News #194: The Java high-speed railway

Siem Reap airport railway, problems on the Bangkok Pink Line, a province in Vietnam proposes 12 urban railway lines, and more news on transport in Southeast Asia

Hello from Bangkok. I started my trip with a list of construction sites to visit and railways to ride. I took a ride on the new Pink Line Monorail with an idea for one story, and another story emerged in its place. I need to go back to the Pink Line, but the line was closed this week after an incident (link in the news section), so that story is on hold.

This week’s main article is about the proposed high-speed railway to Surabaya. With a population of over 150 million people, Java is an ideal place for a high-speed railway.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed railway

The Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed railway is a proposed extension of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway.

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Proposed high-speed train from SR airport to city gains momentum

• Koh Kong eyes green SEZ for ’24

• Ground-breaking ceremony held for new terminal in S’ville

• PM: There is no secret about the construction of the Funan Techo Canal

• Bringing water and sanitation services to Cambodia’s provincial cities

• What is next for Cambodia in the shadow of Japan and China competition?

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Jokowi breaks ground for police station, hospital in new capital

• Passenger trips on Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway hit 1 million-mark

• Indonesia completes 21 strategic transport projects

“The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has completed 21 of the 35 National Strategic Projects (PSN) in the transportation sector since 2020.”

🇱🇦 Laos

• Vietnam considers importing electricity from Laos to tackle power shortage

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• KL-Singapore is world’s busiest air travel route

KL-Singapore is an ideal city pair for a high-speed railway.

• Anwar's govt contemplates reviving HSR with an eye on substantial cost reduction

• High hopes for Malacca tram system

• Sarawak Metro awards Red Line infrastructure contract to JV company

🇵🇭 Philippines

• Mindanao exec positive admin won’t abandon railway project

• Number of vehicles in Metro Manila increases in recent weeks — MMDA

• Protected bike lanes can do more than just ease Metro Manila’s worsening traffic congestion

• Bicol Express: Naga-Legazpi rail line reopens

• LRT-1 completes 1st test run on Cavite Extension Phase 1

🇸🇬 Singapore

• People's Park Complex assessed to be of 'high heritage significance', may affect collective sale

• JTC to reclaim 172ha of land in Tuas for industrial use, improved connections to Tuas Port

• 'Number of customers dropped by half': Serangoon North shop owners frustrated over MRT construction barriers affecting sales

• Singapore crosses record 3 billion gross tonnage mark in ship arrivals

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Pink Line conductor rail collapses in Nonthaburi

• Red Line set to be extended

• Bangkok’s 20-baht metro dream in danger of derailing

• BMA considers transferring operation of three train lines to MRT

• Thailand drums up investment for strategic ‘landbridge’

• AOT to continue building two new airports to handle more passengers

• Railway station wheelchair crossing rejected

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• HCMC to prioritize 59 transport projects at $9.5B cost

• Apartment project for low-income people unfinished for decade

• Vietnam crowned king of motorbikes in Southeast Asia

• Vietnam adds 730 km of expressways since mid-2021

• Bắc Ninh plans urban railway and two additional highways to foster development

Bac Ninh Province is east of Hanoi and is included in the Hanoi Capital Region area. Provinces next to big cities are usually included in the rail plans of the big city. For example, the Pink Line of Bangkok is mostly in Nonthaburi Province. This article says that Bac Ninh “envisions constructing twelve urban railway lines.”