The Trans-Sumatra Railway is a proposed railway line in Sumatra that would run from Aceh in the north to Lampung in the south. The total length would be over 2,000 kilometres, and it would connect major cities and ports of Sumatra. President Joko Widodo announced the plan for the Trans-Sumatra Railway in December 2014, and […]
railways
Laos-China Railway review – observations while riding the train from Vientiane to Boten
The Laos-China Railway opened in December 2021, and I would have tried to get a ticket on the inaugural trip had the borders been open. I was in Thailand when Laos reopened on the 9th of May, so I took the opportunity to visit shortly thereafter. I have written a trip report from a traveller’s […]
Proposed speeds of the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City Express Railway
Should the future Vietnam North-South Express Railway be a high-speed or semi-high-speed railway? Vietnam is planning to commence construction of the North-South express railway in 2028-2029. Even with years of feasibility studies and consultancy reports, no decision has been made on how fast the new railway should be. The fastest proposal has called for a […]
Panay Railway
The Panay Railway is a proposed restoration of the railway on the island of Panay in the Philippines. The original Panay line ran from Iloilo City to Roxas City. The service operated from 1906 to 1985, with cargo operations ending in 1989. This railway was operated by Panay Railways, which also operated the Cebu line. […]
Tuy Phong Station – How the proposed high-speed railway in Vietnam could transform this provincial fishing port
Vietnam is planning to rebuild the main north-south railway into a high-speed express railway. Train speeds will be up to three times faster than on the current line, and the route will be shortened by straightening out the line from its current alignment. For the Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang section, one of […]
The mixed-gauge mess of Thailand’s railways
Thailand is in the process of expanding and duplicating railway lines across the country. While this is a much-needed improvement to the railway network, the choice of railway gauge will create further problems and cost more in the future. Thailand’s railways operate on a metre-gauge. There are several gauges used around the world, but most […]
Ban Phai – Nakhon Phanom Railway
The Ban Phai – Nakhon Phanom Railway is a proposed 355-km railway in Northeast Thailand. The line would begin at Ban Phai on the current Northeast Line and travel to Maha Sarakham, Roi Et, Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom. The purpose of the line is to connect provinces of the Mekong region to Laem Chabang Port […]
Manggarai Station – The future central railway station of Jakarta
Manggarai Station is a railway station in Jakarta that serves the Greater Jakarta Commuterline and Soekarno–Hatta Airport Rail Link. The station is being expanded to become the new terminus station for most intercity trains, replacing Gambir Station. The station doesn’t include the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (that will be at Halim Station). The ground floor level […]
Current and proposed railways in Laos
In December 2021 Laos began operations of the Laos-China Railway from Vientiane to Boten, launching the era of railway travel in Laos. There are other lines that have been proposed which would connect Laos to Thailand, Vietnam, and maybe even Cambodia if the most ambitious proposals are realised. This page covers current and proposed railways […]
Proposed railways of the Central Highlands in Vietnam
The Central Highlands Region is comprised of five provinces in the mountainous area of south-central Vietnam. [Image via Wikipedia.] There are no railways in this region (apart from a short tourist line in Da Lat), but there are plans for railways in the future. Proposed Routes In The Central Highlands Region The main railway proposal […]
