News: September 2023

Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway to become operational on Oct 1, Laos-China Railway purchases new train, ECRL project reached 52.9 pct completion, Lao Cai-Ha Noi-Hai Phong-Ha Long railway proposal

Welcome to the Southeast Asia Railways Newsletter. This newsletter goes out on the last day of the month, so this edition is going out the day before one of the biggest stories in Southeast Asia railway history. If all goes to plan, the Jakarta Bandung High-Speed Railway starts on October 1. This is the first high-speed railway in Southeast Asia. No doubt there will be plenty of articles to sort through for next month. I will be posting about it at thenewsletter, so if you want updates related to transport and urban development in SE Asia then subscribe there as well.

I started writing about my rail-themed trip to Sumatra, and there are 3 articles this month.

Here are the main news stories of the month for railways in Southeast Asia.

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• I posted a series of articles about the railways of Sumatra at Nomadic Notes:

🇱🇦 Laos

The purpose of this railway is to connect Vientiane to the Vung Ang Port in Vietnam (the closest seaport to landlocked Laos). Normally you should ignore these estimated completion dates, but then the Laos-China Railway was completed on time so who knows?

🇲🇾 Malaysia

The train from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru (for connections to Singapore) requires getting the electric train to Gemas and then switching to the diesel train for the rest of the journey. Once the Gemas-JB electrified double-track project is completed, there will be no need to change trains.

🇲🇲 Myanmar

“The resistance is increasingly targeting the railway network as the regime revamps it to transport troops and supplies, while civilian passengers risk getting caught in the crossfire.”

🇵🇭 Philippines

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇹🇭 Thailand

“The Transport Ministry has instructed the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to speed up the handover of land needed for the high-speed rail (HSR) project that would link three airports serving the Greater Bangkok region, so construction can begin.”

”The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is to ask the cabinet to approve more than 50 billion baht to finance the building of the double-track railway section from Khon Kaen to Nong Khai and Red Line electric train extensions.”

“Experience the heartbeat of Bangkok’s iconic Hua Lamphong Railway Station through the lens of Tim Russell in “Bangkok Station” .”

🇻🇳 Vietnam

“Lào Cai-Hà Nội-Hải Phòng express railway linking with the Kunming-Hà Nội-Hải Phòng economic corridor.”

"Designed for a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, the railway will start in Lao Cai Province, traverse Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Haiphong, and end at the Cai Lan Port in Quang Ninh."

Join the conversation

or to participate.