Kunming–Singapore railway explained

Box Width:300px
Status:
Open: (Bangkok–Padang Besar section)
(Bangkok–Nong Khai section)
(Padang Besar–Singapore section)
(Nong Khai–Thanaleng section)[3]
(Kunming–Vientiane section)[4] [5]
Close:

(WoodlandsTanjong Pagar section)

Linelength Km:3900
Gauge: (Kunming–Vientiane)
(Indochina)
Electrification:25 kV 50/60 Hz AC (Kunming–Vientiane section and KTM ETS)
Map Name:map_name
Map State:uncollapsed

The Kunming–Singapore railway, also referred to as the Pan-Asian Railway, is a network of railways that connects China, Singapore and all the countries of mainland Southeast Asia. The concept originated with the British and French colonial empires, which sought to link the railways they had built in southwest China, Indochina and Malaya, but international conflicts in the 20th century kept regional railways fragmented. The idea was formally revived in October 2006 when 18 Asian and Eurasian countries signed the Trans-Asian railway Network Agreement, which incorporated the Kunming–Singapore railway into the Trans-Asian railway network.

The network consists of three main routes from Kunming, China to Bangkok, Thailand: the Eastern route via Vietnam and Cambodia; the Central route via Laos, and the Western route via Myanmar. The southern half of the network from Bangkok to Singapore has been operational since 1918. The Central route opened on 3 December 2021, with the opening of the Yuxi–Mohan railway and Boten–Vientiane railway linking with the other operational segments of the route,[6] which formally connected Kunming and Singapore directly by rail. There have been plans for high-speed railway constructions, though only one line (between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima) has since entered the construction phase.

The railway network is expected to increase regional economic integration and increase China's economic ties with Southeast Asia.

History

Colonial railways

The British and French Empires first proposed building a railway from Kunming to Singapore in 1900 as Russia was completing the Trans-Siberian railway. From 1904 to 1910, the French built the Yunnan–Vietnam railway, to connect Kunming with Hanoi and Haiphong in French Tonkin, now northern Vietnam.

In 1918, the southern line of the Thailand railway system was connected with British Malaya's west coast line, completing a metre gauge rail link from Bangkok to Singapore. In the late-1930s, the British began to build the Yunnan–Burma railway but abandoned the effort in 1941 with the outbreak of World War II.

In 1936, Vietnam's main railway, from Hanoi to Saigon was completed. This French-built system was (and still is) metre-gauge.

In 1942, the railways of Thailand and Cambodia were connected linking Bangkok and Phnom Penh, but this trans-border connection has long since fallen into disuse. The Japanese Empire built the infamous Thailand–Burma railway using prisoners of war to connect Bangkok and Yangon, but the entire line never entered commercial operation and is now partially submerged by the reservoir behind the Vajiralongkorn Dam. A continuous metre-gauge rail line from Kunming to Singapore via Hanoi, Saigon, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur was not realized as the French never built the "missing link" between Phnom Penh and Saigon, choosing to build a highway instead.

21st century revival

In 2000, ASEAN proposed completing the Kunming to Singapore railway, via Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.[7] [8] [9] This 5500km (3,400miles) route is now known as the eastern route. In 2004, ASEAN and China proposed the shorter western route, which instead of running east through Vietnam and Cambodia, would go west from Kunming to Myanmar and then to Bangkok.[10] In 2007 ASEAN and China proposed building three routes, the Eastern, Western and a central route via Laos.[11]

As of 2024, there has been solid progress in building the railway.[12]

Overview

Note that a grouped column before multiple lines denote lines that span the same origin and destination, but run along different speed or gauge.

Eastern route - 60 km/h - 3,300 km
CountryCorridor / LineDescriptionDesigned
Speed
(km/h)

Length
(km)

