View Full Version : Railwatch:'New' Lines & Locos?
Wisarut
10-02-05, 02:29 PM
Now SPDC has just opened the bridge across Salawin with the railway track connecting Moulmein to Ye railway with the rest of the Bruma railway network .... However, we would like to see if SPDC will ask Ministry to railway to introduce both passenger services and cargo service from Yangon to Tavoy ....
For the case of Spike ... Yeah .. FMSR has obtained some of the secondhanded railway stuffs from the mother contry (Britain) so as to start up the railway network
Now SPDC has just opened the bridge across Salawin with the railway track connecting Moulmein to Ye railway with the rest of the Bruma railway network .... However, we would like to see if SPDC will ask Ministry to railway to introduce both passenger services and cargo service from Yangon to Tavoy.
Maps would suggest that is quite a long bridge. Was it previously just an ordinary ferry or an actual train-carrying pontoon? Am I right in thinking that the bridge is a combined road-rail bridge? I'm hearing rumors that Burma has actually made significant additions to its system in recent years, thru' low-cost techniques. Impressed labor being perhaps one of those techniques.
Wisarut
11-02-05, 11:13 PM
Indeed, it is a very substantial Road-Rail bridge .... about 2,346-meter long (7,699 feet) ...
Just an ordinary ferry and probably some train carrying pontoon when the train at Mautama - Ye - Tavoy need some heavy maintianance at Insein ....
Interesting link on Myanmar's railway development under Tatmadaw.
http://www.myanmar.com/build/railway/1.htm
It would be all too easy to come the old lefty here, but I personally think this development is commendable and shows how a gradualist low-cost approach can suit some countries very well. And I think we can safely say that the 'Pariah State' policy has had no visible effect on Tatmadaw; even if the ASEAN appeasement also seems deeply flawed.
The pictures taken of soldiers (probably conscripts) sweating to lay track would probably be replaced by press-ganged locals as soon as the camera disappeared. I also note that one of the main functions of the railway to Dawei is military transport; there is no passenger service.
I also notice that this obviously government-sponsored site seems unable to buy a better camera than my own Box Brownie Digital. Do all Tatmadaw sites use the same webcam for their graphics; maybe a quick whip-round amongst those rich generals on the golfcourse might buy them a nice middle-range Sony.
A lot of these projects already seem to have found their way onto regional maps available in Thailand.
Yappofloyd
26-02-05, 02:05 PM
Interesting link on Myanmar's railway development under Tatmadaw. The pictures taken of soldiers (probably conscripts) sweating to lay track would probably be replaced by press-ganged locals as soon as the camera disappeared. I also note that one of the main functions of the railway to Dawei is military transport; there is no passenger service.
I also notice that this obviously government-sponsored site seems unable to buy a better camera than my own Box Brownie Digital. Do all Tatmadaw sites use the same webcam for their graphics; maybe a quick whip-round amongst those rich generals on the golfcourse might buy them a nice middle-range Sony.
Very interesting site and thanks again. I chuffed at your whip-around for a new camera. Perhaps the propoganda is lessened somewhat by the drab photos but somehow it is all quintessentially Junta quality.
US$5m for 1K of railways in 12 yrs seems very cheap so obviously (as ILO has reported) people being slave-pressed into construction as you have inferred. A bit concerning to see wooden sleepers being used given the already concerning loss of forest cover in Burma.
Interesting quote on the site; "In building the railroads, the Government has utilised the technical knowhow of the local technicians and its own financial resources. No outside financial aids or technical assistants are being taken."
I had thought that the Chinese were assisting with supply of materials and systems?
Budewizer
26-02-05, 04:20 PM
Hmmm, seems the Generals like to put a spin on it to make it look like everything is rosey.
I seem to recall that when MR recieved their 10 YDM4's in yr 2000 the local press report them as being brand new locos whereas they were in fact ex Indain Railways locos refurbished at Golden Rock Workshops in India - at the very least they would have been at least 15 yrs old if not older.
Brand to MR yes but born a lot earlier.
Once I've heard about a branch to Tavoy??
Indeed, it is a very substantial Road-Rail bridge .... about 2,346-meter long (7,699 feet) ...
Just an ordinary ferry and probably some train carrying pontoon when the train at Mautama - Ye - Tavoy need some heavy maintianance at Insein ....
Herewith a 1984 1:250,000 RTSD Map Scan of Moulmein showing the estuary of the Salaween, which now has a rail bridge. On the same map, there is no indication of a rail branch to Hpa-An, so I guess that is a fairly recent construction, Burmese (Myanmese) Govt sites indicate that the Salaween will be bridged by rail at that point too; presumably as part of their efforts to establish rail links with Thailand:-
http://tinypic.com/fc2sdj.jpg
airlana
05-11-05, 08:45 PM
Quite a long article here (http://www.rehmonnya.org/report_detail.php?ID=9)
As usual anything for Myanmar is a bit scarce, especially pictures.
airlana
airlana
05-11-05, 10:04 PM
Quite a long article here (http://www.rehmonnya.org/report_detail.php?ID=9)
As usual anything for Myanmar is a bit scarce, especially pictures.
airlana
Then again, the correct name helps. Searching for Salween bridge [like I did] is a bit vague. :(
Search Google for "THANLWIN BRIDGE".
Reasonably good article with specs and engineering here (http://www.myanmar.gov.mm/NLM-2004/Mar04/enlm/Mar27_rg1.html)
airlana
Rather unusual view of the Thanlwin Bridge from the 'Myanmar State Digital Steam Camera'.
You'd think after all the money the millitary has ripped-off ordinary folk for, they could afford something half-decent. Doubtless, golf gear has a higher priority!It looks(from the first photo) as if the two roadlanes are on the left , with the railtrack on the inland righthand side. [Not with the track in the middle, with the bridge closed to cars when a train is crossing]:-
http://www.mawlamyine.com/images/stories/places/thanlwin_bridge_entrance.jpg
http://www.mawlamyine.com/images/stories/random/thanlwin_bridge.jpg
From:-
http://www.mawlamyine.com
Mawlamyine Aerial map from 'Big Brother Spy-In-The-Sky Services' using the same camera. Click the blue link above the map to get a more detailed map:-
http://www.mawlamyine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=62#
Rather unusual view of the Thanlwin Bridge from the 'Myanmar State Digital Steam Camera'.
It looks(from the first photo) as if the two roadlanes are on the left , with the railtrack on the inland righthand side.One more (http://www.mawlamyine.com/images/stories/transport/getting_there/on_thanlwin_bridge.jpg) low-quality (blurred/shaky/wiggly) shot showing the actual roadway across the bridge (from this (http://www.mawlamyine.com/content/view/47/96/) page).
http://www.mawlamyine.com/images/stories/transport/getting_there/on_thanlwin_bridge.jpg
It appears that the bridge near Hpa-An has also been completed. Rather confusingly, it is also called the the Thanlwin Bridge; which is presumably the name Myanmese use for the river the Brits referred to as the Salaween. This report suggests it is only a road bridge; NOT a railway bridge as I thought. Hpa-An does have a railway terminus to the best of my knowledge:-
http://www.myanmar.gov.mm/Perspective/persp1997/8-97/hph8-97.htm
Looking again, this report is from 1997. I'll check again to see if I can find any evidence that a rail bridge is also intended. Or whether the original bridge had provision for secondary rail use.
airlana
08-11-05, 05:20 PM
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"] Rather confusingly, it is also called the the Thanlwin Bridge; which is presumably the name Myanmese use for the river the Brits referred to as the Salaween.
Yes that's correct and it is confusing. Almost got to the stage now that when searching you need to use both old and new names.
Map here (http://www.hsdejong.nl/burma/miscellaneous/myanmar_map.html) of rivers in Burma. What we call the Salween is shown as Thanlwin.
Also a list (http://www.hsdejong.nl/burma/miscellaneous/old_and_new_names.html) of old and new names in Myanmar
Also worth taking a look at the gallery photos on the same site. Some excellent pics of Burma
airlana
Errajane
10-11-05, 08:49 PM
I visited Burma in June of this year and to get to Mawlamyine now, you have to cross the Thanlwin bridge.And yes, there is a train track on the bridge itself although at the moment, no trains are operating on it. Track work at either ends of the bridge is not finish so this explains why.
That webpage quoted above has pics of the train track on the bridge here;
http://www.mawlamyine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57&Itemid=107
That webpage quoted above has pics of the train track on the bridge here;
http://www.mawlamyine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57&Itemid=107And what interesting dreams they have:
"All this will change, however, when direct train services from Yangon to Mawlamyine across the Thanlwin bridge commences in late 2006 or early 2007 after work on the railway line approaches at either end of the bridge is complete. Once completed, this will link the single railway track on the bridge itself with Mon State's "northern" and "southern" lines and furthermore, give the potential for the development of train services direct from Yangon to other the South East Asian capital cities of Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
[...]
Although there is no official announcement as yet, the talk of the town is that Mawlamyine will one day be linked to Bangkok, Thailand with a train line that branches off this line, possibly at Ye proceeding eastbound to the Payathounzu/Three Pagoda Pass border post. The distance from Ye to Payathounzu/Three Pagoda Pass is only 50 kilometres however the journey is through rugged junggle terrain so such development is still a very long way off."
I wouldn't think a rail link to Thailand is a priority for the junta? :(
This at Page Bottom, which seems to have picked up very quickly on my piece of throwaway sarcasm. Strange!:-
Pictures taken using our
Myanmar State Digital Steam Camera ™ technology
All rights reserverd,© 2005
Originally Posted by GWR
Rather unusual view of the Thanlwin Bridge from the 'Myanmar State Digital Steam Camera'.
http://www.mawlamyine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57&Itemid=107
We luv' you really, Guys! See you after the revolution!
I suppose we should remember that Tatmadaw doesn't call itself Tatmadaw any longer; that name having become too despoiled even by their depraved standards. Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) report as follows:-
http://www.dvb.no/english/news.php?id=2843
Burma junta silent on railway accidents
Due to sloppy and substandard construction, frequent railway accidents and derailments have occurred at various places in Burma.
The Pagan to Rangoon passenger train was derailed near Aunglan in Magwe Division in central Burma on 1 August.
A railway employee from Aunglan, who wished to remain anonymous, said seven passengers including four females were killed in the accident.
The Mandalay to Myitkyina passenger train was also derailed between Sutthay and Thintha railway stations in Sagaing Division on 12 July.
As the military government did not issue any official statements concerning the rail accidents, the exact number of those killed and injured could not be known.
A senior official from Burma Railways, who does not want to mention his name, attributed the causes of such railway mishaps to the military government's construction of railway lines in haste to be used as propaganda material, the reuse of substandard old railway tracks, and the use of local populace as forced labour rather than the use of modern machinery and equipment.
DVB : 7 August 2004
Unfortunately, we don't have a subforum for 'India', but this seems as good a place as any for this report: -
India's rail-building challenge
By Sudha Ramachandran
BANGALORE - With freight corridors linking India to some of its neighbors likely to be established in the next few years, important gaps in the Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) will be bridged. But while the plans are generating some excitement in Delhi - the rail links are expected to reduce the cost of transporting goods and thereby boost trade - there is concern that the harsh terrain and turbulence in areas through which the trains would run could stand in the way of the project.
India is planning a rail link with Myanmar, which involves constructing the Jiribam-Imphal-Moreh line in the eastern Indian state of Manipur and the Tamu-Kalay-Segyi line in Myanmar, as well as rehabilitating Myanmar's existing Segyi-Chaungu Myohaung line.
