News #198: Bangkok Urban Railways Report

My other transit websites, Koh Rong int’l airport, Laos-China Railway boosts daily trips, Hanoi Metro Line 2 and 5, airport updates for HCMC, and more transport and urban development news.

Hello from Ho Chi Minh City. This week I started working my way through the Bangkok articles I have planned, starting with the annual urban transit report. There are 10 transit lines in Bangkok, which is 10 more than in HCMC. I saw a train doing a test run last week, which was the first time I have seen a metro train here. Hopefully, the HCMC Metro will begin operations this year.

New site (and newsletter testing)

Speaking of metro systems, I have been making mini sites (or micro niche sites) about metro systems in Southeast Asia. Last year I set up hochiminhcitymetro.com, and now I have set up balirailway.com. I keep buying domains, so my new rule is that I am not allowed to buy more domains unless I do something with the last one.

I have set this site up so I can test out another newsletter platform that I am trying out. The newsletter is at balirailway.beehiiv.com. I will post news about the proposed Bali railway there, maybe once a month, who knows? Maybe it will be short-lived if the proposed light rail doesn’t get approved. If the railway does get built I might turn it into a lifestyle site featuring places near each station. If you want to sign up, I will send an email tomorrow (25th January). Sign up here.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

Bangkok’s urban rail transit system added two new lines in 2023, bringing the total number of lines to ten. Two lines are currently under construction, and more lines are planned in the future.

News Extra

News Extra for paid subscribers, which expands on news stories and some insights into what I am working on.

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🇰🇭 Cambodia

🇮🇩 Indonesia

“According to estimates from environmental watchdogs and researchers, the GSW megaproject would cost some Rp 207 billion (US$13.3 million) in potential economic losses in the fisheries sector every year.”

🇱🇦 Laos

🇲🇾 Malaysia

🇵🇭 Philippines

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇹🇭 Thailand

• I found a website for the Den Chai – Chiang Rai – Chiang Khong railway project. The website is in Thai but there are some images of stations. Visit www.srt-denchai-chiangrai-chiangkhong.com.

🇻🇳 Vietnam

"In the proposal from Hà Nội's authorities, the project will be put into operation by 2029 – 14 years later than the original deadline of 2015 – with two additional years for training, operation, and maintenance."

“As Chinese manufacturers open shop in Vietnam, Bac Ninh has become a cultural hub with Chinese restaurants, bubble tea shops, and language centers.”

I have been curious about Bac Ninh ever since I read that they want to build 12(!) urban railway lines. Now this article is making me more curious about what is going on there.

If you are not subscribed to Rest Of World, they are consistently coming up with interesting stories like this.

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