News: July 2024

Welcome to the July 2024 edition of the Southeast Asia Railway Newsletter. I’m back in Vietnam, and this week I took the new tourist train from Danang to Hue. I have also been publishing reviews of my Indonesian rail trips, which are linked below.

Here is the latest news about railways in Southeast Asia.

News

• New cargo rail service that connects Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and China kicks off

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• New Japanese locomotives given test run in Cambodia

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Makassar–Parepare railway: the first section of the Trans-Sulawesi railway

• KA Probowangi: Train from Surabaya to Ketapang (for the Bali ferry)

• Java Rail Pass proposal: putting Java train travel on the world tourism map

• Indonesia's KAI seeks Rp1.8tn capital for new trains from China

• Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway records 4 mln passengers after 9 months of operation

• Indonesia tests B40 biodiesel on trains, aims to cut fuel imports by $9 billion

• Minister of Transportation Budi Karya ensures additional logistics railways in South Sulawesi will soon be completed

• Island of empires

“A rail journey through ancient Java.”

🇱🇦 Laos

• Laos, Thailand launch passenger train services

• China-Laos Railway records over 222,000 cross-border passengers

• Asean Express Freight Train arrives Laos with KTMB’s Rolling Stock, boosting regional trade

• Railway drives China-Laos tourism boom

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Malaysia to decide by this year on HSR link with Singapore, shortlisting private consortiums to back project: Minister

• ECRL project work progress status in Kelantan at 79.81 per cent as of May 2024 -- MoT

• Study on planning and development of Borneo Railway discussed

• How bad are our KTM stations? One public transport advocate visits 59 to find out

• KTMB was called out over busted escalators, lifts, toilets at stations. Here’s its response

🇲🇲 Myanmar

• How Myanmar’s railways reflect the nation’s uneasy history

“A new book highlights the role that the country’s rail network has played in the making – and unmaking – of a conflict-torn country.”

🇵🇭 Philippines

• Railway masterplan seen delayed to 2026, JICA says

• Multilateral loans eyed for revival of Bicol railway

• JICA says Mindanao rail plan not ready for funding decision

• 3 firms express interest to construct Mindanao Railway Project

• Clark-Valenzuela segment of North-South Commuter Railway to open in 2028: DOTr

• DOTr: Feasibility study for Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas rail project being prepared

• NSCR promises 40 minute travel time from Alabang to Clark

🇸🇬 Singapore

• S'pore willing to discuss with M'sia about HSR, but hasn't received any new proposals

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Riding the train from Bangkok to Vientiane

“This is a review of the new international train from Thailand to Laos and the bus connections along the way.”

• First riding on new passenger train service linking Bangkok with Vientiane

• Dust shuts Thailand's longest train tunnel just after opening

“The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) closed Thailand's longest train tunnel just after opening it on Sunday pending a 14-day clean-up after passengers complained of thick dust inside it.”

• Thailand set to improve Third-Class trains with air conditioning and seating upgrades

• SRT offers special tourism train for rainy season

• TAT welcomes tourists on Kuala Lumpur – Hat Yai “Special Charter Sawasdee Train”

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• North-south high-speed railway to be completed by 2035

"The Ministry of Transport and associated project partners have been informed that the completion of the north-south high-speed railway will be expected by 2035."

• Vietnam’s North-South high-speed railway to be designed for 350km/h

• China-based lender AIIB to allocate $5B for Vietnam rail projects

• Vietnam Railway proposes US$87 million for Hanoi–Dong Dang railway upgrade

• Tourism authorities launch video clip promoting rail travel

• Da Lat Railway Station recognized as tourist attraction