GaugeOpen Date
Kunming–HanoiKunming–Yuxi–Hekou RailwayKunming to Yuxi upgraded in 2016. Connects the border town of Hekou with its Vietnamese counterpart at Lào Cai. 200 (Kunming to Yuxi)140(Yuxi to Hekou)388Standard2014
Kunming–Hekou RailwayChinese section of the Kunming–Haiphong railway60466Metre1902
High Speed RailwayA proposed Vietnamese high-speed line to connect Hanoi to Kunming via the Kunming–Yuxi–Hekou RailwayUnknownUnknownStandardUnknown
Lào Cai–Hanoi RailwayColonial-era metre-gauge railway running between Hanoi and the China-Vietnam border at Lào Cai; part of the Kunming–Haiphong railway~60296Metre1902
Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh CityNorth–South Railway Vietnam's north–south railway and main railway backbone~601726Metre1936
North-South Express RailwayA proposed high-speed line for the north–south railway3501570Standard2035
Ho Chi Minh City–Phnom Penh Ho Chi Minh City–Phnom Penh RailwayRebuilt railway connecting Phnom Penh with the Cambodia-Thailand border town of Poipet~90~386Metre2018
High Speed RailwayProposed railway section connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom PenhUnknown~250UnknownUnknown
Eastern LineThailand's Eastern railway line~100261Metre1907
Central route - 100 km/h - 1,660 km
CountryCorridor / LineDescriptionDesigned
Speed
(km/h)

Length
(km)

GaugeOpen Date
Kunming–YuxiPart of the Kunming–Yuxi–Hekou main railway upgraded in 2016200106Standard1993
Yuxi–MohanLine connecting Yuxi with the China-Laos border at Mohan160507Standard2021
Boten–VientianeFirst railway line in Laos spanning the country, between the Chinese border at Boten to the capital Vientiane near the Thai border160422Standard2021
Vientiane–Nong KhaiVientiane–Nong KhaiFirst international railway line to Laos, across First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge to Thanaleng, Vientiane Prefecture. The 9-km extension to Khamsavath station opened in 2023.~10014Metre2009
Northeastern high-speed rail lineA new high-speed standard-gauge line (Phase 3) (including a new Mekong bridge which is 50 meters from the current one) 25016StandardUnknown
Nong Khai–BangkokNortheastern LineThailand's Northeastern railway line to Nong Khai and further to the Lao border (Mekong River)~100627Metre1958
Northeastern high-speed rail lineA new high-speed standard-gauge line (Phase 2)250356StandardUnknown
A new high-speed standard-gauge line under construction, connecting Nakhon Ratchasima to Bang Sue Grand Station (Phase 1)250253Standard2027
Western route - 24 km/h - 2,670 km
CountryCorridor / LineDescriptionDesigned
Speed
(km/h)

Length
(km)

GaugeOpen Date
Guangtong–KunmingFinal section to Kunming via the Chengdu–Kunming Railway (reconstructed 2010–22)200106Standard2013
Guangtong–DaliNew double-tracked line from Guangtong to Dali200213Standard2018
Dali–RuiliCompleted section.140134Standard2022
Under construction to Muse at the China-Myanmar border.140196Standardc.2025
Muse–LashioProposed line extending Myanmar's existing railway to the Chinese border at MuseUnknown~120UnknownNot built
Lashio–MandalayPart of Myanmar's national railway system~24441Metre1905
Mandalay–Yangon~24620Metre1889
Yangon–Mawlamyine~24286Metre1907
Mawlamyine–Thanbyuzayat~2464Metre1924
Burma RailwayPart of the old Burma Railway, rehabilitated by 1957.Unknown194Metre1957
Shared Bangkok–Singapore section - 100 km/h - 1,940 km
CountryCorridor / LineDescriptionDesigned
Speed
(km/h)

Length
(km)

GaugeOpen Date
Bangkok–Hat YaiSouthern LineThailand's Southern railway line and branch line to the Malaysian border at Padang Besar~100974Metre1918
Padang Besar–Kuala LumpurWest Coast Railway LineCurrently run by KTM Intercity and partly electrified.140-110527Metrec.1896
Kuala Lumpur–Johor Bahru140-110369Metrec.1896
Kuala Lumpur–Singapore HSRProposed High Speed Railway320335Standard2027
Johor Bahru–SingaporeWest Coast Railway LineShuttle Tebrau service running between Johor Bahru and Singapore110~4Metre1903
Kuala Lumpur–Singapore HSRProposed High Speed Railway32015Standard2027
RTS LinkRTS Link service between Johor Bahru and Singapore, projected to open in 2026.1104Standard2026

Sections

Eastern route

In China

In Vietnam

In Laos

In Cambodia

In Thailand

Central route

The central route including the Bangkok to Singapore section is approximately 3900km (2,400miles) in length. A trip from Kunming to Singapore will take 30 hours in 2022, and 18 hours when completed in 2040. (compared to 80 hours from Vientiane to Singapore in January 2019).[18] [19] The line will be used to transport both passengers and cargo.[20]

