Ho Chi Minh City Metro update

Progress report of the Ho Chi Minh City metro construction in 2020.

August 12, 2020

Greetings from Ho Chi Minh City, where the first metro line is slowly but surely being completed. Like the Hanoi Metro (which was featured last month) the HCMC Metro is now years behind from its original schedule. Progess is being made though, and it looks like a second line will begin construction next year.

This week’s post is part of an ongoing series of metro updates in Southeast Asia.

Latest posts at Living In Asia

Progress report of the Ho Chi Minh City metro construction in 2020. Construction of Line 1, preparation for Line 2, and pre-planning for Line 3A and Line 5.

Southeast Asia Railways

In a surprise to no one, the Mindanao Railway Project has been delayed again.

In Thailand, Trat wants to join 3-airport rail extension. Here is a Google Map of what that would look like.

The 3-airport railway still hasn’t started construction yet, so this would be a long way off from happening.

Other News

“The most widely used construction material on the planet, it has given us sculptural buildings, sturdy bridges and dams, parking garages and countless other structures that surround us. But concrete is also responsible for about 8 percent of global carbon emissions. If concrete were a country, it would rank third in emissions behind China and the United States.”

Not directly related to Asia, but considering how much concreting is happening in this part of the world this is a relevant story. Concrete (and sand) is a big issue in Southeast Asia, and reducing its environmental impact is needed.

Cambodia

“Brand new luxury condominiums are springing up across the capital Phnom Penh, but the average Cambodian cannot afford to live in them. This has increased dependency on foreign investors.”

Indonesia

Malaysia

“A factory in Senai, Johor Bahru is busy making concrete blocks for the world’s tallest prefabricated skyscrapers. But instead of being assembled somewhere in the country, the 3,000 “modules” will be vertically stacked in a housing estate in Singapore.”

Myanmar

“The Myanmar government’s investment agency last week approved the registration of a joint venture between a Chinese company and a government-backed committee to develop China’s strategic deep-sea port project in western Rakhine State.”

Last week I wrote about the China-Laos railway, but perhaps an even more ambitious railway is the Dali–Ruili railway in China. This railway is being built to the Myanmar border in preparation to one day being extended all the way through to this new port at Kyaukphyu.

The Myanmar section would travel from from the China-Myanmar border, through to Mandalay and then Kyaukphyu. That railway hasn’t been approved yet, but that hasn’t stopped China in getting ready on their side.

If you look on a map and draw a straight line between Kyaukphyu and Dali, Mandalay is about in the middle. It’s almost as if the railway planners in China just drew a line on the map, and then worked out how to put a railway through there afterwards. The Dali–Ruili railway is 75% bridges and tunnels, through what is even more mountainous terrain than Laos. I will do a feature on this railway in the future.

Related to Kyaukphyu and China’s ambitions in Myanmar is this article:

I have posted links about Kyaukphyu before as it often gets described a the new Singapore. It’s not (obviously), but it is an interesting story to follow.

This week I also saw this Tweet about the Myanmar Project Bank.

Philippines

“Eight big-ticket projects under the Duterte administration’s flagship “Build, Build, Build” program will take a back seat for now to prioritize infrastructure projects that are on “advanced stage” and “responsive” to the country’s post-pandemic needs.”

Singapore

Thailand

“Completed in December of last year, the Puey Park for People and Sustainability is a 22,000-square-meter green roof located at the top of Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus building.”

Vietnam

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