The train ride from Yangon to Mawlamyine will be cut from nine and a half hours to just six hours when improvements to the railroad are completed in 2019, Myanma Railways announced on Sunday.
Mawlamyine is Myanmar’s fourth largest city and lies just under 200 miles from Yangon. It is known for its heritage buildings, Mon cultural sites, and yummy food.
The improvements to the railroad will include equipping the line with high-speed trains, Myanma Railways engineer Myo Zaw Tu told the military-run Myawady Daily.
Improvements are already under way with aid from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is upgrading 49.5 miles of track between Yangon and Bago. An additional 63.5 miles between Bago and Taungsun have already been upgraded by Myanma Railways.
The upgrading of 37 miles of track between Taungsun and Yinnyein will be completed by March 2018, and 30 miles between Yinnyein and Mawlamyine will be completed by 2019.
The line’s old sleeper cars will be replaced with new ones produced by Mottama Sleeper Factory.
In addition to the JICA-funded Yangon-Mawlamyine project, the Yangon-Pyay railroad is being upgraded with loans from the Asian Development Bank, and the Mandalay-Myitkyina railroad is being upgraded with loans from the Korea International Cooperation Agency.
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