At the opening ceremony, the first train pulled by a steam locomotive No. Coinciding with its completion, Burma’s first railway line opened in 1877 and connected Yangon with Pyay (Prome); a distance of 250 kilometres. With return on capital declining, Burma Railways became the country's single largest debt item when the financial separation of India and Burma took place in 1937. History of Myanmar Railways The first railway in Myanmar was opened in 1877. The Yangon Central Railway Station, which will take at least eight years to complete, is expected to link the south of Yangon to the downtown business district and promote more extensive trade and economic growth across Yangon. During the Japanese occupation of Burma, Allied prisoners of war were forced to build the Burma Railway. From Mandalay it crossed the river and, avoiding the Irrawaddy valley, went up the A lot of track was destroyed during the Second World War, however, and it wasn’t until the early 1960s … Our Mission & Objectives - Developing strategies and initiatives to improve business performance and increase rail transport investment, To promote services, create awareness among to the society especially in safety and strengthen cooperation among ASEAN countries, The State Law and Order Restoration Council took over state power on 18th September 1988 and following the change of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar. Rail transport was first introduced in Myanmar in May 1877 when Lower Burma was a British colony with the opening of the 163-mile (262 km) Yangon to Pyay line by The Irrawaddy Valley State Railway. The Burma Mines Railway, an 80-kilometre (50-mile) 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge line from Namyao (on Myanmar Railways' Mandalay-Lashio branch) via Namtu to Bawdwin, was completed in 1908. Myanmar Railways has expanded its network somewhat since 1988. But in 1896, Irrawaddy State Railway gave way to Burma Railways Co. Ltd. Operating on a commercial basis and when the company's lease was ended on the 31st of December 1928, Burma Railways was placed under the Indian Railway Board. Similarly the Yangon Circular Railway was built during the colonial times dated back in 1954. [7][8] The track rises in a continuous 1:40 gradient, and the viaduct (designed by Alexander Rendel & Sons and built by the Pennsylvania Steel Company) was considered an engineering marvel at the time. On the 1st of December 1951, the Union of Burma Railway Board Act was enacted under which a full-time permanent Chairman was appointed, who was also to be the Chief Executive Officer. The Union of Burma Railway was again reorganized in 1972 and the power and the functions of the Union of the Burma Railway Board were entrusted into the hands of the management committee with the Managing Director who also was to be the Chief Executives as Chairman and the name, Union of Burma Railways was changed to the Burma Railways Corporation. Rail transport in Myanmar (then Burma) began in 1877. Visitors can stop over in Pyay and travel on to Bagan and Mandalay. So nice experience to travel slowly through Myanmar, and share this moment with burmese families, monks, and all those who pick up the train to sell some food etc. myanmar railway. Several trains run daily from Yangon on the first railway line built in Myanmar in 1877. In 1884, a new company, The Sittang Valley State Railway, opened a 166-mile (267 km) line along the Sittaung River from Yangon to the town of Taungoo via Bago. [1]:26 With the annexation of Upper Burma, the railway was extended by 220 miles (350 km) from Toungoo to Mandalay (the fallen capital of the Ava kingdom) in 1889. Three private rail companies were nationalised nineteen years later. Rail transport was introduced in Burma in May 1877 (when Lower Burma was a colony of the United Kingdom and part of British India) with the opening of the Rangoon-to-Prome line by the Irrawaddy Valley State Railway. Facilitation of International Railway Transport 9-12 December, 2019 Ba Myint Managing Director MyanmaRailways Ministry of Transport and Communications MYANMAR THE REPUBLIC OF THE UNION OF MYANMAR MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS MYANMA RAILWAYS Rail Infrastructure Development Plan and The colonial structure of the Yangon railway station and rusting antiquated trains instantly gives you an old time feeling. After the First World War, a line was built between Moulmein and Ye at the northern end of the Mergui Archipelago. [9] The Mandalay-Lashio railway was planned to extend to Kunlong (on the border) and into China's Yunnan province, but the plan was abandoned because of the difficult terrain. Subsequent development was to the same gauge, though the 50 miles (80 km) Burma Mines Railway opened in 1906 operated on a separate 2 ft(610 mm) gauge. The post Why Drive a Car than Commute? The 163-mile (262 km) line, following the Irrawaddy River, was built over a three-year period with labour imported from India (particularly the areas affected by the Bihar famine of 1873–74). The line was not extended to Mandalay; instead, after 1886 a new railway from Yangon up the Sittang valley was constructed, meeting the Irrawaddy at Mandalay. [6] Between 1898 and 1905, another 278 miles (447 km) of railway was built. Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) Since its original construction in 1877, Yangon Central Railway Station has served as an important transportation link for the Burmese people. This Railway Board continued to function until the 31st of December 1947. Rail transport in Myanmar (then Burma) began in 1877. During the postwar era, the rail network was rebuilt. Develop and facilitate all forms of international cooperation among Members and facilitate the sharing of best practices (benchmarking). The railway opened in 1877 when Myanmar, then known as Burma, was a colony of Britain. Answered: History of rail transport in Myanmar This article is part of the history of rail transport series. Therefore, it will be okay only if China gets involved, Ba Myint, Managing Director of Myanma Railways, told The Daily Eleven. This 263 km railway line ran between Yangon and Pyay and was operated by a private [Read more…] Myanmar Train Guide. Muse-Lashio-Mandalay Railway Project is a major exit of China and it is also the project linking with Myanmar. Since Thanbyuzayat was on the Moulmein-Ye railway line and Ban Pong connected to Bangkok via Kanchanaburi, the line would provide a direct connection (with a ferry from Moulmein to Martaban) between Bangkok and Rangoon. Myanmar Railway Invitation for Bid. The company's coal and rolling stock were imported from India or Britain. British companies examined the possibility of building a railway from Rangoon to Yunnan to link with a second line from Bangkok to Yunnan, but were unable to obtain financial backing.[10]. The first railway line in Myanmar, between Yangon and Pyay, 161 miles apart, was opened on the 1st of May 1877,by the Ir-rawaddy State Railway. [10] Its construction is depicted in the film, The Bridge on the River Kwai. The State Law and Order Restoration Council took over state power on 18th September 1988 and following the change of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar. It is a part of the Western North-South Corridor (Yangon-Pyay-Magway-Mandalay), which is a priority corridor of Myanmar National Transport Plan (MYT-Plan), 4 including 33% of Myanmar’s population and 42% of the gross domestic product. Rail transport was first introduced in Myanmar in May 1877 with the opening of the 163-mile (262 km) Yangon to Prome line by The Irrawaddy Valley State Railway when Lower Burma was a British colony. During the Japanese occupation of Burma, Allied prisoners of war were forced to build the Burma Railway. Each train route also has a designated two- or three-digit number. first appeared on Ministry Of Rail Transportation. Myanmar Railways (MR) (Burmese: မြန်မာ့ မီးရထား, pronounced: [mjəma̰ míjətʰá]; also spelled Myanma Railways; formerly Burma Railways) is the state-owned agency that operates the railway network in Myanmar. 1.04%. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_rail_transport_in_Myanmar&oldid=990992841, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from December 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Chaung-U-Tawkyaungyi (23.4 km), part of the 406.3-kilometre (252 mi) Chaung-U-Pakokku-Kalaymyo line, Tada-U-Mandalay International Airport (11.8 km), Namsang-Moe-Ne (44.3 km), the first section of the eastern extension of the Thazi-Shwenyaung line, Tavoy-Yephu (17.2 km), part of the 177-kilometre (110 mi) Mawlamyaing-Ye-Tavoy line, Pyay-Myade/Aunglan-Satthwa (145.4 km), an alternative line to Bagan, Kaloggyi-Yephu (141.6 km), part of the 177-kilometre (110 mi) Mawlamyaing-Ye-Dawei line, This page was last edited on 27 November 2020, at 18:08. The first railway line, running from Yangon to Pyay (Prome) and built in 1877, followed the Irrawaddy valley. [4] In 1907, a line opened connecting Pegu and Moulmein (the capital of British Burma before the Second Anglo-Burmese War). Audience Overlap Similar sites that share the same visitors and search keywords with this site. Pyay is situated on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River on a lovely location. Upper class has very confortable seats. Myanmar and India were separated in 1937 and the Government of Myanmar formed the Burma Railway Board to look after the affairs of the Myanmar Railways. 41.63%. When it was built, it was the longest such viaduct in the world. [4] In 1928, the Burma Railway Company was dissolved; the railways were brought directly under government operation and renamed Burma Railways. The first railway opened in Myanmar in 1877, between the Second and Third Anglo-Burmese Wars. It is a city halfway between Yangon and Bagan. May 1, 1877 saw the launch of Myanmar’s first railway line creating a better strategic connection with British India, European markets and unconquered parts of the country. But in 1896, Irrawaddy State Railway gave way to Burma Railways Co. Ltd. Myanmar Railway Map . Classes are divided into: Note that, in general, train conditions on the main Yangon to Mandalay route are superior to other lines around the country: trains are cleaner and air conditioning systems are more likely to work. Report this profile About ... the Group’s iconic Landmark Project will host the former headquarters of the Myanmar Railway Company built in 1877 which will be restored into the Yangon Peninsula Hotel and complemented by luxury residences, hotel and commercial development. The only thing that was helpful - delivery of tickets to hotel. Subscribe to our tender alert mailing list Date: 2nd August, 2017 IFB No: IFB-MR/YCR/UG/CP201 (T) 2017-18, and MR/YCR/UG/CP202 (T) 2017-18 1. A 110-mile (180 km) branch line from the Rangoon-Pyay railroad