.”

• SRT aims to open over 3,000km of dual track railway by 2029

• Hua Hin train line update: New dual track to open for testing in September

• This spacious new Thai station is futuristic and utterly generic

• Hua Lamphong train station among new historical sites

• Historic train trip to Ayutthaya marks Thai king's birthday

• Special train trip on Mother’s Day to use historic Japanese steam locomotive

• There is an intersection at Hua Mak in Bangkok where the Airport Rail Link, the SRT Eastern Line, and the MRT Yellow Line Monorail intersect. I visited this site when the Yellow Line was under construction, and I thought that someone will attempt to take a photo of three trains passing at the same time. Well, someone has done it…