Railwatch:NewLocos

[Budewizer]

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.

[GWR]

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