connected Bassein in the Irrawaddy delta to Rangoon, and the Mandalay-Hsipaw-Lashio railway ran 117 miles (188 km) through the Shan Hills (nearly to the border with China). August 3, 2017 by Thiha. In 1884, a new company, The Sittang Valley State Railway, … On the 4th of January 1948, Myanmar gained independence, and a new Railway Board was instituted with Financial Commissioner, Lands and Rural Development, as Chairman. The name Burma Railways Corporation was changed to Myanma Railways on 1st April, 1989. The Japanese built the lines with Allied prisoners of war, and an estimated 15,000 POWs and 150,000 others died during the construction of the 245-mile (394 km) railway—about 675 deaths per mile. Yangon Circular Railway serves the larger Yangon metropolitan area. Yangon Central Railway Station is Myanmar’s largest train station, built by the British in 1877. When the Japanese occupied Thailand and Burma, they decided to build a railway connecting their Southeast Asian territories with Burma (partly to facilitate the movement of troops and supplies for their planned invasion of India). In the last few years the railway branch lines have been extended north towards Bagan. Burma's last major rail line, from Thazi on the Rangoon-Mandalay line to Kalaw (a hill station in the southern Shan State) was built between 1914 and 1918. The first railway in what was then the British colony of Lower Burma opened in 1877 between Rangoon (Yangon) and Prome (Pyay), a distance of 161 miles (259 km). A.O1 left Yangon Central Railway Station at 6 a.m. and headed to Insein Railway Station, carrying Commissioner Augustus Rivers Thompson and a number of distinguished guests. (hereinafter referred to as " MR "). Muse-Lashio-Mandalay is the second longest railroad section after Yangon-Mandalay in Myanmar. 3.86%. Yangon Central railway station was first built in 1877 by the British to support Burma's first railway line, from Yangon to Pyay. Being developed on about 10 acres (4.6 hectares) of prime downtown land owned by Myanma Railways, the build-operate-transfer project will feature luxury residences, office towers, a business hotel and serviced apartments, and will also include the heritage-listed Burma Railways headquarters, built in 1877, which is being transformed into a five-star Peninsula hotel. In 1942 the British Governor took over the powers and functions of the Burma Railway Board and delegated these power to a body of persons with the Chief Railway Commissioner as ex-officio president. Around this time, they began to lose money because of competition from road transport. Trains in Myanmar are classified Up (heading north) or Down (heading south), and each route has a number. Three private rail companies were nationalised nineteen years later. Three private rail companies were nationalised nineteen years later. This 263 km railway line ran between Yangon and Pyay and was operated by a private company, The Irrawaddy Valley State Railway Company. Most routes are single-track, although large portions of the Yangon-Pyay and Yangon-Mandalay routes are double-track. Rail transport was introduced in Burma in May 1877 (when Lower Burma was a colony of the United Kingdom and part of British India) with the opening of the Rangoon -to … The Irrawaddy line was considered commercially important because it could transport rice from the valley to the main port at Rangoon, and the Sittang line was strategically important because of Toungoo's proximity to the border with Upper Burma (then part of the Ava kingdom). [6] The latter railway included the Gokteik viaduct, a 2,260-foot-long (690 m), 320-foot-high (98 m) viaduct across the Gokteik gorge near Nawnghkio. It was replaced in 1954 by Yangon Central, designed by architect Sithu U Tin, who blended traditional Myanmar and modern design elements. The Yangon-Pyay line is Myanmar’s first rail line, dating 1877. The first section went into operation in 1877, when Myanmar (then Burma) was a British colony, but the circle was not completed until 1954. The first railway line in Myanmar, between Yangon and Pyay, 161 miles apart, was opened on the 1st of May 1877, by the Irrawaddy State Railway. Unusually for a British colonial railway, it was built to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge. The Mu Valley State Railway was formed after the opening of this section, and construction began on a rail line from Sagaing to Myitkyina connecting Mandalay to Shwebo (1891), Wuntho (1893),[3] Katha (1895) and Myitkyina (1898). Early train travel in Myanmar What later became the Burma Railway eventually extended to more than 4,800 kilometres of track, spanning much of the country, with the main stations being Rangoon (Yangon) and Mandalay. The first railway in Myanmar was opened in 1877. [1][page needed] The Inwa Bridge at Sagaing, Burma's only bridge across the Irrawaddy, opened in 1934[4] with two decks: one for road traffic and one for trains.[5]. Subsequent development was to the same Closing Date 31 October 2017. The first railway line in Myanmar was built by the British in 1877 from Yangon to Pyay (then known as Prome), 259km to the northwest, on the banks of the Irrawaddy River. [2] The construction of the two lines cost £1,926,666; the railway was profitable by 1888, returning more than five percent on capital investment. Myanmar Railways has expanded its network somewhat since 1988. 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