The railway connecting Yangon and Mandalay is set to undergo a major makeover, and to say that it’s about time might be the understatement of the year.
Speaking to the Myanmar Times, local authorities confirmed that they would be partnering with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to “repair parts of the railway that have fallen into disrepair and replace them with modern equipment,” most of which will be transported from Japan.
Proposed repairs include fixing the rail tracks, constructing railway stations, and introducing automated ticket machines. Japan is also set to loan an estimated MMK3.33 trillion to go towards the project. The Myanmar government will be contributing approximately K428 billion.
Studies are currently being conducted along the railway, and officials plan to start the renovations by next year. The project will be carried out in two phases, the first of which will focus on the section between Yangon and Taungoo, and the second between Taungoo and Mandalay. The entire venture is estimated to be completed by 2023.
It currently takes approximately 15 hours for a train to travel between Yangon and Mandalay. Officials hope to get that number down to roughly 7 after the renovations.