According to Rail India Technical and Economic Services Ltd, a state-run company that conducted the feasibility study of the proposed freight corridor, the Jiribam-Imphal-Moreh rail link would cost US$649 million, while the Tamu-Kalay-Segyi link in Myanmar would cost $296 million. Refurbishing the Segyi-Chungu-Myohaung line has been pegged at $62.5 million.
With the construction of the rail corridor between India and Myanmar, India will be linked by rail to Southeast Asia. And "since Myanmar is getting a rail link with China, to be completed in around three years, a link with Myanmar could help India reach China and then right up to Russia", Jay Prakash Batra, chairman of both the Indian Railway Board and the International Union of Railways (the Paris-based organization that works for cooperation between different railway systems), said recently. A final decision on the project is yet to be made by the governments of India and Myanmar, he said.
Indian officials in Delhi point out that transporting goods via rail will be faster than by sea. The amount of freight that can be carried by rail is more than by road. This is an economical option and it will cut transport costs. Officials point out that with the India-Myanmar rail link, goods can be transported from Delhi to Hanoi. It is expected to transform the economy in India's northeast as well.
"The landlocked northeast needs more windows," said Pradip Phanjoubam, editor of the Manipur-based Imphal Free Press. The railway corridor will provide a significant window to its economy.
Should India and Myanmar decide to go ahead with the project, an important missing link in the TAR would fall into place.
The TAR envisages the creation of an integrated freight railway network across Europe and Asia. When the idea was conceived in the 1960s, the objective was to provide a continuous 14,000-kilometer rail link between Singapore and Istanbul, with possible onward links to Europe and Africa.
Its scope and ambitions have grown dramatically since. Today the network includes about 81,000km of rail routes - the 12,600km Southeast Asia corridor, the 32,500km Northeast Asia corridor, the 13,200km Central Asia and Caucasus corridor and the 22,600km South Asia-Iran-Turkey corridor - and connects 28 countries in the region.
Much of the rail network is already in place but some gaps remain, such as the 350km gap between India and Myanmar. Some 150km of this gap lies in Indian territory.
But even this short gap is not going to be easy to bridge.
India's rail network is one of the largest in the world. It reaches out to the furthest corners of the country. But strife-torn Manipur, tucked far away in India's northeast, has seen little of this rail-building activity. It was only in 1990 that for the first time Manipur figured in India's railway map when a railhead was set up at Jiribam. For 14 years thereafter no rail construction took place in the state. It was only in late 2004 when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation for the Jiribam-Imphal line that railway construction in Manipur began. This line is expected to be completed in 2010.
"The political situation in Myanmar is an important hurdle in the way of the freight corridor," Phanjoubam told Asia Times Online. Myanmar's military junta is wary of "too much openness and is unlikely to welcome the rail project with open arms". Both India and Thailand are enthusiastic about the trans-Asian road and rail links, "but the gray area is Myanmar", he said.
As challenging as the political terrain in Myanmar is the geographic terrain that the railroad will have to cut through. Manipur is hilly. The terrain across the border in Myanmar is even more formidable. Rail lines will have to cross rivers and cut through rugged mountains and thick tropical jungle. Then there is the challenge of different rail gauges. India has a 1,676mm gauge while Myanmar uses a 1,000mm gauge.
The insurgency in Manipur and the poor security situation in the region are in part responsible for the slow pace of progress in railroad-construction activity there. Trains are targets of insurgent attacks in the neighboring state of Assam and there is concern in Delhi that it will be the same in Manipur as well.
"If it has taken so many years for India to begin railway-line construction in Manipur, which is within its borders, imagine the time it is going to take to construct a cross-border railroad," said a skeptical businessman in Imphal, Manipur's capital. "It will be a long, long time before we get to see freight trains steaming crossing the border into Myanmar."
Drawing on his experience with trade through the India-Myanmar Friendship Road that runs through Moreh - the road has been operational for about five years - he said that as a result of poor infrastructure and bureaucratic apathy on both sides of the border, benefits from the road link had fallen far short of expectations. "There is little reason to believe that things will be different with the rail link," he said.
The businessman pointed out that Chinese and Thai goods dominate the Myanmar market and, contrary to all the media hype over India-Myanmar trade, the trade through Moreh has dropped over the past few years. "We have entered the scene rather late," he said.
One has only to look across the border to the pace at which China's rail-building activity has steamed ahead over the past decade compared with India's lethargic approach in the same period to understand how India persists with tripping itself up. While China witnessed a 24% growth in new railway tracks since 1992, India's expanded by a mere 1% in the same period.
Last year, with the Golmud-Lhasa train that crosses some of the highest mountain ranges in the world, China signaled that hostile weather and treacherous terrain were not hurdles in the way of its rail-building ambitions. Now Beijing is steaming ahead with rail lines in its Yunnan province, which borders Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. It has started work in Yunnan to ensure that trains will soon run from the provincial capital Kunming to Singapore via Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia and is plowing in about $6.3 billion in the next couple of years to make this happen.
Simultaneously, China is moving swiftly to get a road network in place. Together with Laos and Thailand, it is building a 1,818km international highway that starts from Kunming and ends at Bangkok.
Sixty percent of the construction on this highway's Chinese section that runs from Kunming up to Mohan on the border is done, and the remainder of this section is to be completed by late this year. Two other highways running from Kunming to Hanoi in Vietnam and Yangon in Myanmar will be completed by late 2007 and will be upgraded to freeways by 2010.
Indian Railway officials point out that India is not lagging behind. The 2006 railway budget set aside $5 billion to build 10,000km of dedicated freight lines within the country by 2010. Freight corridors will link New Delhi with Mumbai and other ports in the west, and with Kolkata in the east. Freight lines linking industrial hubs and ports near these cities are also planned.
Also on the drawing board are plans to set up rail links with Bhutan, which does not have a railway network yet. Feasibility studies are being done to examine the prospects of links between Hasimara, West Bengal, to Phuentsholing; Kokrajhar, Assam, to Gelephu; Pathsala, Assam, to Nanglam; Rangiya, Assam, to Samdrupjongkhar; and Banarhat, West Bengal, to Samtse. And there are dreams too of a rail corridor to the west running through Pakistan to Iran and Central Asia.
India's ambition of reaching out to the neighborhood and beyond through railways is certainly grand. What is still lacking, though, is the steam to make it happen quickly.
Sudha Ramachandran is an independent journalist/researcher based in Bangalore.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IA03Df01.html
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IA03Df02.html
Railway link to Dagon University opens
By Win Nyunt Lwin
http://www.myanmar.com/myanmartimes/MyanmarTimes16-309/images/news/05.gif
[Photo: Myanmar Times - Students ride on the new Dagon University link on March 4.]
A NEW 4.96-mile rail extension from the Toe Kyaung Ga Lay Station along the Yangon-Mandalay line to Dagon University opened on March 4, which will provide easier transportation for students living in downtown Yangon and other areas with easy rail access.
Trains will travel along the 12.21-mile route from Yangon General Station to Dagon University, via Toe Kyaung Ga Lay Station, 10 times a day from 5:25am to 5:35pm.
http://www.myanmar.com/myanmartimes/MyanmarTimes16-309/n010.htm
jpatokal
29-01-07, 07:39 PM
The obvious problem with connecting Myanmar and India, which the article above doesn't even mention, is that Myanmar is meter-gauge while India uses broad gauge (1676 mm). And quite frankly the Indian network has far more pressing needs than hooking up with the kleptocratic junta in Burma... India's existing international links to Pakistan are limited to a few trains per week along a single line and the connection to Bangladesh is used for freight only, why even bother with Myanmar?
This patriotic Editorial from yesterday's New Light of Myanmar seems to indicate the completion of some missing links or upgrades to the railway line that terminates close to the Indian border. However, I suspect that the Myanmar Government gets the mapmakers to include these lines and then actually gets around to completing the lines about a decade later. I thought they dropped the name 'Tatmadaw' about 5 years ago: -
http://i7.tinypic.com/4gzer9s.jpg
The successful completion of the project can be attributed to the concerted efforts of staff of Myanma Railways, the Tatmadaw and local people.Oh yes, especially the local people. Especially local people 'volunteering' to work 12 hour shifts without remuneration for the greater good of the nation. (I presume.) :(
And the last paragraph could be straight from a textbook on "Basic Government Propaganda for Totalitarian Regimes"....
http://www.mawlamyine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57&Itemid=1
Mawlamyine Train Station
http://www.mawlamyine.com/images/stories/transport/getting_there/mawlamyine_train_station4.jpg
http://www.mawlamyine.com/images/stories/transport/getting_there/mawlamyine_train_station3.jpg
Mawlamyine train station was completed in February 2006 making it now possible to get to Mawlamyine direct from Yangon by train. The train passes over a single track railway bridge which runs parallel with vehicular trafffic over the Thanlwin river terminating at the Mawlamyine tran station at Myay Ni Gone quarter. There are two trains services per day, the first leaving Yangon at 7:00 AM and arriving Mawlamyine at 5:00 PM, and the evening service leaving Yangon 10:00 PM and arriving Mawlamyine at 7:35 AM the next morning. For the return journey back to Yangon, the morning service departs Mawlamyine at 10:00 AM and arrives Yangon at 7:40 PM and the evening train departs Mawlamyine at 7:00 PM and arrives Yangon at 5:00 AM the next day. Tickets Yangon - Mawlamyine costs $18 USD.
Railway bridge to/from Mottama
http://www.mawlamyine.com/images/stories/random/thanlwin_bridge.jpg
http://www.mawlamyine.com/images/stories/transport/getting_there/train_bridge.jpg
Completion of the new Mawlamyine train station as well as well as the new Mottama railway station and the approaches at either end of the Thanlwyn river was completed in the first quarter of 2006 linking the single railway track on Mon State's "northern" and "southern" lines. Track work linking Mawlamyine station with the existing southern line to Thanbyuzayat, Ye, Malwetaung, Kanbauk and Dawei is almost complete thus giving the potential for the development of train services direct from Yangon to other the South East Asian capital cities of Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore parallelling the development of the Trans Asia Super Highway in the near future. The location of Mawlamyine train station is at the Myay Ni Gone quarter, approximately 3 KM east of the Central market, Zeigyi. There are heaps of motorcyle taxis available upon your arrival to take you to your hotel/guesthouse at a cost of around 800 kyats.
View of Mawlamyine Station
Although there is no official announcement as yet, the talk of the town is that Mawlamyine will one day be linked to Bangkok, Thailand with a train line that branches off this line, possibly at Ye proceeding eastbound to the Payathounzu/Three Pagoda Pass border post. The distance from Ye to Payathounzu/Three Pagoda Pass is only 50 kilometres however the journey is through rugged jungle terrain so such development is still a very long way off.
Last Updated ( Saturday, 15 July 2006 )
http://www.mawlamyine.com/
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/03/09/stories/2007030904101000.htm
Excerpt:
India to join Trans-Asian rail link
Our Bureau
New Delhi, March 8 India has decided to join the Trans Asian Railway (TAR) Network, which envisages connecting a rail network of 81,000 kilometres across Asia and Eastern Europe.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared the proposal of Indian Railways to sign the intergovernmental agreement of TAR, Mr P.R. Dasmunshi, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, said here. This would allow the Railways to build rail link connecting India with Myanmar, and in turn be a part of the proposed TAR, as envisaged by the UN.
India backs rail route linking Asia to Europe
India has decided to participate in a trans-Asian rail project that will connect vast parts of Asia and Europe and boost trade and tourism.
During a meeting last Thursday evening, the Indian cabinet gave its clearance for signing and ratifying the intergovernmental agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway, which will link various countries, from China in the east to Bulgaria in the west, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi told reporters here.
The intergovernmental agreement, already signed by 18 countries, including Russia, China, Iran, several Central Asian countries, Turkey, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal, Laos and Mongolia, will formalise the coordinated development of the Trans-Asian Railway.