The central route consists of the following sections:

In China

In Laos

This line was originally planned as a high-speed rail joint-venture between the Laotian government and the China Railway Corporation, the Chinese state rail operator, and set to begin construction on 25 April 2011 but was delayed due to a corruption scandal that removed the Chinese railway minister, Liu Zhijun from office.[25] The Laotian government then became the sole investor in the project, which is funded with a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China that would cover 70 percent of the project's cost of US$7 billion.[26] [27] [28] The project was downgraded to a conventional speed railway with a maximum speed of 160 km/h instead of 200 km/h.[27] As the terrain in Laos is mountainous, 76 bridges and 154 tunnels will need to be built.[27] Unexploded bombs that have been dropped during the Vietnam War will have to be removed.[29] [21]

The loan finance arrangement for this line was criticized by economists in the West as too expensive for Laos.[30] There is also controversy over villagers whose houses will be moved to accommodate the new railway line. One village, Bopiat in northern Laos, has already been moved once to allow the construction of a casino.[31] The National Assembly of Laos approved the project in October 2012, but the construction has not commenced because the Chinese state lender has been waiting since July 2013 for the Thai legislature to approve funding for the Thailand section of the railway line. On 22 July 2014, China's Exim Bank suspended loans to Laotian infrastructure projects, leaving the rail project in jeopardy.[32] On 28 July 2014, at a meeting with Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping in Beijing, Lao People's Revolutionary Party general secretary Choummaly Sayasone asked the Chinese government to continue its assistance of rail development in Laos.[33]

In October 2014, Radio Free Asia reported that China had made a new pledge to finance the project as talks between the two countries continued.[34]

In January 2016, Singapore's Straits Times reported that ground was broken on the project in December 2015.[35]

The first multiple unit train (EMU) was delivered to Vientiane on October 16, 2021, and the line opened on 3 December 2021.[36]

In Thailand

Planning for the high-speed line began during the administration of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of the Democratic Party, which agreed to borrow US$400 million from China to purchase materials and expertise, and build one high speed line to Nong Khai Province to the north and another to the Padang Basar on the Malaysian border to the south.[38] When Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of the Puea Thai Party took office in August 2011, the Thai government initially scaled back those plans and proposed shorter lines that connected Thai cities but did not reach international frontiers.[38] Supoj Sablorm, the secretary of the Thai Ministry of Transport, explained that Thailand was not in a rush to build a high-speed rail line to Laos because the Chinese-backed project in Laos had been delayed to beyond 2014.[38] A year later in August 2012, the Thai government announced the plans to build four high-speed rail lines, including extensions to Nong Khai and Hat Yai by 2022.[39] In October 2013, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, on a visit to Thailand, promoted Chinese high-speed rail technology and offered loan packages for high-speed rail construction that are partially repayable with rice and rubber.[40]

On 19 November 2013, the Thai Senate passed a bill that authorized the government to borrow US$69.5 billion to fund high-speed rail and other infrastructure projects in Thailand without going through the annual government budgeting process.[41] The opposition Democratic Party challenged the spending bill in court and a judge expressed doubt about the necessity of high-speed rail for Thailand.[42] The ensuing political protests in Bangkok, which began in December 2013 and continued through May 2014, has paralyzed the Thai government and prevented further decision-making of the rail project.

On 30 July 2014, Thai army chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha, whose forces seized control of the government through a bloodless coup in May, announced plans to build two high-speed rail lines as part of a 741.4 billion baht transportation program.[43] The Nong Khai to Map Ta Phut line, 737km (458miles) in length, would run from the Laotian border at Thanaleng to the Gulf of Thailand.[43] The Chiang Khong to Ban Phachi line, 655km (407miles) in length, would run from Chiang Rai near the northern tip of Thailand to Ayutthaya just north of Bangkok.[43] The two lines would allow trains to travel at a top speed of 160 km/h.[43] Construction is scheduled to begin in 2015 and is to be completed in 2021.[43]

In November 2014, after a meeting between Li Keqiang and Prayut Chan-o-cha, China agreed to lend Thailand funds to build dual-track standard gauge mid-speed railways on the Bangkok-Nong Khai, Bangkok-Map Ta Phut, and Kaeng KhoiMap Ta Phut routes.[44] The loans could be repaid with rice and rubber.[44] On 4 December 2014, the Thai National Legislative Assembly voted 187–0 with seven abstentions to approve loans for the Nong Khai-Map Ta Phut and Kaeng Khoi-Bangkok lines.[45] China would undertake construction and development of the lines but would not receive land use rights along the routes.[45] On 19 December 2014, the two countries signed a memorandum to build the railways.[46]

As of December 2015, China and Thailand have agreed to build the 845 km double-track rail routes connecting Bangkok–Kaeng Khoi–Nakhon RatchasimaKhon KaenUdon Thani–Nong Khai and a second section connecting Kaeng Khoi–Map Ta Phut. The two parties have not yet reached agreement on financing for the project.

