News: 2 August 2023

Surabaya light rail proposal, Bangkok's new mass rapid transit master plan, construction projects in Timor-Leste, and a new canal in Vietnam

Hello from Rantau Prapat in Sumatra. The only thing that I knew about this city was that it was at the end of a railway line, which was enough reason for me to visit. It’s going to take an entire day to travel to my next destination, so I am staying here for a day to get some work done. Here are some photos of the Medan-Rantau Prapat train, and I will be posting articles about the railways of Sumatra here and at Nomadic Notes (subscribe for travel updates).

I arrived in Sumatra via Medan, which I haven’t visited for about 13 years. I will post a summary of Medan construction projects, and paid members should expect a Medan trip report next week.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Surabaya Urban Rail Transit

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• As regional cities expand, urban poor risk being left behind

• Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system

• Southeast Asia's economic outlook is only brightening

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Siem Reap Angkor International Airport to officially open on Oct. 16, confirms SSCA

• Government signs an agreement to close the old Siem Reap International Airport

• In a first, Royal Railway operates rail link with Thailand

• Laos route to China for the Kingdom’s goods explored

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Indonesia soon to get its long-delayed high-speed train by

Asia Sentinel

• Jokowi bags $13bn in investment pledges after meeting with Xi

• The fossil fuel subsidy hampers green energy initiatives

• Land Bank Agency completes IKN Nusantara airport boundary installation

• Prevent floods, Medan city government begins to fix drainage along 16 thousand meters

🇱🇦 Laos

• China-Laos Railway passenger service speeds up by over an hour

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Nearly 30 firms sign up to buy the RFI documents for Malaysia’s bullet train project

• Concern in Gombak Utara over ECRL project

“Residents worry for their homes, which will be demolished to make way for the mega rail project.”

• A revised MM2H will help address issues in Johor's Forest City?

• Several roads in KL to be closed for a year from Aug 5 for renovation, bridge construction

• Klang to be given city status

• Airport relocation likely to happen in 2030, if Sabah cabinet approves 

• KKIA and Tawau airport set to undergo RM 19.4 mil facelift

🇲🇲 Myanmar

• Yangon circular rail section to get two new stations: Okkalapa and Thamine Myothit

• Myanmar, China discuss express train network to Ruili

🇵🇭 Philippines

• DOTr studies MRT-3 privatization options

• LRT-1 Cavite Extension Phase 1 reaches 88 % progress rate

• DOTr spending P600m on rail feasibility studies

• Top firms urged to help revive ‘Bicol Express’

• Albay-CamSur train trips resume after 6 years

• Abandoned Philippine Village Hotel: How it threatens NAIA operations

• DoJ: Airport authority barred from spending P1.2B in terminal fees

• House panel revives bill establishing Bulacan Airport Zone

• Master plan on flood control sought to end Bulacan flooding

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Construction on new Brickland MRT station along North-South Line to start in 2024

• Singaporeans turn empty spaces in public housing into libraries, gardens

🇹🇭 Thailand

• New transport master plan ready for Bangkok metropolis

M-MAP 2 (Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region) has been released.

“M-MAP 2 comprises eight routes included in the M-MAP 1 that have not been constructed, 14 new routes, and 11 extensions of existing routes.”

This news report has a small version of the map. I’m looking for a larger version, which I will share here.

• Supreme Court rules Ashton Asoke-Rama 9 project illegal

• Thai joint venture hails homegrown rail carriage

• Clear-up crew put on job after pics of 'rubbish' railway go viral

• 'Green lung' of Bang Kachao holds much promise

• Krabi airport expansion 87% complete

• New pier for Koh Samet ferry under construction

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

• Construction of 23-story building of TMS slated to begin September 2023

• Five-star hotels and serviced apartments: Singapore firms invest in Timor-Leste’s leisure, hospitality sectors

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Vietnam aims to have north-south high-speed rail plan approved in 2025

• $100M canal enters service to boost cargo transportation in northern Vietnam

• Lotte opens Vietnam's largest shopping mall in Hanoi

• 30,000 beachfront villas, shophouses on the shelf

• Foul-smelling wastewater discharge continues polluting Nha Trang beach pending costly solution

• Đà Nẵng makes efforts to thoroughly address wastewater polluting the sea

• Life in the vicinity of HCMC's largest waste dump-landfill