Indian Railways will set up a 350-kilometre link between Jiribam, India, and Moreh, Burma, for the proposed link-up. The Burmese government will share part of the project cost. India's cost is estimated at about 18 billion Indian rupees (Bt14.33 billion), and the total cost is expected to be about 30 billion rupees.
The intergovernmental agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network was adopted at the 62nd session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific held in Jakarta last April 12.
India initially had some security concerns but later decided to join the ambitious project.
India seeks to attract tourists from Southeast Asian countries to its Buddhist-pilgrimage sites who can use the cheaper rail route.
The rail link is also expected to help India's burgeoning trade with Asean.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/13/business/business_30029134.php
New Light of Myanmar@Myanmar.com:
Discussions held to build home-made locomotives
Yangon, 16 June - Insein Locomotive Shed of Myanma Railways has built 1,200-hp diesel locomotive DF 1200-01 as its milestone.
With a view to enhancing quality of self-reliant locomotives, Deputy Minister for Rail Transportation Thura U Thaung Lwin received experts and engineers of Dalian Locomotive Shed of the People's Republic of China at Insein Locomotive Shed, here, yesterday morning.
Also present at the call were project managers of YMEC Co, General Manager U Saw Valentine of Insein Locomotive Shed, engineers and officials.
The responsible persons of Dalian Locomotive Shed arrived here to hold discussions on machine parts to be fitted at 2000-hp locomotives to be imported from the PRC. The designer and engineers of Dalian Locomotive Shed ex-plained matters related to parts of locomotives, electrical and driving functions.
At the work site, they viewed preparations for construction of the self-reliant locomotives and substitution of engines at France-made locomotives and others.
The Ministry of Rail Transportation is purchasing locomotives to ensure better transport for passengers and commodities.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
I'll wager that the "five new Rail routes last year and a sixth in April 2007" (see below) are mainly rather short lines:
Rail Tickets Run Scarce in Rangoon
By Khun Sam
June 20, 2007
Overcrowding and inadequate transportation services have made it difficult for residents in Rangoon to get railway tickets to Mandalay and areas of northern Burma, according to sources in the former capital.
Some passengers have been queuing for tickets at the Rangoon train station as early as 2 a.m., even though the ticket office doesn’t open until 6 a.m., sources said. Others sleep at the station or nearby in an attempt to beat the crowds.
An official at the Rangoon train station said there are currently four trains with service between Rangoon and Mandalay. Three depart in the morning and a fourth departs at 12:45 p.m.
The official told The Irrawaddy o*n Wednesday that tickets can be purchased o*ne day in advance for regular class, at a price of 1,550 kyat (US $1.2), and three days in advance for first class, which cost 3,090 kyat ($2.4).
The difficulty in getting tickets has driven many to the black market. “Everyday hundreds of people queue for up to two or three hours before the office opens,” said o*ne Rangoon resident who travels frequently to Mandalay. “I can’t always get a regular ticket, so I simply pay 7,000 kyat ($ 5.5) for upper class. “But you have to deal with a good source.”
Evening rail service to Mandalay was suspended last year after Burma’s ruling junta announced its relocation of the capital to Naypyidaw, about 320 miles north of Rangoon.
Sources say that canceling the night train has made it difficult for passengers to get tickets o*n the early trains, and many potential passengers have begun to take buses in recent months.
“Without the evening train, service is more crowded,” another source in Rangoon said. “Last Monday, I stood in line at 4 a.m. for a ticket, but there were none available. So, I took a bus for 10,000 kyat ($8).”
Burma’s train service is unreliable and slow. The steam-powered engines run o*n old and narrow tracks, in some cases dating back to the days of British colonial rule.
The country’s military government launched five new Rail routes last year and a sixth in April 2007, but all were direct routes between Naypyidaw and other cities.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=7526
Presumably the provisions for more trains running to Naypyidaw/Nay Pyi Taw described here are what is actually causing the lack of trains and tickets to Mandalay that was detailed in the previous post:
Transport, fundamental requirement for national development
April 25, 2007 New Light of Myanmar
Smooth and secure transport lies at the heart of the drive for development of all parts of the Union of Myanmar. Only through better transport between one region and another will it be possible for the nation to enjoy economic growth along with the development in the education and social sectors.
Now the entire nation sees progress in transporting commodities with a growing number of passengers owing to the cumulative development of Nay Pyi Taw.
The Ministry of Rail Transportation has launched new runs between Nay Pyi Taw and respective regions of various directions for ensuring smooth transport such as Nay Pyi Taw-Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw, Nay Pyi Taw-Bagan-Nay Pyi-Taw, Nay Pyi Taw-Pyay-Nay Pyi Taw, Nay Pyi Taw-Mandalay-Nay Pyi Taw, and Nay Pyi Taw-Thazi-Meiktila-Myingyan.
In addition, for the comfort and convenience of local people of Bago Division (East), Mon State, Kayin State and Taninthayi Division, Nay Pyi Taw-Mawlamyine-Nay Pyi Taw express run has been set up since 22 April.
With better transportation, national people will be able to travel to a region from another one in ease in a short time, and local people along the railroads can enjoy fruitful results of development in economic, social, education and health sectors.
The entire national people are, therefore, duty-bound to maintain together the rail coaches and railroads to ensure durability of the transport facilities for secure and smooth transportation necessary for national development.
Index page for article:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
New Light of Myanmar article:
Minister inspects construction of Katha-Bhamo Railroad
Nay Pyi Taw, 2 July - Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min and Deputy Minister U Pe Than inspected construction of the Katha-Bhamo Railroad section on 30 June and gave instructions.
Katha-Bhamo Railroad is being constructed to link Katha in Sagaing Division and Bhamo in Kachin State and it will be 95 miles long. There will be 55 bridges including one river-crossing bridge on the road. On completion, the railroad will be a direct rail service from Nay Pyi Taw to Bhamo through Mandalay, Naba and Katha.
During his inspection tour, the minister and party also inspected condition of railways and bridges and maintenance tasks on Mandalay-Myitkyina Railroad.
On his tour, Minister Maj-Gen Aung Min and Deputy Minister U Pe Than met with officials of the road construction project and heard reports on construction tasks and assisted in the construction project.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
The junta seems to be engaged in building quite a long line down the west bank of the Ayeyarwaddy (Irrawaddy) River. There is already a line to the east of that great river, although I have no idea as to how well used or what condition it is in. One wonders if the other lines mentioned here are really new lines or just rehabilitations of established but decrepid lines. When looking up such lines, one frequently finds they have been marked on the map for decades:
New Light of Myanmar
Minister assists in Kyangin-Pakokku Railroad construction
Nay Pyi Taw, 24 July - Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min and Deputy Minister U Pe Than assisted in construction of Kyangin-Pakokku Railroad during the inspection tour of the project from 21 to 23 July.
During the tour, they inspected Thayet-Pwint Phyu Railroad Section and railroad construction sites in Minhla Township and Pwintbyu-Pakokku Railroad Section in Seik- phyu Township, Magway Division.
After hearing reports presented by officials, Minister Maj-Gen Aung Min and Deputy Minister U Pe Than gave instructions to officials concerned on construction of the railroad and river-crossing bridges on the Kyangin-Pakokku Rail Road and railways station in Minhla and Pakokku.
Divided into three sections - Kyangin-Thayet Section, Thayet-Pywintphyu Section and Pwintphyu-Pakokku Section, the over 322-mile long Kyangin-Pakokku Railroad is being constructed by Myanma Railways.
Rail-cum-road bridges crossing Chitchaung and Yaw creeks, Chaungmakaig Bridge and Chaungmagyi Bridge No 2 in Magway Division are being constructed by Public Works under Ministry of Construction.
The minister and party yesterday also inspected maintenance of Bagan-Myingyan-Meiktila-Thazi Road.
Minister Maj-Gen Aung Min and party met with officials concerned of Pyinmana-Myohaung Railroad Construction Project and fulfilled the requirements.
On 22 July, the minister and party went to Chauk Railway Station which has been completed as part of Kyini-Chauk Railroad Project.
The 29-mile-long Kyini-Chauk Railroad is expected to be inaugurated soon.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Minister inspects diesel locomotive shed (Mahlwagon)
Yangon, 28 July - Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min and Deputy Minister Thura U Thaung Lwin inspected the diesel locomotive shed (Mahlwa-gon), here, this afternoon.
Assistant Mechanical Engineer U San Oo reported on organizational set-up of the shed, running time for various kinds of locomotives and use of lubricant and diesel, Deputy Minister Thura U Thaung Lwin on repair of locomotives, conducting training courses and duties assigned.
Minister Maj-Gen Aung Min spoke on maintenance of the locomotives for operation in the long run and correct running time. He said rail transport can carry more passengers and much cargoes and contributes towards bringing down commodity prices.
The minister also gave instructions on minimizing wastage and loss of fuel and observing the directives at the grassroots levels.
The minister inspected repair of locomotives and turn table system at the shed.
The minister and the deputy minister went to the warehouse in Setsan. Assistant General Manager (Civil) of Division-7 U Htay Aung reported on construction of the warehouse and arrangements for construction of ring road at the warehouse, freight handling and sanitation near the warehouse.
Assistant General Manager of Cargo Division of Myanma Railways U Aung Myo Myint reported on running of freight trains and earnings. The minister then fulfilled the requirements.
The minister inspected storage of goods, arrangements for carriages, handling of freight and maintenance of freight coaches.
The minister met the proprietors of the goods and attended to the[ir?] needs.:D
A business observer once commented favorably on Myanmese corruption. He said that in countries like Cambodia, government officials (right up to Hun Sen level) were fairly cheap to bribe, but they had a tendency to constantly come back for more; and so often nickel & dimed projects to death. He went onto say that the Myanmese military were expensive to bribe, but after the one-off you were pretty much allowed to get on with things unimpeded, with the wheels well-and-truly lubricated for the long-haul.
New Light of Myanmar
Ywahtaung Diesel Locomotive Shed, Nay Pyi Taw Pyinmana-Myohaung Dual tracks Railroad inspected
Nay Pyi Taw, 30 Aug � Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min, accompanied by Deputy Minister Thura U Thaung Lwin, inspected construction of locomotives at Diesel Locomotive Shed in Ywahtaung of Sagaing Division on 25 August morning.
The minister instructed officials to manufacture locomotives to meet the target and set standards, produce spare parts of locomotives and run more locomotives and carriages for smooth transportation. The minister inspected maintenance tasks at Sagaing Bridge.
At the Concrete Sleeper Factory in Myitnge, the minister viewed production of concrete sleepers and preparation for sending them to the worksites.
At Carriage and Wagon Factory in Myitnge, the minister heard reports on production process of bogie and renovation of carriages and wagons presented by General Manager U Khin Maw and attended to the needs.
At the Blacksmith Factory, the minister instructed officials to manufacture quality carriages in time. The minister and party inspected Myitnge Hospital for Railways Staff and presented gifts to patients.
Yesterday morning, the minister viewed sales of tickets to passengers at Mandalay Railways Station and conversed with the passengers.
At Myohaung Cargo Yard, the minister inspected the tasks and gave necessary instructions. On his inspection tour of factories, the minister fulfilled the requirements of the tasks.