In March 2020, the Thai government committed to a US$21 billion railway expansion plan that will include a high speed rail from China to Singapore through Bangkok via the Laotian border near Vientiane.[47]

As of March 2021, the proposed completion of the high speed section from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima is early 2027. The section from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai has not been bid. However, the lines do lie along an existing line primarily used for freight so no additional land will need to be appropriated.[48]

Western route

The western route consists of the following railway sections:

In China

In Myanmar

The Kunming–Yangon high-speed railway forms a portion of the 1215km (755miles) high-speed railway from Kunming to Rakhine State on the Bay of Bengal.

In late November 2010, Chinese state media reported that the railway would begin construction in about two months.[49] But in March 2011, the Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming stated that the project was delayed due to the first elections in Myanmar in 20 years and differences in the railway gauge of the two countries.[50] He explained the Chinese rail developers were waiting for the new cabinet in Myanmar to form and expressed hope that work on the line would begin before the end of 2011.[50] On 18 July 2014, the Myanmar government cancelled the project, citing opposition from civil rights groups, villagers and the general public.[51]

In the summer of 2018, plans for the China-Myanmar railway were resumed.[52]

In December 2013, the Myanmar government began to discuss the upgrade of the existing Yangon-Myitkyina railway with the Asian Development Bank and the government of South Korea.[53]

In December 2013, Japanese media reported that the Myanmar and Japanese governments had reached an agreement to upgrade this line.[53]

In May 2012, the railway Minister Aung Min of Myanmar announced that a feasibility study would be undertaken to rebuild the 105-km stretch of the Thai–Burma railway from the Three Pagoda Pass to the Thai border.[54] The railway could be reopened, he said, with international assistance and promote development in the region and peace with ethnic Shan and Karen rebels in the border areas.[54]

In Thailand

Bangkok–Singapore section

In Thailand

In Malaysia and Singapore

The KTM line from Padang Besar to Gemas was electrified and double tracked in 2015, and upgrade works from Gemas to Johor Bahru are expected to be completed by October 2022, bringing down journey times from Woodlands North in Singapore to KL Sentral to about 4 hours.[55] [56]

According to PLANMalaysia, a northern high-speed rail corridor will be built along North-South Expressway and the stations will be at Tanjung Malim, Tapah, Ipoh, Taiping and terminated at Butterworth.[57]

