News #189: The 2023 Railway Report

Hello from Chiang Mai. I’m back from my Hanoi trip and I will have some articles about Hanoi over the next month.

This week I published the annual railway report for Southeast Asia. I keep track of every project in the region, and these annual reports are a good way of taking stock of progress (or no progress in some cases).

There is also a News Extra article for paid subscribers.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Southeast Asia Railways Report – 2023 edition

This is the second edition of the Southeast Asia Railways Report. This article lists projects under construction or that have been in the news over the last year. This list is for national railways, and there will be another post for urban transit railways.

News Extra

• News Extra: 16 November 2023

The Land Bridge trying to compete with the port of Singapore, Vietnam Railways has fewer services than before 2020, and no agreement on a regional gauge.

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Cambodia inaugurates new Chinese-funded airport serving popular tourist destination of Angkor Wat

• New capital int’l airport construction passes 55%

• Cambodia to construct two more airports

“Cambodia is planning to develop the airports at Mondulkiri and Koh Rong as part of the government’s agenda to develop tourism”.

• PM promises more infra for Capital development

• Kep selected for ‘world-class’ 2.7km beach development

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Jokowi confirms no foreign investors yet in IKN project

“Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi confirmed that the government has not yet secured any investments from foreign investors for the new capital city of Nusantara or IKN project. However, he remains optimistic and believes that foreign investors would inject funds into the project following domestic investors.“

• Japan explores IKN railway line project

“The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is currently reviewing the train line construction project at IKN Nusantara.”

• Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway handles 383,000 passenger trips in first month of operation

• BTP Padang proposes reactivation of Sawahlunto-Solok and Solok-Batu Tabal railway lines

🇱🇦 Laos

• Laos aims to become electricity source of Southeast Asia

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• MRT Corp’s study on Penang LRT set to be completed by early 2024

• Reality check: ECRL passenger train's maximum speed confirmed at 160 km/h, not 351 km/h

• Fishermen claim PSI project will threaten economic, social survival

• Forest City's SFZ a catalyst for Johor's economic transformation

• Johor-SG special economic zone should be in Pasir Gudang, says Tebrau MP

• Portfolio of heritage shophouses in Penang, Malaysia for sale at $10.6 mil

🇵🇭 Philippines

• After decades, occupants of abandoned Philippine Village Hotel ordered to leave

“The illegal occupants of the Philippine Village Hotel, the abandoned structure directly beside Metro Manila’s international airport, have been formally ordered to vacate the premises after over two decades of legal battles.”

• Bautista pitches NAIA rehab, railway projects to US investors

• NAIA turnover to new operator by 2nd half of 2024

• Sangley airport plans to 'co-brand' with NAIA, says Cavite gov

• Tap Maharlika fund for Bicol Express – Rep. Brian Yamsuan

🇸🇬 Singapore

• 472,000 S’pore resident households owned cars in 2022, up from 459,000 a decade earlier

• The Thomson-East Coast Line: Transforming Singapore’s public transport landscape

• Jurong Town Hall bus interchange to open on Nov 26, enhancing connectivity for Tengah residents

🇹🇭 Thailand

• New MRT Pink Line on track for Nov. 21 trial run, Dec. 18 launch

• Thailand’s high-speed railway: on the fast track to ties with China, but at what cost?

• Local communities oppose govt’s land bridge project

• U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport set for major upgrade

• Recovering Pattaya’s disappearing golden beach: lessons learned from Pattaya beach nourishment

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Draft amended Capital Law to accelerate urban railway projects

“The draft law aims to redirect investment from being channeled mainly into housing and commercial center development projects to infrastructure projects such as urban railways.”

• Hanoi proposes metro line that replaces BRT

• 'Repaired' HCMC road leaves houses flooded

• Da Nang forests slated for resorts, landfills 

• Mud from Da Nang industrial cluster invades homes, upends lives