The minister inspected construction of Nay Pyi Taw Pyinmana-Myohaung dual tracks railroad and instructed officials to carry out construction of the railroad and bridges on schedule.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
But where is this line? Indeed, where are some of the other places? The funny thing in a country that changes the name of everything eventually, they sometimes revert to the old names. I found this list of Myanmar name changes in Wikipedia. Old names on the left:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_city_name_changes#Myanmar
Myanmar
* Akyab → Sittwe
* Amherst → Kyaikkame
* Bassein → Pathein
* Maymyo → Pyin U Lwin
* Moulmein → Mawlamyaing
* Myohaung → Mrauk U
* Pagan → Bagan
* Pegu → Bago
* Prome → Pyay
* Dagon →& Rangoon → Yangon
* Sandoway → Thandwe
* Syriam → Thanlyin
* Tavoy → Dawei
* Yaunghwe → Nyaung Shwe
So Myohaung is the old name for Mrauk U in Rakhine State. Of course, it is always possible that there is another Myohaung closer to Pyinmana - now known as Nay Pyi Taw (the new capital). Or is it possible that this is a new East-West line to a new port on the Bay of Bengal? I somehow doubt it myself! Also the report says that Myohaung already has a 'cargo yard', which suggests it is on an EXISTING line.
Well, a new port is in the offing at nearby Sittwe, acording to numerous recent reports including this one of July 10 - 16, 2006 in The Myanmar Times. Given that Mrauk U is one the Kitsapanadi River, it is just possible that any railway line might decide not to bridge such a (presumably wide) river:
India to invest $100m in new Sittwe port
By Win Nyunt Lwin
Sittwe’s waterfront will get busier with the opening of the new seaport.
PLANS are underway for India to invest more than US$100 million in the construction of a port in the coastal town of Sittwe in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
The port will allow cargo vessels from India’s landlocked northeastern Mizoram state to navigate the Kitsapanadi River, formerly known as the Kaladan River, all the way to Sittwe, where it spills into the Bay of Bengal.
“The northeast region [of India] is rich in resources, but due to lack of access their potential has always been under-utilised,” Dipankar Chatterjee, chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Northeastern Council, was quoted as saying by an international news agency. “A gateway through [Myanmar] will allow resource-led growth in the northeast.”
The nearest available seaports for India’s seven northeastern states are Kolkata and Haldia, both in West Bengal state and a long drive for trucks.
The Sittwe port project is expected to take three years to complete and to foster closer economic cooperation between Myanmar and India.
A senior official with Myanmar’s Ministry of Transport said the project will not only benefit northeast India but will also contribute to the development of Sittwe and the improvement of the Kitsapanadi/Kaladan river system.
http://www.myanmar.com/myanmartimes/MyanmarTimes17-324/n014.htm
Related thread on new port developments planned by both the Indians and Chinese on the Bay of Bengal at Sittwe and Ramree Island respectively. There is no specific mention of railroad construction, however:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2540
I wish there was some mapping, photography or evidence to back up these ambitious claims:
New Light of Myanmar
Developing trend of rail transportation
The government has built a network of railroads that contribute a lot to regional development throughout the country after 1988. In the past, there were 1,976.35 miles of railroads and 2,793.86 miles of rail tracks. As 1,168.21 miles of new railroads and 1,299.34 miles of rail tracks have been constructed, there are now 3,144.56 miles of railroads and 4,093.29 miles of rail tracks.
As the majority of traveling public are taking trains in order to save time and money the Myanma Railways have built more railroads for the convenience of the people. With the emergence of new bridges and railway stations there are now 805 railway stations in the nation.
Before 1988, there were only 229 passenger trains across the nation, and there are now 379.
As priority is being given to the development of rail transportation there is swift commodity flow, thereby contributing to regional development.
With the goodwill of the government and efforts of Myanma Railways the national people are now able to travel from one region to another and conveniently engage in trade and commerce.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
The junta seems to be engaged in building quite a long line down the west bank of the Ayeyarwaddy (Irrawaddy) River. There is already a line to the east of that great river, although I have no idea as to how well used or what condition it is in. One wonders if the other lines mentioned here are really new lines or just rehabilitations of established but decrepid lines. When looking up such lines, one frequently finds they have been marked on the map for decades:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
New Light of Myanmar
Progress of Seikphyu-Pakokku railroad section supervised
Nay Pyi Taw, 3 Sept � Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min together with Deputy Minister U Pe Than went on an inspection tour of Seikphyu-Pakokku railroad section of Kyangin-Pakokku railroad in Magway Division on 1 September.
First, Project Engineer U Maung Maung Thwin briefed the minister on earth work carried out at the railroad section with the use of heavy machinery. Next, General Manager U Thi Han gave a supplementary report and so did Managing Director of Myanma Railways U Min Swe and Deputy Minister U Pe Than.
Afterwards, the minister gave instructions on use of heavy machinery at full capacity, all-out efforts to be made for accomplishment of the project tasks, striving for cultivation of fuel-substitute physic nut plants along the embankment, trees to be grown to support retaining walls and building of village-to-village roads along with that of railroads for rural development.
Next, the minister inspected the chosen site to build Seikphyu railway station and fulfilled the requirements.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
New Light of Myanmar
Up and Down trains scheduled on Mawlamyine-Ye railroad section
Yangon, 8 Sept � A Japan-made rail bus will run on Mawlamyine-Ye railroad section soon.
The 173-Up train will leave Mawlamyine Station at 5 am and arrived at Ye Station at 11.30 am. The 174-Down train will depart Ye Station at 12.30 pm and arrive at Mawlamyine Station at 6.40 pm. Along 90-mile Mawlamyine-Ye railroad, the train will stop over at Thayetgon, Hmein-kanein, Mudon, Kamawet, Thanbyuzayat, Panga, Karokpi, Htinshu, Ahnin, Hnitkayin, Lamaing, Taungbon and Palaingkee stations. The fare for the Mawlamyine-Ye route is K 370 per head for ordinary class.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Thought you might also be interested in these scanned & cropped sections of a 1940s-surveyed American military 1:250,000 map. Note the branch off - at Thanbyuzayat - of the Thailand Burma Railway. (I may get a scan of this line for you at a later date.)
It is worth noting that there is now a joint road/rail bridge between Mawlamyine and Mottama (Moulmein & Martaban on the map, respectively), and a fairly new station in Mawlamyine. [See: http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=13350&postcount=11] Also, the Ye line now continues to Dawei further south:
http://i1.tinypic.com/67pguvl.jpg
http://i3.tinypic.com/4v5jf4p.jpg
Wisarut
10-09-07, 03:07 PM
Mawlamyine-Ye-Mawlamyine express train launched Commander, Minister, Deputy Minister cordially greet passengers
Yangon, 9 Sept ? A ceremony to launch Mawlamyine-Ye-Mawlamyine express train of Myanma Railways was held at Mawlamyine Station at 5.40 am today.
Chairman of Mon State Peace and Development Council Commander of South-East Command Maj-Gen Thet Naing Win, USDA CEC member Minister for Mines Brig-Gen Ohn Myint and Deputy Minister for Rail Transportation U Pe Than cut the ribbon to launch the Mawlamyine-Ye-Mawlamyine Express Train. They sprinkled scented water on the train before its departure for Ye.
The commander, the CEC member and the deputy minister cordially greeted passengers and presented gifts to them.
After the train had left Mawlamyine Station, the commander, the minister and the deputy minister posed for documentary photo.
On the 90-mile-long Mawlamyine-Ye railroad, the 173-Up Train leaves Mawlamyine Station at 5 am daily and arrives in Ye at 11.30 am. The 174-Down Train also leaves Ye Station at 12.30 pm and arrives at Mawlamyine Station at 6.40 pm daily.
The train can carry 76 passengers at ordinary class carriage and 100 passengers at the first class carriage, totalling 276.
Fare for the route is K 370 per head for the ordinary class and K 460 for the first class.
The express train will stop over at Thayetgon, Meinkanein, Mudon, Kamawet, Thanbyuzayat, Panga, Karokpi, Htinshu, Ahnin, Hnitkayin, Lamaing, Taungbon and Palaingkee stations.
Thanks to launching the Mawlamyine-Ye rail service, local people residing in the regions along the railroad will have access to Ye, Dawei, Mawlamyine, Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw through the railroads. In addition, transport of commodities can rely on the newly-launched rail service. Transportation of passengers and commodities in a short time will contribute much towards development of the region.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
But where is this line? Indeed, where are some of the other places? The funny thing in a country that changes the name of everything eventually, they sometimes revert to the old names. I found this list of Myanmar name changes in Wikipedia. Old names on the left:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_city_name_changes#Myanmar
So Myohaung is the old name for Mrauk U in Rakhine State. Of course, it is always possible that there is another Myohaung closer to Pyinmana - now known as Nay Pyi Taw (the new capital). Or is it possible that this is a new East-West line to a new port on the Bay of Bengal? I somehow doubt it myself! Also the report says that Myohaung already has a 'cargo yard', which suggests it is on an EXISTING line.
I'm now wondering if the 'Myohaung' mentioned here is actually the town known as Myanaung, which is on the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River just South East of Kyangin. There is a line from Kyangin to Yangon thru' Myanaung. The Pyinmana (Naypyidaw), Prome & Yangon railway is also only about 35 kms away, on the East bank of the river. We also know that a long new line is being built North of Kyangin to Pakkoku. Most of these new lines seem to be quite near the river.
The scan of a 1940s 1:250,000 American military map (linked below) shows a rail spur to the rail bank which suggests that there is river-rail cargo transfer at this point. The presence of islands in the river probably also makes it easier to bridge at this point:
http://i10.tinypic.com/4qf9gk5.jpg
Thread on the Thai-Burma Railway in our SRT subforum:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=17031#post17031
Added: April 21, 2007
From: MatsnPeri
The Mandalay-Lashio train moves at a snailspace over the Gokteik viaduct...built for the British by the Pennsylvania Steel Co. in 1903:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GR0CPFgNpo
That said, the process of correcting my mistakes has been quite interesting in its own right. I still can't find the correct Myohaung on the map (despite scanning 1:250,000 maps), but this new report (below the original quotes) makes it clear roughly where it is:
I'm now wondering if the 'Myohaung' mentioned here is actually the town known as Myanaung, which is on the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River just South East of Kyangin. There is a line from Kyangin to Yangon thru' Myanaung. The Pyinmana (Naypyidaw), Prome & Yangon railway is also only about 35 kms away, on the East bank of the river. We also know that a long new line is being built North of Kyangin to Pakkoku. Most of these new lines seem to be quite near the river.
The scan of a 1940s 1:250,000 American military map (linked below) shows a rail spur to the rail bank which suggests that there is river-rail cargo transfer at this point. The presence of islands in the river probably also makes it easier to bridge at this point:
http://i10.tinypic.com/4qf9gk5.jpg
Dual line railway project on track for October finish
Than Htike Oo
THE final dual-track section of the railway linking Yangon and Mandalay is due to be completed later this year, an official from the Ministry of Railways Transportation said last week.
The general manager of the ministry’s Civil Engineering Department, U Thi Han, said it was hoped that work on the 157.75 mile (253.8km) section, between Pyinmana and Myo Haung, would be completed in October.
He said 97.75 miles of track, or 87 percent of the section, had been laid. The remaining 60 miles was between Pyawbwe and Myitthar and 500 Myanmar Railways employees were working up to 12 hours a day to complete the section on time.
The Yangon-Pyinmana and the Mandalay-Myo Haung sections have been dual-track for more than 20 years.
Myanmar Railways began working on the section during the 2003-2004 fiscal year.
The 385-mile (620km) railway is the busiest in Myanmar as it links the country’s two biggest commercial centres.
The ministry expects that completing the dual-track project will lead to improvements in service on the line, with fewer delays, shorter travelling times and more trains.
“When the Yangon-Mandalay two-way track is open, trains will become more punctual,” said Myanmar Railways engine driver, U Myint Oo.
