Greetings from Manila! I’ve split my time here between Malate and Makati to give myself a taste of old and new Manila. I started compiling a Future Manila page, but there is so much going on that I will not be able to list all of the cities that make up Metro Manila straight away.

To ease myself into writing about Manila, I’m starting with rail transport. So far I have taken the three urban rail lines and visited the main national rail station. The railway from Manila to Southern Luzon is fragmented and not useful for tourists. That will change with the reconstruction of the South Long Haul line, which is the topic of this week’s article.

I will have a trip report for subscribers next week once I have finished this trip. For now, I am about to look at some more construction sites.

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PNR South Long Haul

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• “Placemaking” a key ingredient to make Siem Reap more attractive and liveable

“Emphasis on public spaces and physical connectivity can help Cambodia's cultural capital thrive.”

• Capital A to launch AirAsia Cambodia as it resumes expansion plans

• Chinese investors tout high real estate potential of north Phnom Penh

• Cambodia's China dependence deepens as first expressway opens

• Cambodia to proceed with construction of Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway at a cost of $1.6 billion

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Construction progress of Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train reaches 91.7 pct

[Updated: Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway]

• Leaders suggest Buleleng could emerge as new capital of Bali

🇱🇦 Laos

• 700 houses handed over to victims of Attapeu dam collapse

• Thai company to build ASEAN’s largest wind farm in Laos

• First 'banana train' leaves Laos for China

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Govt review of mega projects? 

• Corruption probe triggers call for procurement law in Malaysia

• Commentary: Could Anwar’s government bring back Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR project?

[Updated: Kuala Lumpur–Singapore High-Speed Rail]

• Civil societies call on Putrajaya to review RM46b Penang Transport Master Plan

• Heritage buildings in Ipoh get a new lease on life

• RTS project to proceed

“The Johor Baru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) project is not affected by the recent change in government, says Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd.“

🇲🇲 Myanmar

• Bago River-crossing Thanlyin Bridge No 3 project completes 69%

🇵🇭 Philippines

• Gov’t struggles with property acquisition for Manila subway

• DoTr turns to ADB support for airport partnership

• Poe to DOTr chief: Don't let NAIA rehab remain a powerpoint presentation

• Proposed Philippine wealth fund sparks jitters

“A legislative initiative to create a sovereign wealth fund to support President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s national development agenda has evoked widespread controversy.” By

• Villar Group to start building $1-b Las Piñas casino in 2023

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Singapore’s first energy positive industrial building opens in Kranji

🇹🇭 Thailand

• High-speed rail seeking B300bn extra
”The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) plans to invest another 300 billion baht for the second phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway project.”

[Updated: Bangkok–Nong Khai High-Speed Railway]

• Construction site of Chiang Rai railway station has become the new tourist attraction - hope to become a reality in 2028.

That’s right, Rai not Mai. A railway is being built to Chiang Rai.

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Opinion: The Mekong Delta is drowning in ‘sand debt’ – it urgently needs a sand budget

• Localizing construction of high-speed railways contributes to growth

"Building a high-speed railway (250km/h) will facilitate the development of the entire railway industry, experts said."

[Updated: North–South express railway Vietnam]

• HCMC to spend $640M on expressway, canal cleanup

• Hanoi’s second metro line hits maximum efficiency on first test-run day

• HCMC metro train to have test run on elevated track before Christmas

• Nine new airports proposed by aviation authority