Will there be a railway in Panay?
And speaking of railway restorations, there are plans to restore the Phan Rang-Da Lat Railway! That, and more construction and transport news in Southeast Asia.
Greetings from Da Nang, where there is always construction news to report on (I will post a construction report next week).
After last week’s news about a possible revival of the railway on Panay Island, I dedicated this week’s main article about this proposed railway.
The old railway from Iloilo to Roxas was about 117 km, but the more important metric to consider is the population. Panay is the fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a population of 4.5 million people. The city of Iloilo has a population of 457,626, while Roxas has a population 179,292 people (as of 2020 census).
Proposals for the new railway go back over a decade, so I wouldn’t expect this to go ahead anytime soon. Also consider that Duterte came into power six years ago promising to build the Mindanao railway (the island he is from). His term is about to end without a kilometre of rideable line being built. With the combination of the island having 25 million people and Duterte being a Mindanaoan, I genuinely believed the railway would get built (what can I say, I’m an optimist!) Using Mindanao as a comparison, I won’t be holding out for a railway in Panay.
Latest Posts At Future Southeast Asia
News
🇰🇭 Cambodia
• Hun Sen favors cronies with parcels of drained lake land
• Cambodia on middle path between China and Vietnam
“Cambodia’s trade is booming with both China and Vietnam as the rival powers compete for geo-economic influence.”
• Cambodia contemplates high-speed train to Thai border
• Alleviating Phnom Penh’s traffic jams
🇮🇩 Indonesia
• Villagers fear Indonesia's new capital will bury their culture
[Updated: Nusantara – New Capital City of Indonesia]
🇱🇦 Laos
• Bokeo international airport 75 now percent complete
• Lao PM requests new bridge to Kingdom, closer contacts
“Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh has requested that a bridge be built between Cambodia and Laos to promote closer people-to-people contact.”
• Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone celebrates 15th anniversary
🇲🇾 Malaysia
• Sarawak Pan Borneo Highway expected to be completed in Q1 2023
🇵🇭 Philippines
• Build, Build, Build is beyond 119 flagship projects, says ex-BBB panel chair
• Roque wants to revive ‘Bicol Express’
🇸🇬 Singapore
• Cycling in Singapore has never been easier or more rewarding – and it’s about to get even better
🇹🇭 Thailand
• Bangkok’s e-ferry fleet grows with money from development banks
• Thailand upgrades rolling stock with Chinese-made ‘Ultraman’ locomotives
• Thailand and Malaysia discuss construction of bridges over Kolok river
🇻🇳 Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh City’s $133mn Thu Thiem 2 Bridge opened to traffic
[Updated: Thu Thiem 2 Bridge]
• Vietnam’s cable car craze is driving environmental decline
• Nearly 120 million USD to be used to build 4 aircraft maintenance workshops at Long Thanh airport
[Updated: Long Thanh International Airport]
• A glimpse of Saigon's metro stations
• Hà Nội starts conservation project for dilapidated French-era villa
• Crystal Bay cooperates with Corex to restore the Phan Rang-Da Lat Railway
[Updated: Da Lat–Thap Cham railway restoration]