He said a dual-track line would eliminate delays caused by trains breaking down, which forced other trains to wait at the nearest station until repairs were carried out. The Yangon-Mandalay railway opened in April 1889.
http://www.mmtimes.com/no375/n009.htm
It is recommended that you also visit the original post by clicking the arrow above, or that you check out the website links below:
http://www.mawlamyine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57&Itemid=1
http://www.mawlamyine.com/
http://i15.tinypic.com/62gb1qa.jpg
http://i12.tinypic.com/67x19hc.jpg
http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs2/NLM2006-03-05.pdf
Related posts on more recent railway events in Mawlamyine:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=16978&postcount=24
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=16984&postcount=25
You might also wish to checkout this entire .pdf newsletter from The Mon Forum of March 31, 2004. It deals almost entirely (from page 3 to the final page 12) with the case of over 1,000 people who were forcibly moved by the Junta to make way for the Salween railway bridge and new station in Mawlamyine:
http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs3/MF2004-03.pdf
http://i16.tinypic.com/639vmnt.jpg
http://i6.tinypic.com/6blkdwj.jpg
[Images: The Mon Forum]
New Light of Myanmar
Minister inspects locomotives, Setsan Warehouse
Yangon, 23 Sept � Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min inspected five locomotives that had been bought from M/S Rites Ltd of India after being unloaded from MV Magway at No 5 Sule Wharf, here, this morning.
Managing Director U Maung Maung Nyein of Myanma Five Star Line, General Manager U Cho Thein Maung of Myanma Port Authority and officials of Myanma Railways briefed the minister on arrangements for unloading of the locomotives from the vessel.
After inspecting the locomotives, the minister instructed the officials to systematically use of the locomotives and placed emphasis on maintenance of the locomotives. Myanma Railways signed the agreement with India to purchase 20 YDM-4 locomotives and five of which were for the first time carried by MV Magway.
The already-arrived locomotives will be used on Yangon-Mandalay railroad section for ensuring smooth transportation of passengers and commodities. On arrival at Setsan Warehouse, the minister looked into construction of extended yard of Setsan Warehouse, concrete laying tasks of entrance road and car parking and gave instructions on timely completion of the construction tasks. Cargo trains will run Up and Down on Mahlwakon-Myohaung cargo yards for speedy flow of goods.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Also this link description. Unfortunately, I can't bring you the full report as News @ Myanmar' s Seven Day News page isn't functioning correctly - as usual!:
More opt to commute by train after bus fare hike
After the bus fares have been changed publicly in the third week of August, more people are using commuter trains with some trying to get a ride in haphazard ways, a passenger says. ..........
http://www.myanmar.com/news/images/more_opt_to_s.jpg
http://www.myanmar.com/news/index.html
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Also this link description. Unfortunately, I can't bring you the full report as News @ Myanmar' s Seven Day News page isn't functioning correctly - as usual!:
http://www.myanmar.com/news/images/more_opt_to_s.jpg
http://www.myanmar.com/news/index.html
http://www.mmtimes.com/no390/n018.htm
Checkpoints help trains run on time
By Nyunt Win
http://www.mmtimes.com/no390/pic/07.gif
Photo: Myanmar Times - Passengers board a train on Yangon’s Circular Line - Lwin Maung Maung]
FIVE stations on Yangon’s Circular Line have been designated as checkpoints in an effort to improve the punctuality of the trains on the line, said an official at Myanma Railways (MR).
Three assistant managers have been assigned to each of the four stations – Kyeemyindaing, Danyingon, Mahlwagone, Thingangyun and Insein – to assess delays caused by passengers, engines and coaches, electrical power, telecom-munications and rails, said U Aung Kyaw Min, the assistant general manager of MR’s information depart-ment.
He said the managers were required to submit reports daily at 9am, 1pm, 5pm and 9pm.
“This control system allows us to see how repairs can be made in the shortest possible time when the trains are delayed for any reason,” he said, adding that the line’s punctuality record has improved since the checkpoints were established in August.
U Aung Kyaw Min said 150,000 people ride the Circular Line each day but the number of passengers is increasing.
To compensate for the increase, the Circular Line will soon get additional locomotives that are currently being used on the Yangon-Mandalay line, the latter of which will be replaced by engines imported from India last month, he said.
Trains are being used more to get to work in Yangon because the huge fuel hikes - which also brought about the bloody protests - put some other forms of transport beyond the ordinary pocket.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9320
One feels that it might be better to take a leaf out of the Malaysian book on this subject, by retaining a fine old station and creating a newer station on the existing line as a the actual mass transit hub:
Historical Rangoon Railway Station to be Relocated
By Saw Yan Naing
November 15, 2007
The historical, British Victorian-style Rangoon Railway Station near downtown Rangoon will be relocated to East Dagon Township.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/articlefiles/9320-Railway_Station_in_Yangon.gif
[Photo: The Irrawaddy - Rangoon Railway Station]
Built in 1877, the railway station is an architectural gem, located in Kyauktada Township.
The station is among nearly 190 buildings on the Rangoon City Development Committee’s list of Burmese heritage structures worthy of preservation.
An official told The Irrawaddy, “Yes, we will move, but it is not possible to move right now.”
No date for the move has been announced. Construction on new railway station has not yet begun.
Maj-Gen Aung Min, the minister for railway transportation, inspected the area where the new railway station will be built, according to a November 6 story in the state-run newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar.
A villager near the site of the new station said that some villagers' land has been taken over by authorities.
A Rangoon resident said, "They [authorities] are doing such useless things. They are moving all bus stations and railway stations outside the city. If they used the relocation fees to improve the old railway station, it would become a very good one."
http://www.irrawaddy.org/articlefiles/9801-Train.gif
The Irrawaddy - The opening of the Rangoon and Irrawaddy State Railway in the late 19th century.]
Jromerz
17-11-07, 12:24 PM
One feels that it might be better to take a leaf out of the Malaysian book on this subject, by retaining a fine old station and creating a newer station on the existing line as a the actual mass transit hub:
But that would require a tiny bit of logical thought, which for damn sure isn't present among the rulers of Burma...
New Light of Myanmar
Yangon-Mandalay Railroad, life-blood of nation's rail transportation sector
Nay Pyi Taw Pyinmana-Myohaung dual track section on Yangon-Mandalay Railroad inaugurated
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/images/Nov25.2.gif
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/images/Nov25.3.gif
[Photos: NLM]
NAY PYI TAW, 24 Nov-The inauguration of Nay Pyi Taw Pyinmana-Myohaung dual track section on Yangon-Mandalay Railroad of the Myanma Railways under the Ministry of Rail Transportation took place at the Nay Pyi Taw Station Project here at 6.35 am today.
Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo in his speech said that Yangon-Mandalay one-way railroad is being upgraded to a dual one. Completed sections are opened one after another, and Pyinmana-Myohaung section is the last one of the railroad.
The government made sustained efforts with tenacity to complete a railroad in parallel with the 385.5-mile Yangon-Mandalay Railroad. Then, the government's benevolence towards the people has yielded fruits.
By reinforcing the main railroad, passenger trains and cargo trains can make more runs, can run at higher speed, and will be more punctual with security and safety.
Today, there have been a lot of changes and advancements in the transport sector, but rail transportation still remains a reliable transport means internationally and locally. Therefore, the government is paying serious attention to this point.
The government is also taking measures for smooth and safe transport and more train runs.
In its bid to upgrade the rail transportation sector, the government is taking steps such as upgrading the old railroads and building new ones, upgrading main railroads including Yangon-Mandalay Railroad to dual ones, launching more locomotives and cargo coaches and upgrading old ones, building new stations and upgrading railway stations to international level ones.
The total length of railroads has increased from over 1,900 miles of railroad and over 2,700 miles of railtrack in 1988 to over 3,000 miles of railroad and over 4,000 miles of railtrack. The government has constructed more than 1,300 miles of railroads and 319 stations.
It has also built new railroads in Shan and Kayah States, and Taninthayi, Magway and Sagaing Divisions where there was no railroad in the past so as to launch new railroads such as ChaungU-Pakokku-Gangaw-Kalay Railroad, Shwenyaung-Taunggyi-Namhsan Railroad, Kalaw-Pinlaung-Loikaw Railroad, and Yangon-Mawlamyine-Ye-Dawei Railroad.
In constructing new railroads, the government put in the fore the comfort and convenience of the people, without seeking commercial gains. At the same time, it is extending some major railroads.
The government is expediting construction of roads. As a result, the total length of roads has surged to more than 70,000 miles from only more than 20,000 miles in 1988. And it has built 236 bridges, 180 feet and above, including 21 major river-crossing ones.
The number of airports has reached more than 70 including two international standard ones. And the number of international port terminals has risen to 28 from 13, and that of international container yards has touched 31 including three land container yards.
He quoted the guidance of Head of State given at the Union Solidarity and Development Association (2007), as saying that smooth transport improves the living standard of the people and transport facilities serve as basic foundations for cementing unity of national races.
It is required to be convinced that the drive for improving the transport sector is to ensure national development and national unity in line with the guidance of the Head of State.
The nation will be prosperous if it has a sufficient number of development infrastructures with high education standard of the people.
Yangon-Mandalay Railroad is the life-blood of the nation's rail transportation sector, and links strategic towns and villages between Mandalay and Yangon.
In conclusion, the Secretary-1 called on employees of the Ministry of Rail Transportation and local people to maintain the transport facility for its durability and safety.
Commander Maj-Gen Wai Lwin and Minister for Rail Transportation also made speeches.
On behalf of local people, U Myint Kyaw of Nay Pyi Taw Pyinmana Township expressed thanks to the government for the facility.
The commander and the minister formally opened the facility.
The Secretary-1 and party and employees of the Ministry of Rail Transportation posed for documentary photos.
The Secretary-1 unveiled the stone plaque to mark the opening ceremony.
The Secretary-1 and the minister sprinkled scented water onto the express train.
The Secretary-1 and party boarded the express and cordially greeted the passengers and presented gifts to them.
Altogether 490 bridges including 10 ones, above 180 feet and above, had to be built to complete 157.75-mile Nay Pyi Taw Pyinmana-Myohaung dual railroad.
Non-specific link:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Yesterday's previous post in this thread also highly-recommended viewing:
Burma Army troops move into Karen state, one killed in clash
News - IMNA
Written by Joi Htaw
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Not less than 2,000 Burma Army troops marched to Karen State Kyainnseikyi Township and Three Pagoda Pass (TPP) areas where the Karen Nation Union has influence. A gun battle took place between the two sides at 4 pm in Thet-phyu-chung village in Kyainnseikyi Township yesterday killing one Burmese soldier and injuring two, sources from a cease-fire group in TPP said.
..........
A motorcycle trader said he met the soldiers on his way to Three Pagoda Pass border town and heard from a military officer that there were about 85 military trucks transporting the soldier and rations.
The Burma Army's offensive in Karen Nation Union territory is to clear the opposition army group because in this area a railway project is coming up in 2008 from Three Pagoda Pass to Thanphyuzayart, according to source close to military in Three Pagoda Pass.
More over, the military regime plans to station an artillery battalion in Chung-zone village area, according to sources close to authorities in TPP.
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3090&Itemid=6
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3097&Itemid=6
Related thread on 'Death Railway' in Thailand:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=18476#post18476
Originally Posted by GWR View Post (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=17031#post17031)
Cropped scans (overlapping) of a 1:250,000 American military map surveyed in the late 1940s, portraying the partially-dismantled track and old trackbed of the Thai Burma Railway from Thanbyuzayat in Burma to Sangkhlaburi in Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province. Use magnifier cursor (in some browsers) to see these maps as intended:
http://i6.tinypic.com/4hc3czt.jpg
http://i4.tinypic.com/67gd6xv.jpg
It appears also that many rail traveller's are being ripped off by unscrupulous railway officials:
Thursday, 20 September 2007
Commuters using trains on the Moulmein -Ye line in Mon State, Burma are paying triple the costs than that originally quoted by the SPDC in the local media.