Cancelled high-speed rail plan

In 2013, the governments of Malaysia and Singapore agreed to build a Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore that was scheduled to open in 2026. But shortly after winning the May 2018 election, the incoming Malaysian prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad said he would reconsider the project.[58] [59] Among revisions being explored to reduce costs, was to align the route to the existing meter gauge Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) line and lay a standard gauge track in parallel, with a fork running to Jurong East so that bilateral agreement is not violated, to allow trains running at 200 km/h, cutting journey time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to 130 minutes.[60] Stations were planned for Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Bangi-Putrajaya, Labu (Seremban), Muar, Batu Pahat, Iskandar Puteri and Jurong East. The plan has been cancelled after 2 extensions requested by Malaysia, with the project allowed to lapse on 31 December 2020.[61]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Construction starts on China – Laos railway. Railway Gazette International.
  2. Web site: Ground broken for Thailand-China railway project after delays. 21 December 2017.
  3. News: First train to Laos. Andrew Spooner. The Guardian. 2009-02-27. 2011-03-13.
  4. Web site: 中老铁路今日通车-图片新闻-中华人民共和国交通运输部. 2021-12-03. www.mot.gov.cn.
  5. Web site: Laos hopes for economic boost from Chinese-built railway. The Star. 28 November 2021.
  6. Web site: Piers of China-Laos railway bridge rise above Mekong River . https://web.archive.org/web/20180710202928/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/10/c_137315177.htm . dead . July 10, 2018 . Xinhua . 2018-07-10.
  7. News: SE-Asia railway idea revived. BBC. 4 November 2001. 26 April 2011.
  8. Web site: The Singapore-Kunming rail link project. ASEAN. 26 September 2007. 26 April 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20071009205609/http://www.aseansec.org/Fact%20Sheet/AEC/2007-AEC-010.pdf. 2007-10-09.
  9. Web site: Kunming Singapore railway. Philippine Daily Enquirer. 23 November 2000. 26 April 2011.
  10. Web site: Asean signs historic deal with China. The Guardian. 29 November 2004. 26 April 2011.
  11. Web site: Wen: China to speed up Pan-Asian rail link. China Daily. 15 January 2007. 26 April 2011.
  12. Book: Han, Enze . The Ripple Effect: China's Complex Presence in Southeast Asia . 2024 . . 978-0-19-769659-0 . New York, NY.
  13. Web site: 2024-07-02 . Vietnam Invites Chinese Investments in Rail Infrastructure Projects . 2024-08-01 . Vietnam Briefing News . en-US.
  14. Web site: Phnom Penh to HCMC rail studied. Thou Vireak. The Phnom Penh Post. 2020-10-05. 2021-09-06.
  15. Web site: Laos signs railway project to link with Vietnam. China Daily. 2012-11-06. 2014-02-19.
  16. Web site: Laos Breaks Ground On railway Project Linking Thailand to Vietnam . Radio Free Asia. 2014-01-03. 2014-02-19.
  17. Web site: Cambodia restores rail link to Thailand border after 45 years. South China Morning Post. 5 July 2018. 10 August 2018.
  18. Web site: Train schedules for the main line between Singapore, Malaysia & Thailand.... Seat61. It's up to you whether you travel from Singapore to Bangkok all in one go in 48 hours. 26 April 2011.
  19. Web site: Bangkok to Vientiane by train.... Seat61. 26 April 2011.
  20. Web site: Work Begins on Kunming-Singapore High-Speed Rail Link. Voice of America. 25 April 2011. 26 April 2011.
  21. Web site: Work begins on Kunming to Singapore high-speed railway . Eandt.theiet.org . 2011-05-16 . 2014-02-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140221182955/http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2011/may/Kunming-Singapore.cfm . 2014-02-21 .
  22. News: Mahitthirook . Amornrat . 2015-12-28 . Bangkok set to be China's rail hub . Bangkok Post . 30 December 2015.
  23. Web site: China-Laos railway project set to be complete by late 2021. 20 November 2017. People's Daily.
  24. Web site: China, Laos to complete railway by the end of this year.
  25. Web site: Kunming-Singapore High-Speed railway begins construction. People's Daily. 25 April 2011. 26 April 2011.
  26. Web site: Work begins on Kunming-Singapore rail link. Want China Times. 2011-04-25. 19 February 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140223122642/http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20110425000064&cid=1102. 23 February 2014.
  27. Web site: Vientiane-China rail link now a priority project. Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 25 September 2013. 19 February 2014. 25 September 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220925071815/https://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Vientiane-China-rail-link-now-a-priority-project-30215555.html. dead.
  28. Web site: Train plan upsets Lao villagers. TR Weekly (AFP). 11 April 2011. 26 April 2011.
  29. News: China coming down the tracks. The Economist. 20 January 2011. 26 April 2011.
  30. News: China's 120mph railway arriving in Laos China's mammoth engineering project to construct a railway from southwest China's Yunnan Province all the way to Singapore is set to transform rural Laos. The Telegraph. 2014-01-14. 2014-02-19.
