News: 14 June 2023

Hello from Chiang Mai. After getting the train here from Phitsanulok I was wondering what might have been if the planned East-West Economic Corridor Railway had gone to Phitsanulok. The EWEC Railway is now being built in stages, with the western section now under construction. This week’s article has all the links and maps for this project.

One of the big news stories this week is regarding the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed railway. It is meant to be launched on Indonesia’s Independence Day, but it’s not likely to be fully ready by then. I’m planning a trip to Indonesia to coincide with the opening, knowing full well that it might not be ready. I plan to go to Sumatra first and then Java. If it’s not ready I will still have enough to do on that trip, and I will come back so I can visit Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Nakhon Sawan – Mae Sot Railway

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Kandal residents protest new land filling near airport development

• Newly established towns gifted property tax breaks

• Cambodia breaks ground on China-funded highway to Vietnam border

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Indonesia: China-funded high-speed rail project set for limited August launch

Indonesia to bring in Chinese staff in rush to launch high speed rail link.

While the opening date is still clouded in confusion, one thing we can all agree on is that this is now the fastest railway in Southeast Asia:

Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train testing hits speed of 220km/h 

Testing will be increased to 300km/h this week.

• Indonesia's parliament approves $1 billion budget top-up for new capital

🇱🇦 Laos

• Construction of city’s tallest building 68 percent complete

• 5th Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge gets 70% completed

• World Bank to support improvements to Lao electricity grid

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Forest City celebrates its seventh anniversary in Malaysia

• Transport Ministry: Govt to set direction of multiple rail operators after study 

🇲🇲 Myanmar

• Myanmar’s Sittwe Port receives first shipment from India

• Thailand to cut power to Myanmar border casinos

🇵🇭 Philippines

• Naia may be privatized by Q1 of 2024; P141B in investment needed – DOTr

• Outage outrage: Enrile wants all airport execs fired

• PNR officials convicted of graft for sourcing inferior railway tie wood

• Infrastructure boost for Mindanao

🇸🇬 Singapore

• LTA buys 44 new trains for Cross Island Line for $589 million

• This country’s love affair with air conditioning shows a Catch 22 of climate change

• Here's what the Hougang MRT station on Cross Island Line is expected to look like

• On the career track: Train enthusiasts a growing community in S'pore, some go on to work in public transport sector

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Yellow Line adds 9 stations to trial run, extends operating hours

• Phase 1 of high-speed rail ready ‘by 2026’ 

“Bangkok-Korat line part of a system that will ultimately reach Kunming.”

• Slow train to lifeless Bang Sue Grand Station

"Help is urgently needed from whoever gets a chance to be the transport minister in the new government to prevent Bang Sue Grand Station from being another white elephant which does not live up to its promise."

• BMA’s Green Line debt ‘can’t be solved’ 

“Prayut says caretaker cabinet's hands are tied and new government will have to make a decision.”

• Soft opening of Suvarnabhumi's SAT-1 terminal in Sept• New road linking Phuket, Phangnga now complete• Sea wall projects in Thailand will now require EIA study under a new edict

• Burning season in North America had me thinking of our recent burning season:

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• As blackouts sweep Vietnam, northern province vows ‘uninterrupted’ power for Apple suppliers and firms

• Việt Nam to have 33 airports by 2030

• HCMC plans to have more urban green spaces

• Vietnam province wants 160-km conveyor belt to import coal from Laos

In case you are wondering if that is a long conveyor belt, the current longest conveyor belt is 51 km.