According to the SPDC's newspapers, ticket prices for the new Moulmein -Ye train, range between just 300 and 400 Kyats (Burmese currency) per passenger. However a traveler from Ye township said passengers were spending 1400 Kyats per ticket. "From Ye to Moulmein, they gave a first-class ticket for only 460 Kyats but the passenger was made to pay 1400 Kyats."
The new Moulmein -Ye train started running from September 9. An ordinary class ticket should cost 380 Kyats and a first class ticket, 460 Kyats, according to the figures quoted in the New Light of Myanmar (September 10 edition).
Since the BSPP government, a recent trend has seen military soldiers and civil servants reserve train tickets, only to sell them at an inflated price to needy commuters, pocketing the extra money.
Villagers know they were being exploited by the railway station conductor but could do nothing about it, said a villager from Hnint Kayin, Lamaing Township.
"The train fare from our village to Moulmein is 1000 Kyats, but the price of a first class ticket is written as 380 Kyats on a signboard at the ticket booth. We all know the situation but can do nothing. We can't take any action and the only way for us to travel to Moulmein is by train. Even then, when we arrive at Moulmein we have to spend between 500-600 Kyats to get inside the town," she said. Hnint Kayin villagers rely heavily on trains to Moulmein, as traveling by car is difficult in the rainy season.
Mehn Tala, a Moulmein student from Taung Bon village, told Kaowao that transport costs to town when arriving by train after dark are approximately 1000 Kyats due to poorly lit roads and the position of the new station. A mountain stands between it and the town centre.
Although the travel costs of hilux cars increased only slightly after the SPDC raised fuel prices in mid-August this year, less civilians chose to travel by car over the last month, according to one hilux car owner who was transporting people between Moulmein and Ye.
After fuel prices increased, there wasn't anything left for the car owners to do. "We never used to be afraid to drive on that road because we'd have a car full of commodities. Now, although we can pick up subway travelers, there over 25 toll-gates so we have to pay about 20,000 Kyats between Moulmein and Ye," a car owner of Ramanya Transportation said.
The traveling cost between Moulmein and Ye by car in August was 3000 Kyats but has now risen to 3500 Kyats largely due to rising fuel prices. It will cost a traveler 3000 Kyats between Moulmein and Lamaing, 1500 Kyats between Thanpyuzayat and Moulmein and 800 Kyats between Mudon and Moulmein.
Villagers in Ye and Lamaing townships began running their own highway cars to Moulmein in 2005, with cars operating between Kaw Dut, Taung Pyin, Taung Bon village in Lamaing township and Han Gan, A Sin, Duya village in Ye township.
Passengers normally take motor vehicles, which are much faster and more reliable. Government-run trains are frequently delayed, have broken seats and run on poorly-maintained rails. Even so, many civilians have gone back to train travel to avoid using motor vehicles, which cost about 3500 Kyats for a trip. Earlier it cost abut 3000 Kyats to travel by car.
Since the Moulmein station is not in the city, passengers have to pay an extra 500 to 600 Kyats for a ride to the city. Some people pay 1000 Kyats to ride on a motorcycle. Since the fuel price has gone up, other commodity prices are also going up.
There are now four trains using the Moulmein -Ye railway station, including Rangoon-Tavoy trains. The Moulmein Ye Railroad stretches 90 miles, connecting the capital city of Mon State to the southernmost township of Ye. It was first built by the British when Burma was a British colony.
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2534&Itemid=6
Earlier report in this thread on Moulmein rail travel and developments:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=17257&postcount=30
Also spotted these two interesting earlier reports:
A thousand jobless after completion of Salween Bridge
News - IMNA
Written by Chan Mon
Wednesday, 05 July 2006
Development comes with a price. About a thousand workers who relied on daily work in Martaban (Motetama) and Moulmein side ports have lost their jobs after the Salween Bridge was constructed.
Earlier, the railway did not connect the bridge. These workers carried goods and luggage for passengers who transited from the train to ships and boats. Some of them worked in pubs and small shops in the seaport.
“We estimate that about a 1,000 people in Martaban and Moulmein sides are jobless, because transportation along water has almost stopped after the bridge opened,” said Ko Myo, a worker from Martaban said.
“Train passengers do not need to stop in Martaban and there is no need to transit to boats or ships. They can go directly to Moulmein with their goods and belongings. So they do not need us anymore,” Ko Myo explained.
Hundreds of workers seeking jobs have moved to lower Mon state and some are continuing with irregular jobs.
Currently the ships which are routed from Moulmein to Martaban shifted to Chaung-zone Township (Bilukyun Island). Only sometimes the ships are routed to the Martaban side.
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=189&Itemid=6
Yangon-Mawlamyine bus terminal shifted to new site
News - Kaowao News
Thursday, 28 September 2006
The shifting of the Yangon-Mawlamyine bus terminal in the capital city of Mon State to a new site has left both passengers and vehicle owners unhappy.
The SPDC authorities have moved the old bus terminal located in Zay Gyo to a new site in Myeni Gone Railway Station. And the Vehicle Association has had to buy a new office for selling tickets, according to local sources.
"The authorities have ordered the shifting of only the Yangon-Mawlamyine bus terminal but others will remain in Zay Gyo. It is very inconvenient for passengers who have to continue the journey further because we have to travel one and-a-half kilometres to the old terminal to catch a bus," said a traveller from Ye.
Nai Hla Tin, a businessman from Moulmein said the plan to move the terminal had been announced three months ago and the price of real estate in Zay Gyo went down since then but the Vehicle Association had to purchase a new place for Kyat 12 million.
In 2003, over 1,400 houses including a Buddhist monastery and a mosque in Myene Gone and Hlaing Wards had been demolished for the Yangon Mawlamyine Railroad. The railway passes through six city wards in Moulmein and the Salween Bridge.
Mawlamyine, formerly known as Moulmein, is the third largest city in Burma after Rangoon and Mandalay. The Salween (Thanlwin) Bridge, the longest road and rail bridge in Burma stretches 11,000 feet over the Thanlwin river connecting the country's south eastern region with Yangon.
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=665&Itemid=6
Yesterday's previous post in this thread also highly-recommended viewing:
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3090&Itemid=6
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3097&Itemid=6
Related thread on 'Death Railway' in Thailand:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=18476#post18476
..........
This 2003 report may also puts some perspective on the current events. It is perhaps also worth reminding ourselves that Thailand's previous PM was also caught up in this project:
KNU Opposes Death Railway Project
by Poe Paung
February 19, 2003
Plans to rebuild the famous "Death Railway" have drawn harsh criticisms from a Burmese minority group, who says the Burmese regime would both relocate villagers and use forced labor to rebuild the fabled railroad. The rail line, which would link Burma’s Mon State with Thailand’s Kanchanaburi Province, gained international fame after being featured in the 1957 film "Bridge over the River Kwai". "The 'death railway' should not be rebuilt before peace comes to Burma," said Padoe Mahn Sha, general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU). Mahn Sha contends that villagers living in the area between Three Pagoda Pass, on the Thai-Burma border, and Thanbyuzayat, in Burma's Mon State, would fall victim to massive human rights violations.
Mahn Sha was responding to remarks made last week by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The prime minister told reporters that the railway would be rebuilt to spurn tourism for both countries. "Myanmar [Burma] has asked us to build a railway from Kanchanaburi into Myanmar to promote trade and tourism," Thaksin said last week. The railway would then reportedly be extended further into Burma, but Mahn Sha says the construction would force many villagers to relocate.
Despite the potential tourism benefits, analysts point out that the 100 kilometers of track located inside Burma lies in an unstable area of Mon State, where factional disputes among Mon insurgent groups as well as fighting against government troops occasionally ignites. The line would also pass through the KNU’s 6th brigade in Doo Playa District, an important stronghold for the army. The KNU is one of Burma's armed ethnic groups and has been fighting with the Burmese military since 1949. Mon rebels in the area negotiated a ceasefire with Rangoon in 1995. Villagers around Three Pagodas Pass and Thanbyuzayat are mostly Mon and Karen, but other ethnic groups are also based in the area.
The Japanese began building the railway in September 1942 as part of an ambitious plan to connect the Malay peninsula with an ocean port in Thanbyuzayat to help supply its troops. The railway was finished in just 16 months, and spanned 415 km from Thanbyuzayat to Nong Pladuk in Bangpong District of Thailand’s Ratchaburi Province. Allied forces bombed the railroad after just 20 months of operation. An estimated 90-100 thousand Asians and 16 thousand allied POWs died during its construction.
The railway crosses the Kwai River on the outskirts of Kanchanaburi and the site, which features a war museum, is a popular destination for tourists. Many of the people who died working on the "Death Railway" were buried in a cemetery at Thanbyuzayat, south of Moulmein in Mon State.
Irrawaddy.org
http://www.irrawaddy.org/
http://irrawaddy.org/print_page.php?art_id=619
Some reports say that Tatmadaw are also employing their age-old tactic of using human shields against the KNU:
Burma Army increases troops on Thailand–Burma border
News - Kaowao News
Friday, 30 November 2007
The deployment and number of Burma Army troops around Three Pagodas have increased in recent days, a source from Three Pagodas Pass in Karen State sharing the border with Thailand , told Kaowao.
"Today a further eight Burmese military troop units were deployed along the Three Pagodas Pass and Than Phyu Za Yat highway to 'clear' groups who are not part of ceasefire agreements. They have also brought in more troops near Aplon Village , between Mai Za Li and Myine Tar Yar villages," he added
Another source from a prominent ceasefire group added that almost 1,000 soldiers were part of the Burmese Army Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 36, led by Colonel Kyaw Min Oo and L-Col Maung Maung San and Major Min Htun.
The Karen Nation Union (KNU) has stated that it is unusual for so many troops to be present, and that there are more this year than at any other time.
"It is strange how so many troops from Burma Army Division 88 have arrived here along the river. There are so many more than in previous years, so the military will control more new places," said Major Saw Hla Ngwe, KNU's spokesperson of the information department. Three Pagodas Pass and Kyainnseikyi townships hold the main Burmese military bases in Wai Ka Naing, Thaung Zun, Kyainnseikyi, and Phayar Ok To village, including Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 51 in Three Pagodas Pass. On November 22 the Division 88 soldiers arrived on the frontline of this area. Given the troops already present they now number in excess of 2,000 soldiers.
LIB No. 403, 405 and 406 are under Military Operation Management Command No.8 and have been stationed near Phayar Ok To village in Kyainnseikyi area. LIB No.338, 339 and IB No.28, which are under the Burma Army Division 88, have been placed along the railway tracks in an effort to eliminate any opposition forces.
"The reason why Burma Army soldiers have arrived along the Three Pagodas Pass railway and inside the town is to undertake the Three Pagodas Pass railway project and also to begin the work required to connect with the Asia Railway," political analysts said.
This news has made ceasefire groups anxious for they are worried about their people given the probable plethora of landmines in the area.
A head of a Three Pagodas Pass ceasefire group told Kaowao that, "The SPDC has stated the military will plant landmines here, so the villagers here will face more daily hazards. The troops will also confiscate land from villagers and in order to build the bridge and construct the roads and they will once again force villagers to work."
At the end of October this year the Burma Army planted over 1,000 landmines along the Kawkareik and Thingan Nyi Naung highways to 'clean out' the area and to protest strongly against alliance groups.