  31. Web site: Upheaval along the tracks for Laos villagers. https://archive.today/20120604010555/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jdv1QLktG8Ib2JA8G6O8Uf9pdVDA?docId=CNG.ca5c68ae495cc1cfa8005112e51a8aba.221. dead. June 4, 2012. AFP. 11 April 2011. 26 April 2011.
  32. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/investment-07222014194926.html "China's EximBank Suspends Loans For Roads, Bridges in Laos" Radio Free Asia
  33. http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/t1178871.shtml "Xi Jinping Holds Talks with Choummaly Saygnasone, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos" PRC Foreign Ministry
  34. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/railway-project-10062014181543.html "China Gives New Pledge on Lao Rail Project" RFA
  35. Web site: China's dream of rail link to S-E Asia coming true. 21 January 2016.
  36. Web site: All aboard the Laos-China railway. 19 December 2021.
  37. News: Barrow. Keith. Chinese 'Alpine' high-speed train to enter service next month. 30 December 2015. International railway Journal (IRJ). 2015-11-13.
  38. Web site: Thailand revises high-speed rail plan, Laos link shelved. Reuters. 2014-02-19. Reuters. 2011-08-23.
  39. Web site: High-speed rail network to link Asean countries. The Nation. 2014-02-19. Nophakhun Limsamarnphun. 2012-08-18. 2014-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20140227173903/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/High-speed-rail-network-to-link-Asean-countries-30188558.html. dead.
  40. Web site: China still has chance to be part of Thailand rail project. 2014-02-19. 19 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141222185959/http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140219000024&cid=1101id=20110425000064&cid=1102. 22 December 2014. dead.
  41. Web site: Thai Senate passes $69.5B infrastructure bill. 2013-11-19. 19 February 2014.
  42. Web site: Constitution Court Judge: High speed rail not necessary for Thailand. 2014-01-09. 19 February 2014.
  43. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/423129/high-speed-train-gets-go-ahead Amornrat Mahitthirook, "High-speed train gets go ahead – Two routes okayed in B741bn scheme" Bangkok Post
  44. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/442786/dual-track-trains-to-get-china-loan. "Dual-track trains to get China loan. Beijing to be repaid in Thai rice and rubber." Bangkok Post
  45. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/447200/nla-oks-thai-china-railway-deal "NLA OKs Thai-China rail deal" Bangkok Post
  46. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/450950/prayut-li-strike-railway-accord Patsara Jikkham & Chatrudee Theparat, "Prayut, Li strike railway accord PM to visit China for inking of 4 more deals." Bangkok Post
  47. News: Thailand looks to clear Bangkok's polluted skies with giant railway linking China, Singapore . The Straits Times . March 1, 2020.
  48. Web site: From Bangkok to Nong Khai: China's Thai Railway Vision Edges Forward. 26 April 2021.
  49. Web site: High-speed rail between Yunnan and Myanmar on agenda. People's Daily=2010-11-22. 2014-02-19.
  50. Web site: 中缅高铁被迫暂缓施工. Duowei News=2011-03-08. 2014-02-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20130814153918/http://china.dwnews.com/news/2011-03-08/57476761.html. 2013-08-14. dead.
  51. http://www.gulf-times.com/eco.-bus.%20news/256/details/402209/stalled-$20bn-myanmar-railway-project-a-setback-for-asia-mideast-trade "Stalled $20bn Arno Maierbrugger, "Myanmar railway project a setback for Asia-Mideast trade" Gulf Times
  52. Web site: China-Myanmar high-speed railway quietly back on track. 6 July 2018. 30 July 2018. 27 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220127075629/https://www.mmtimes.com/news/china-myanmar-high-speed-railway-quietly-back-track.html. dead.
  53. Web site: Myanmar govt looking to upgrade Yangon-Myitkyina Rail railway. Thai PBS. 2013-12-12. 2014-02-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20140223195833/http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/myanmar-govt-looking-upgrade-yangon-myitkyina-rail-railway/. 2014-02-23. dead.
  54. Web site: Burma to restore infamous Death railway. ABC.net.au. 2012-05-21. 2014-02-19.
  55. Web site: Benefits and challenges of the Gemas-Johor Baru Railway Electrified Double-Tracking Project. 21 June 2020. Rizalman Hammim. New Straits Times.
  56. Web site: Benefits and challenges of the Gemas-Johor Baru Railway Electrified Double-Tracking Project. 12 July 2020. The Star.
  57. National Physical Plan 3, 2017, PLANMalaysia
  58. News: Become an FT subscriber to read | Financial Times. Financial Times. 28 May 2018. Bland. Ben.
  59. Web site: KL mulls Penang-Singapore high-speed rail link. The Malaysian Insisder. 21 September 2010. 26 April 2011.
  60. Web site: Report: KL-Singapore rail link could be RM50b cheaper Malay Mail. www.malaymail.com. en. 2018-06-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20180619140049/https://www.malaymail.com/s/1642918/report-kl-singapore-rail-link-could-be-rm50b-cheaper. 19 June 2018. live. dmy-all.
  61. Web site: Malaysia, Singapore terminate HSR project. The Star.