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Transport and urban development in Southeast Asia. Dispatches from my travels in the region, and news about future city development, transport, and infrastructure.

News: 4 October 2023

History of HCMC Metro Line 1, Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway launched, train to Canggu, $1B needed to finish unfinished projects in Sihanoukville, Suvarnabhumi unveils new satellite terminal

James Clark

Oct 4, 2023

Hello from Ho Chi Minh City. If all had gone to plan I would have been riding the first metro line of the city by now. If you have been following the construction of the first line of the HCMC Metro, then you will know that it has not gone to plan. The project has been delayed by 5 years, and it might end up opening 6 years after the initial proposed opening date.

I have been based off-and-on in HCMC since 2012, which was the year the metro started construction. I’ve been keenly watching the construction, and I have been bookmarking news updates about the project.

In anticipation of the line opening next year (maybe), I have compiled all of my Line 1 metro notes into one article. I found that many articles from the early years have already broken and photos have been lost. I will continue to add photos so this can be the definitive record of the construction process.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

Line 1 HCMC Metro: Construction of the first rail transit line in Ho Chi Minh City

Line 1 of the Ho Chi Minh City Metro (HCMC Metro) is the first line under construction of the future Ho Chi Minh City transit system.

Updated posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Fastest Trains In Southeast Asia

There is now officially a new fastest train in Southeast Asia. Second place is daylight, but I can’t put that on the list. Will this record ever be beaten? Vietnam has proposed a 350 km/h railway, but as with the metro, don’t wait around for it.

News

• China pushes ‘pivot to South and Southeast Asia’ with Yunnan province as gateway to vast market

• Great expectations: Australia’s elusive Southeast Asia vision

🇧🇳 Brunei

• Brunei-based GallopAir, buyer of COMAC planes, says in talks with potential investors

“GallopAir last month announced a $2 billion deal to buy 30 regional and narrow-body jets from Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). It became the first carrier outside China to order the state-backed firm's narrow-body C919 jet.”

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• PM to open new Siem Reap int’l airport December 1

• $1B needed to finish unfinished projects in Sihanoukville

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Indonesia launches Jakarta-Bandung 'Whoosh' high-speed railway

"President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Monday inaugurated a $7.3 billion high-speed railway connecting Jakarta with the city of Bandung, a China-backed project that has been marred with problems."

• High-speed train to Surabaya will take 3.5 hrs only, transportation minister says

• Government plans to start Bali LRT groundbreaking in early 2024

"The plan is to open the LRT route from the airport to Seminyak and will continue to Canggu for possible, for around 20 kilometers. We are planning to charge a ticket price of around US$1 to US$2 for each airplane passenger, whether they use the LRT or not. Therefore, the public financing can support the LRT operation,"

I made a concept map for a Bali railway that included extending the proposed Airport-Seminyak railway to Canggu. I made this map last year and there was no proposal at that point for a Canggu railway.

• IKN authority head talks of flying taxis in new capital city

• Indonesian startup Nafas takes on urban air pollution

• Indonesia's Gojek teams up with commuter railway to battle Grab

“New service offers combination of ride-hailing, train trips in superapp.”

• LRT Project in Batam enters feasibility study stage

🇱🇦 Laos

• Laos pushes EV use to promote clean energy, minimize fuel imports

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Mega project leaves villagers with nowhere to go

“Villagers say the East Coast Rail Link project will cut through their neighbourhood and destroy their family homes.”

• Penang government oblivious to our cries, lament fishermen

"Thousands of fishermen are disappointed with the Penang government for pushing ahead with the reclamation works for the RM8.5 billion Silicon Island project despite an appeal being filed against the approval of the project's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report."

• Malaysia prepares to make rain, close schools as haze worsens

• Use Johor’s vast land resources for SEZ, govt urged

• Sarawak Metro: ART vehicles to operate on dedicated road-level, elevated lanes (Video)

• Phuket seeks B148bn for tourism upgrade

”Mr Suriya said the seven projects include multiple highways across Phuket, highway extensions, overpasses and the second Phuket airport.”

• Feeder link for high-speed rail gets all-clear

”The Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EECO) has approved a feeder electric train linking with a high-speed rail link between the capital’s airports and U-Tapao airport in the high-speed rail project’s second hearing.”

• Heavy rain in Thailand bring down bridge across the Ping River that connects Chiang Mai and Lamphun

• Bangkok to collect wastewater treatment fees next year

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Vietnam property developer accused of US$1.2 billion bond fraud

I’m preparing the annual HCMC construction report for this month, and the two most prominent abandoned construction projects in the city are caught up in this saga.

• Hanoi first metro line turns profitable

• HCM City plans for urban railway development

“…planning for the urban railway system in the city includes eight metro routes and three tram lines (or one monorail route), with a total length of 220km and an estimated investment of more than US$25 billion.”

• Is Vietnam ready to build mega-airport projects?

• Vietnam must close infrastructure gap to realise aim of being regional transshipment hub: analysts

• Current exploitation rate to deplete Mekong Delta sand within 10 years: study

• Construction of southern waterway corridors set to begin next year