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3112&Itemid=6
http://www.kaowao.org/updatenews.php?#6
It is worth noting that this project will bring a railway to about 60 Kms away from the Chinese border, and not much further from the main China-Myanmar road border at Ruili. Could this be the best point for a cross-border rail route? I believe Chinese railways are inching towards the border in this region too:
New Light of Myanmar article:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Lt-Gen Ye Myint inspects progress of Katha-Bhamo railroad, .....
Nay Pyi Taw, 7 Dec - Member of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Ye Myint of the Ministry of Defence, accompanied by Chairman of Sagaing Division PDC Commander of North-West Command Brig-Gen Myint Soe and officials, viewed harvesting of monsoon paddy in Pyithaya Village-tract of Katha Township on 4 December.
At the hall of Katha-Bhamo railroad construction project site, they heard reports on selection of the axis for the railroad and land preparation tasks presented by officials.
At mile post No 203/2, Lt-Gen Ye Myint and party inspected the carrying out of earth work for Katha-Bhamo railroad.
Private companies are carrying out land preparation tasks at respective sections of the railroad.
............
Non-specific link:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Welcome to Myanmar (Burma)! Yangon was formerly Rangoon. Pyay is a place on the Ayerwaddy (Irrawaddy) that used to be called Prome. SPDC used to be SLORC, and so on and so on ad nauseaum ..... Yadaya, Yadaya, Yadaya! Concrete sleepers may replace wood, but slave labor to do the task is still slave labor. Even the photography has the aura of Auschwitz about it. Indeed, that is maybe why they were hanging around Insein Station, which is doubtless to used transit prisoners to the notorious Insein Prison/concentration camp. "Arbeit macht frei!":
New Light of Myanmar
Minister inspects progress in upgrading Yangon-Pyay railroad
Nay Pyi Taw, 10 Dec - Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min together with Deputy Minister U Pe Than and Vice-Chairman of Bago Division Peace and Development Council Brig-Gen Sein Myint inspected progress in upgrading of Yangon-Pyay railroad and maintenance of roads and bridges along the railroad on 2 December.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/images/Dec11.10.jpghttp://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/images/Dec11.11.jpg
They looked into progress in replacing wooden sleepers with concrete ones between Hsinhmeswe and Thegon railroad section. Upon arrival at the steel beam bridge at Paungde Township, they inspected maintenance of the bridge and gave instructions on keeping control over the waterways flowing under the bridge.
At Nattalin and Thayawady Stations, they looked into security, sanitation and beautifying measures and maintenance of the railroad and urged officials concerned to focus on smooth and secure transport for the passengers.
Next, they inspected progress of maintenance along the railroad and arrived at Insein Station where they looked into the station and its compound, and roads, bridges and stations standing along Yangon-Pyay railroad.
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
This serious accident appears to have happened on the Taunggyi to Tharzi line. This line runs East from Tharzi, which is a major junction on the Yangon to Mandalay South-North line. The train was running West towards Tharzi:
Train accident in Mandalay division
Dec 10, 2007 (DVB)–Three people were reportedly killed and over 80 injured when a train was derailed on 3 December, according to local residents, though government officials dispute these figures.
Train number 142, which was running from Nyaung Shwe township in Shan state to Thar Si in Mandalay division, came off the track and overturned near the Yay Pu township railway station near the border of Shan state and Mandalay division.
A local resident who witnessed the accident said that the most of the train passengers were villagers.
"The train came off the track and all three carriages flipped over, killing three people right on the spot,” he said.
“It happened around 5pm on Monday near Kout Kwe village near Yay Pu railway station."
The local resident said that one of those killed was a woman from Yinmarpin township, near Thar Si.
However, a government official from Thar Si railway station has disputed this version of events, claiming that 28 were injured and no one was killed.
“Senior divisional railway officials have taken charge of the incident and rescue efforts at the crash site and we have only 28 people listed as injured,” the official said.
“We’ve got all their names and addresses and some of them have already been treated and left the hospital.”
The official said that only one train carriage, with a maximum capacity of 62 people, had flipped over, while the other two carriages had come off the rails but remained upright.
“The railway authorities are taking this incident very seriously and carrying out rescue efforts,” he said, but added that there had been no fatalities.
An official from Thar Si hospital also said that casualties were limited.
"All the people who have been submitted to our hospital seem fine. No one was killed in the incident," the hospital official said.
"Five people with serious injuries have been transferred to Mandalay and Meikhtila hospitals for emergency treatments."
Reporting by Nan Kham Kaew
http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=748
See also previous post for info on a serious derailment 4 days ago:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Magwe authorities accused of land grab
Aug 13, 2007 (DVB)—Residents from villages west of Magwe division’s Pakhukku township have accused local officials of seizing large amounts of farm land for a new rail link between Pakkhukku and Kyan Khin.
Farmers told DVB that their land was seized soon after work on the project started early this month. They claim they have not been compensated for the land and that the authorities have failed to provide them with new homes.
“We once lost our farm near the Irrawaddy River when the government built an irrigation system in the area. Now they are building a railway line and they have taken our land again,” an elderly farmer said.
“About four acres was taken from us. Farming has been our life since we were born. Now everything is gone,” the farmer said.
Many farmers affected by the project claim that they authorities refused to wait until their current crops could be harvested before bulldozing their land. They say their requests were ignored and that the land was cleared just days after the seizure.
“The land seized from me had a value of about 400,000 kyat. All the crops we just planted were crushed,” another farmer said.
Reporting by Aye Naing
http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=330
New Light of Myanmar
ASEAN Railways CEOs' meet
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/images/Dec20.6.jpg
[Photo: NLM]
NAY PYI TAW, 19 Dec - The 29th ASEAN Railways CEOs' Conference was held at Sedona Hotel in Yangon this morning, with an address by Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min.
Also present at the conference were Deputy Minister Thura U Thaung Lwin, Railways CEOs and senior officers from ASEAN countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia and Vietnam, ambassadors, diplomats and officials of foreign embassies.
Minister Maj-Gen Aung Min made an opening speech.
The delegates were entertained with Myanmar traditional songs and dances.
The minister posed for a documentary photo together with ASEAN Railways CEOs, senior officers, diplomats, and officials.
The conference saw different sessions as CEO Group Session of ASEAN Railways CEOs, Tech-nical Working Group Session of ASEAN Railway Technicians, Marketing and Operation Working Group Session.
The conference discussed matters on practising of market-oriented system and transportation among the ASEAN countries, development in railway services and difficulties encountered, opening the training schools for the development of railway works and technical sectors, the preparation of ASEAN countries for ASEAN railway and future programmes.
The conference will last till 21 December.
Non-specific link:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
It is worth noting that this project will bring a railway to about 60 Kms away from the Chinese border, and not much further from the main China-Myanmar road border at Ruili. Could this be the best point for a cross-border rail route? I believe Chinese railways are inching towards the border in this region too:
A quick look at the terrain tends to indicate that it would be pretty difficult to link Bhamo with the Chinese border at Ruili:
New Light of Myanmar
95-mile Katha-Bhamo Railroad under construction
NAY PYI TAW, 24 Dec - Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min, Deputy Minister U Pe Than and officials inspected construction of Katha-Bhamo Railroad on 21 December.
Altogether 55 big and small bridges including the one across Ayeyawady River will be built along the 95-mile railroad.
The minister met officials at the briefing hall. He said the railroad that contributes toward the regional development is being built in accord with the guidance of the Head of State. Commodities can be transported to eastern and western parts of the country through Bhamo-Katha-KhinU-ChaungU Road and up to Kalay, he said.
The minister and party inspected earth works near Pawmamyaing, Mehin and Katetchaung Villages and land preparation for Minle Station. They cordially met local people there.
The minister explained the benefits of the construction of the railroad and nation-building endeavours to them. In meeting with secretaries and executives of District and Township Union Solidarity and Development Association, the minister clarified salient points on national development.
On 22 December, the minister and party visited the site for construction of a bridge across Ayeyawady River near Sinkhan Village in Bhamo Township.
Non-specific link:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Report on Katha-Bhamo Railway construction in previous post.
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2004/11/7554/update_from_myanmar.html
Author: Dieter Hettler
01 Nov 2004
Update from Myanmar
Due to open this month, the Thanlwin River bridge will help to complete a missing link in Myanmar's rail network. Despite international isolation, the railway continues to expand, reports Dieter Hettler, a mechanical engineer who has been involved with the delivery of diesel locomotives to Myanma Railways
EVEN THOUGH many areas of Myanmar still lack basic infrastructure, Myanma Railways has a growing metre-gauge network that now links most of the country's main cities.
This month, the Ministry of Construction expects to open to road traffic a 3223m bridge over the Thanlwin River between Moktama and Mawlamyine. Plans call for rails to be installed across the bridge in the future, to link the isolated line south of Mawlamyine with the national network. This is part of a long process of continued railway expansion; the next section to be completed will be a 5·4 km line from Okkphosu to Thanlyin University, which is scheduled to open this year.
As with the line south of Mawlamyine, many of the new routes (Table I) have been initially built as isolated lines, essentially for political reasons. This allows a service to be provided in a particular area without having to wait for links to the national network to be completed. As the roads are poor, the rolling stock and locos, often only one per section, are dismantled for delivery.
It will be some time before the 133·5 km gap between Banyin and Moe-Ne in the east is filled; the current proposals will require four reversals to cross the valley of the Nantpon River near Puyasan. Work is underway on an 8 km extension of the Kyaukpadaung - Kyini line to Chauk on the Ayeyarwady River.
To the northwest, the missing 41·8 km section of the Kalay line between Kyaw and Yemyetni will need some substantial engineering works, including two double reversals. Several tunnels will be required including one of about 1·8 km. To bring forward the opening, a 21 km longer temporary line is being built to avoid this tunnel, which will be finished later.
Historically, the network has changed significantly. In 1942 Burma had 3313 route-km of metre-gauge track, but during World War Two the Japanese removed about 480 km. By the end of the conflict only 1085 route-km was operational, in four isolated sections.
By 1961 the network extended 3020 km, and then remained constant until the opening of a 36 km line from Kyaukpadaung to Kyini in October 1970. This marked the start of a construction and track-doubling boom, and by 2000 MR operated 5068 track-km divided into 11 operating divisions.
Updating the fleet
The state-owned Myanma Railways was established on April 1 1989 to succeed the former Burma Railways Corp. In 1999 MR had 201 diesel locomotives, and a further 88 were on order. Up to 1987 the main suppliers were Alsthom, Krupp and various Japanese companies, but since then orders have been placed with China owing to Myanmar's lack of access to hard currency. An exception was a 2000 barter deal in which rice was exchanged for 10 Alco YDM4 Co-Co locomotives made surplus by the regauging of metre-gauge lines in India.
On July 27 this year Rail Transportation Minister U Aung Min visited India, where he signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Minister of State for Railways R Velu under which India will provide a line of credit worth US$56·4m and Rites will supply rolling stock, spares and machinery to MR for upgrading the Yangon - Mandalay line. The package includes 10 diesel locos of 1350 hp, 48 coaches and spares, worth US$28m.
MR has approximately 40 oil-fired steam locomotives, of which about a dozen are serviceable and see occasional use on goods, local passenger and tourist trains. Up to three heavy repairs are performed per year using locally-manufactured parts, and the high cost of importing diesel loco spares means that steam will survive for a few years yet.
In 1999 MR had 868 coaches, with a further 463 on order. However many branch lines have only lightly-built permanent way, and on these routes traffic is in the hands of a fleet of more than 50 light railbuses built from lorry parts in MR's workshops. These are powered through their rubber-tyred road wheels, and usually haul three small four-wheel coaches converted from goods wagons. Small turntables are used to turn the railbuses at the termini.
