Transport in Burma
The government of Burma has two ministries controlling transportation:
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[edit] Railways
total: 5,099 km (3,168 mi) Feb. 2008
narrow gauge: 5,099 km (3,168 mi) 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge
[edit] Railway links to adjacent countries
China - no
Thailand - no - defunct - see Death Railway.
Bangladesh - no
India - no - see Timeline below
Laos - no
[edit] Maps
[edit] Timeline
[edit] 2007
- May 17 - The missing link in India is from Jiribam (in Manipur) to Tamu in Myanmar. The construction of this missing link, as per the feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of External Affairs through RITES Ltd, is estimated to cost Rs 2,941 crore ($725m).
- According to the Economist, a railway line is to be built through Imphal in India to Moreh near the Myanmar border.
[edit] 2004
- Update from Myanmar Dieter Hettler, Railway Gazette International November 2004.
[edit] 1988
Jan. 1988: Burma Railways Corporation had 149 Alsthom diesel electric locomotives, 63 Krupp's diesel hydraulic locomotives, 5 Hitachi diesel hydraulic locomotives, 45 Kawasaki diesel hydraulic locomotives, for a total of 262.
Railway openings in Myanmar 1988 - 2008
- Year Route Length, km Notes
- 1988 Thaton - Myaingalay 36·3 New branch
- 1989 Dabein - Hle Lawin 34·6 New branch
- 1990 Mandalay Circular Railway 21·8 Part later dismantled
- 1992 Shwenyaung - Yatsauk 60·3 New
- 1992 Tada-U - Myingyan 99·8 Reinstated after closure c1944
- 1993 Aungban - Loikaw 164 Connection to the Kayah State capital; gradients between 1 in 25 and 1 in 17
- Togyaunggale - Okkphosu 13·6 New line to deep-sea port under construction near Thanlyin (Syriam)
- Chaung-U - Tawkyaungyi 23·4 ) First parts of 406·3 km Chaung-U - Pakokku - Kalay line. Section west of
- Minywa - Pakokku 54 ) Chindwin River isolated, as bridge not completed until 2004 (see below)
- 1994 Tada-U - Mandalay International Airport 11·8
- 1995 Myozoe - Zipyar 44·2 ) Further sections of Chaung-U - Kalay line, leaving a 270 km gap
- 1996 Gangaw - Natchaung 110·8 Linked to isolated northern section of Kalay line; opening ceremony February 6
- 1997 Kyaukpadaung Junction - Bagan 48·1 Creating a new circular route
- Zipyar - Kyay 50·6 Extension towards Kalay
- Pyay - Myade/Aunglan - Satthwa 145·4 Alternative route to Bagan, but heavy grades, sharp curves and danger of washouts mean the line is only used by two trains/week
- Shwenyaung - Taunggyi 33·5 Connecting with the formerly isolated Banyin line. Owing to the poor and steep route and a good competing road, the army-built line is used for goods only
- 1998 Kaloggyi - Yephu 141·6 Closing the last gap of the Dawei line
- 1999 Taungdwingyi - Magway 83·8 New branch to serve town on Ayeyarwady River
- Tada-U - Mandalay International Airport 6·1 Extension of branch opened in 1994
- Sin Phyu Shin Bridge approach 7 Approaches to future bridge over Chindwin River near Chaung-U, opened 2004
- 2000 Ye-U - Kin-U 25·7 Final section of loop line northwest of Mandalay opened April 9, 2000. Line has 270 bridges, including the 23-span Mu River road and rail bridge.
- 2003 Okkphosu - Thilawa Deep Sea Port 14·8
- 2004 Sin Phyu Shin Bridge (over Chindwin River) 1·5 Trains from Mandalay now run through as far as Pakokku
- 2004 Beginning of the Upgrading Yangon - Mandaly track with the use of the Automatic Levelling, Lining and Tamping Machine (first phase between Yangon - Payagyi 91.2 km and Mandalay - Tatkon 211 km,second phase Payagyi - Tatkon 313.6 km), construction of the Concrete Sleeper Factory at Pyundaza
- 2005 First Delivery of four YDM-4(1350Hp) Locomotives and 20 Passenger Couches from Rites Ltd. of India
- 2007 Second deliver of five YDM-4 Locomotives from Rites
- 2008 1 March first section Kyangin-Okshippin (63 km) of Kyangin-Pakokku (under construction 515 km) was opened for the public. Between 1988 und 2008 Myanmar Railways built 1936 km of rail tracks.
- The other track between Katha and Bhamo (152 km) is also under construction, which will be played main roll over border of Myanmar-PRC.
- Myanmar Railways receives another 15 YDM-4 locomotives from Rites Ltd. India. Now Myanmar has 6 Concrete Sleeper Factories
[edit] Cities served by rail
- Yangon (Rangoon) - old capital and port
- Pathein (Bassein) - railhead in the west
- Pyay (Prome) - railhead in the northwest - on the Ayeyarwady River
- Bago (Pegu) - junctions
- Thaton - east
- Thazi - north line - junctions
- Pyinmana - north line - junction
- Toungoo - north line
- Bago - north line - junctions
- Mawlamyine (Moulmein) - southeast - new 3223m Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) over the Thanlwin River (Salween) to Mottama (Martaban).
- Ye - railhead in the southeast - on the Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) coast
- Dawei (Tavoy) - railhead extended from Ye - 1998 - 102 km (63 mi)
[edit] Roadways
total: 27,000 km (16,777 mi)
paved: 3,200 km (1,988 mi)
unpaved: 23,800 km (14,789 mi) (2006)
The main highways are 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 31.
[edit] Waterways
12,800 km (7,954 mi); 3,200 km (1,988 mi) navigable by large commercial vessels. (2008)
Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. operates its business in Ayeyarwady River by the name Road to Mandalay River Cruise. Irrawaddy Flotilla Company was also in service along the Ayeyarwady River in the 20th century, until 2003.
[edit] Pipelines
- Crude oil 2,228 km (1,384 mi); natural gas 558 km (347 mi). (2008)
- Proposed pipe from Kyaukphyu through Mandalay to Kunming [1]
[edit] Ports and harbours
[edit] Sea
[edit] River
[edit] Merchant marine
total: 24 ships (with a volume of 1,000 gross register tons (GRT) or over) totaling 472,284 GRT/716,533 metric tons deadweight (DWT)
Ships by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo ship 17, passenger ship 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1 (2008)
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships of 3 countries: Cyprus 1, Germany 1, Japan 1
[edit] Airports
In July 2010, the country had 69 airports. Only 11 of them had runways over 10,000 feet (3248 meters). Of the 11, only Yangon International and Mandalay International had adequate facilities to handle larger jets.[2]
total: 69
over 3,047 m: 11
1524 to 3,047 m: 27
Under 1524 m: 31
[edit] Heliports
4 (2007)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The Weekly Telegraph 23 January 2008 p17
- ^ "Myanmar Has 11 Airports with over 10,000 Foot Runways" (in Burmese). Bi-Weekly Eleven (Yangon) 3 (18): 7. 2010-07-30.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.