There were 5187 freight wagons in 1999, with 1188 due to be delivered. The majority of goods trains on lines without significant gradients run without any train brakes, as most of the serviceable wagons have been cannibalised and now lack vacuum hoses. Goods trains up to 600 tonnes are braked by the locomotive only, and operate at a maximum speed of 32 km/h. If the train is particularly heavy the wagons at the front will be fitted with hoses for the duration of the trip. On the steeply-graded ghat sections all wagons will be braked.
In readiness for the completion of any future rail links to Thailand, AAR-standard couplers and air brakes are being fitted to all new stock, and some express passenger trains have been equipped since 1997. The effect on day-to-day operations of having two incompatible couplers in use remains to be seen, but having two brake systems seem less critical; the two systems depend on the type of coupler and hence will not run in the same train. For shunting purposes a coupler-adapter or a wagon fitted with both systems may be feasible, but within whole trains only one system will be the rule.
Double tracking programme
Except for one short section in central Yangon which is shared with the line to Pyay, the 45·9 km Yangon Circular railway is now double track and segregated from the main line. The Yangon - Mandalay main line is double track apart from 237 km between Kyitaunggan and Myohaung. Double-tracking and upgrading for 56 km/h is in progress between Paleik and Kyaukse, apart from the Myitnge River bridge.
At present only 28·2 km of the Yangon - Pyay route is double track, with the most recent addition being a 8·4 km stretch opened on December 1 1997.
The lines from Thazi to Shwenyaung and Mandalay to Lashio both have 1 in 25 gradients and four reversing points, limiting trains to about 235 tonnes. A noteworthy feature of the Lashio line is the 689m long Gokteik viaduct, built in 1900-03 and 97·6m above ground level. There is an 'emergency route' to the valley floor featuring spectacular horseshoe curves, built in 1976-78 because of a fear that insurgents might attempt to destroy the bridge. This diversionary route is limited to 140 tonne trains and has never seen any real use, despite monthly test runs until about 1987 to keep it clear. The connecting pointwork was removed in the early 1990s, later reinstated to allow special trains to run to prevent the route becoming overgrown, but since 2002 nature has taken over.
Pictures no longer available
* Picture caption: TOP: The DF class diesel locos supplied by Alsthom in 1987 are the workhorses of the MR network; DF2002 calls at Lebyin on the Shwenyaung Ghat section.
* Picture caption: Light railbus LRB51, seen at Pyuntaza (left) is one of a series built by MR from lorry parts for use on lightly-built branch lines. Completed in 2001, DMU301 (right) was assembled jointly by the Ywataung diesel loco works and the carriage and wagon plant at Myitnge.
* Picture caption: Still used to haul special trains on the Madauk section, MRPacific YC627 was built by Vulcan Foundry of the UK in 1948.
Continued in next post
Report on Katha-Bhamo Railway construction two posts back
http://www.irrawaddy.org/articlefiles/9932-Bomb_Mandalay.gif
[Photo: The Irrawaddy - Passengers ride a train near Mandalay. [Photo:AFP]]
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_v...m_myanmar.html
Continued from previous post
Railway openings in Myanmar 1988 - 2004
Year Route Length, km Notes
1988 Thaton - Myaingalay 36·3 New branch
1989 Dabein - Hle Lawin 34·6 New branch
1990 Mandalay Circular Railway 21·8 Part later dismantled
1992 Shwenyaung - Yatsauk 60·3 New
1992 Tada-U - Myingyan 99·8 Reinstated after closure c1944
1993 Aungban - Loikaw 164 Connection to the Kayah State capital; gradients between 1 in 25 and 1 in 17
Togyaunggale - Okkphosu 13·6 New line to deep-sea port under construction near Thanlyin
Chaung-U - Tawkyaungyi 23·4 } First parts of 406·3 km Chaung-U - Pakhokku - Kalay line . Section west of
Minywa - Pakhokku 54 } Chindwin River isolated, as bridge not completed until 2004 (see below)
1994 Tada-U - Mandalay International Airport 11·8
Pakhokku - Myaing - Myozoe 55·7 }
1995 Myozoe - Zipyar 44·2 } Further sections of Chaung-U - Kalay line, leaving a 270 km gap
Natchaung - Kalay 22·7 }
Namsang - Moe-Ne 44·3 First isolated section of eastern extension of Thazi - Shwenyaung line
Dawai - Yephu 17·2 Isolated section of 177 km Mawlamyine - Yai - Dawai line. Gradients of 1 in 25
1996 Gangaw - Natchaung 110·8 Linked to isolated northern section of Kalay line; opening ceremony February 6
Myitkyina - Nantpaung Airport 11·7
Taunggyi - Phamon - Banyin 54·3 Isolated
Myingyan Junction - Bagan 56·1 Serves one of the most important tourist sights in Myanmar
Yai - Kaloggyi 4·4 Extension of line from Mawlamyine towards Dawai
1997 Kyaukpadaung Junction - Bagan 48·1 Creating a new circular route
Zipyar - Kyay 50·6 Extension towards Kalay
Pyay - Myade/Aunglan - Satthwa 145·4 Alternative route to Bagan, but heavy grades, sharp curves and danger of washouts mean the line is only used by two trains/week
Shwenyaung - Taunggyi 33·5 Connecting with the formerly isolated Banyin line. Owing to the poor and steep route and a good competing road, the army-built line is used for goods only
1998 Kaloggyi - Yephu 141·6 Closing the last gap of the Dawai line
1999 Taungdwingyi - Magway 83·8 New branch to serve town on Ayeyarwady River
Tada-U - Mandalay International Airport 6·1 Extension of branch opened in 1994
Sin Phyu Shin Bridge approach 7 Approaches to future bridge over Chindwin River near Chaung-U, opened 2004
2000 Ye-U - Khin-U 25·7 Final section of loop line northwest of Mandalay opened April 9 2000. Line has 270 bridges, including 23-span Mu River road and rail bridge
2003 Okkphosu - Thilawa Deep Sea Port 14·8
2004 Sin Phyu Shin Bridge (over Chindwin River) 1·5 Trains from Mandalay now run through as far as Pakhokku
Note there have been numerous posts on this line in this thread in recent months
Magwe authorities accused of land grab
Aug 13, 2007 (DVB)—Residents from villages west of Magwe division’s Pakhukku township have accused local officials of seizing large amounts of farm land for a new rail link between Pakkhukku and Kyan Khin.
Farmers told DVB that their land was seized soon after work on the project started early this month. They claim they have not been compensated for the land and that the authorities have failed to provide them with new homes.
“We once lost our farm near the Irrawaddy River when the government built an irrigation system in the area. Now they are building a railway line and they have taken our land again,” an elderly farmer said.
“About four acres was taken from us. Farming has been our life since we were born. Now everything is gone,” the farmer said.
Many farmers affected by the project claim that they authorities refused to wait until their current crops could be harvested before bulldozing their land. They say their requests were ignored and that the land was cleared just days after the seizure.
“The land seized from me had a value of about 400,000 kyat. All the crops we just planted were crushed,” another farmer said.
Reporting by Aye Naing
Progress of Kyangin-Thayet railroad section supervised
NAY PYI TAW, 20 Jan - Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min together with Deputy Minister U Pe Than on 18 January inspected earth work of Kyangin-Thayet railroad section of Kyangin-Pakkoku Railroad construction project on the west bank of Ayeyawady River at the places between Okshitpin and Thayet in Pandaung Township, and gave instructions on timely completion of work. He also looked into earth work near Kanma in Magway Division.
Next, the minister viewed construction tasks to divert the flow of water in Maday creek and instructed officials to build the retaining walls on both sides of the creek.
He looked into construction tasks of Maday Creek Bridge, Mindon Creek Bridge and embankments in Kanma and Thayet townships.
Yesterday, the minister, together with Vice-Chairman of Bago Division Peace and Development Council Brig-Gen Sein Myint, inspected rail tracks on Kyangin-Okshitpin section and preparations for placing of rail tracks between Htaukkyantgon and Kwinhla stations and between Pegyi and Okshitpin stations.
At the briefing hall, Project Engineer U Myo Win and officials reported on progress of works. The deputy minister and the vice-chairman of Bago Division PDC gave supplementary reports.
After hearing the reports, the minister inspected Okshitpin Station and attended to the needs.
A total of six stations will be on 40 miles long Kyangin-Okshitpin railroad section. Thanks to completion of the railroad section, local people will have easy access to Pyay in Bago Division and Taungup in Rakhine State through Okshitpin Station. Efforts are being made for opening the railroad soon.
Non-specific link:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Yes please! Always glad to have some genuine enthusiasts popping in to add some comments & pictures.
I have an interest in steam railways from living next to a steam branchline in the late 50s and the 60s. The last steam trains I saw in 'for real' action were on colliery locos in the late 60s. That said, I'm not the true enthusiast. I just like railways, but have no specialist knowledge.
I saw your registration and had already made a connection with the photos:
http://www.irfca.org/gallery/Foreign/JWaiteBurma/
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=19016&postcount=47
I thoroughly enjoyed the above. Over recent years, I have seen quite a few photographic webpages on the Burma Mines railways. I particularly like the pictures with the ore hoppers.
Let me know if you have any difficulty posting photographs. If the eventual pictures are wider than my average screen, I usually add them only as a link to avoid slow & erratic loading of the thread for those who don't have broadband.
http://www.asiasentinel.com/images/stories/smoothgallery/JAN2008/burma-rrstation.jpg
[Photo: Asian Sentinel - Rangoon/Yangon Railway Station]
Non-specific link:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
New Light of Myanmar
Maj-Gen Khin Zaw inspects bridges on Kyangin-Pakokku Railroad
NAY PYI TAW, 29 Jan - Maj-Gen Khin Zaw of Ministry of Defence inspected bridges on the rail- road linking Kyangin and Pakokku on 23 January.
During the inspection tour, Maj-Gen Khin Zaw was accompanied by Deputy Commander of North-West Command Brig-Gen Tin Maung Ohn, Chairman of Magway Division Peace and Development Council Col Phone Maw Shwe and officials.
Maj-Gen Khin Zaw inspected the site chosen to construct Chaungmakaing Bridge on the railroad near Pakokku. An official of Public Works reported to Maj-Gen Khin Zaw on the construction tasks at the bridge construction project.
Afterwards, Maj-Gen Khin Zaw and party visited work sites to construct a new railroad between Kyangin and Pakokku and to construct a railway station. Afterwards, they visited Chaungmagyi Bridge construction site on Kyangin-Pakokku Railroad.
..........
Non-specific link:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Thoroughly recommended photographic slideshow by Pat Brown on The Irrawaddy website:
http://www.irrawaddy.org/multimedia.php?art_id=10074
The Railway Bazaar
By Yeni
Rangoon’s rickety railways a slice of life
Overcrowded and overheated carriages, backbreaking hard seats and rickety railroad tracks—this is the reality of traveling by train in Burma. Although the government has tried to improve many major lines in the past few years, most remain in poor repair and are not passable during the monsoon season.
In a 1999 report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Burma was assigned a “significant role” in the development of a trans-Asia railroad network, linking China, Southeast and South Asia.
Yet major obstacles remained, the report said. “The speeds of freight trains are heavily restricted on all existing links as a consequence of poor track and bridge conditions. The maximum speed for freight trains has been quoted as 24 km per hour, suggesting that commercial speeds on this section could be as low as 12-14 km per hour.”
The report concluded: “Clearly, operation at such low speed levels would be inconsistent with the future provision of an efficient and competitive rail container service.”
Burma has a railroad network totaling 3,991 km (2,480 miles) in length, with more than 320 locomotives and 4,000 carriages. The 11 locomotives on Rangoon’s own suburban loop line, totaling 45.9 km, call at 39 stations and provide a major commuter service, selling about 150,000 tickets daily.
The