14th Meeting of the GMS Subregional Transport Forum

Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

People’s Republic of China
2-3 December, 2010

Country Presentation
on Railway Development Programs and Plans
(Myanmar)

Presented by
Aung Myint Hlaing
Deputy General Manager (Passenger)
Myanma Railways.

Part . I

Background Information on Existing Myanma Railways

The views expressed in this paper/presentation are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not
guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use.
Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms.

1
 Transportation

 Ministry of Transport

 Ministry of Rail Transportation

Ministry of Transport
1. Department of Transport
2. Department of Marine Administration
3. Directorate of Water Resources and
Improvement of River Systems
4. Department of Civil Aviation
5. Institute of Marine Technology
6. Inland water Transport
7. Myanmar Five Star Line
8. Myanma Airways
9. Myanma Dockyards
10. Myanma Port Authority

2
 Ministry of Rail Transportation
1. Myanma Railways

2. Transport Planning Department

3. Road Transport Administration Department

4. Road Transport

5. Central Institute of Transport & Communication

Minister for Rail

Transportation

Director General
Director General
Road Transport Administration
Transport Planning Department
Department

Managing Director Managing Director

Myanma Railways Road Transport

Principal
Central Institute of Transport and Communication

3
 Services Department

 Transport Planning Department

 Road Transport Administration Department

 State Economic Enterprises

 Myanma Railways

 Road Transport

 Human Resources Development

 Central Institute of Transport and Communication

Myanma Railways
Brief History
 1st Railway Line in Myanmar between Yangon
and Pyay (161 miles apart) opened on 1st May
1877, by the Irrawaddy State Railway
 In 1896, Irrawaddy State Railway gave way to
Burma Railways Co., Ltd.
 On the 31st December 1928, Burma Railways was
placed under the Indian Railway Board.
 Myanmar and India were separated in 1937 and
Government of Myanmar formed the Burma
Railway Board.
 On the 4th January 1948, Myanmar gained
independence.
 In 1972, The Union of Burma Railway was again
reorganized and changed to the Burma Railways
Corporation.
 Burma Railways Corporation changed to
Myanma Railways on 1st April 1989.

4
 MYANMA RAILWAYS ORGANIZATION CHART

MANAGING DIRTCTOR

UPPER REGION LOWER REGION

ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATION
CIVIL
GIRDER INSPECTION
ENGINEERING
WORKSHOP
OPERATING E.I.C PLANNING &
WORKSHOP ADMINISTRATION
COMMERCIAL &
DIVISIONS
MARKETING RAIL-CAR FINANCE
WORKSHOP
MECHANICAL & (PAZUNDAUNG) STORE &
1
ELECTRICAL MEDICAL
MYITKYINA 2
YWATAUNG 3
CARRIAGE & WAGON
MANDALAY 4
WORKSHOP (MYITNGE) MEDICAL STORE
KALAW 5
TOUNGOO 6 HOSPITAL
LOCOMOTIVE
INSEIN 7
WORKSHOP(YWATAUNG) MYITNGE
YANGON 8 YWATAUNG
MAWLAMYING 9 KALAW
LOCOMOTIVE
HINZADA 10 TOUNGOO
WORKSHOP(INSEIN)
PAKOKKU 11 INSEIN
BAGAN

Sanction As on September,
Particular
Strength 2010

Officers 431 374

Others 31,469 23,120

Total 31,900 23,494

5
 Organization
 MR belongs to Ministry of Rail Transportation

 Based on Departmental System

 Managing Director – Chief Executive Officer/Chairman of the

Management Committee.

 Six Major Departments: Operating, Mechanical & Electrical

engineering, Civil Engineering, Commercial & Marketing,
Planning & Administration, and Finance.

Organization

 Railway System is divided into 11 divisions

 Three major Workshops:

 Ywataung Locomotive workshop

 Insein Locomotive workshop

 Myitnge carriage & wagon workshop

 All headed by General Managers

6
INDIA

DIVISION ( 1 ) MYITKYINA
Kunming
CHINA
D(1) DIVISION ( 2 ) YWATAUNG

D(2)
DIVISION ( 3 ) MANADALAY
VIETNAM
D(3)
D(10) Ha Noi DIVISION ( 4 ) KALAW
D(4)
D(11)
DIVISION ( 5 ) TOUNGOO
D(5) LAOS
D(6) THAILAND Vientiane DIVISION ( 6 ) YANGON
Yangon
D(7) DIVISION ( 7 ) YANGON
D(9)
Nakhon Sawan
Mawlamyaing
D(8)
DIVISION ( 8 ) MAWLAMYINE

Bangkok
DIVISION ( 9 ) HENZADA
CAMBODIA
DIVISION ( 10 ) PAKOKKU
Phnom Penh

DIVISION ( 11 ) BAGAN

Railways
Network
of
M.R

Yangon Circular &

Suburban Line

7
Existing Infrastructure
(a) Track
Length
Item Remarks
Mile Km

Single line Route Mile 3101.45 4962.32 Rails Wt:

Rails 75 lb RBS
Double line Route Mile 415.00 664.00
Rails 60 lb RBS
Total Route Mile 3516.45 5626.32
Rails 60 lb BS
Total Track Mile 4632.64 7212.22 Rails 50 lb ANSC

(b) Major Facilities & Equipment

Description Number

Number of Stations 889

(a) Block Stations 524
(b) Wayside Stations 365
Tunnels 12
Bridges 11203
Buildings 21191
Plant & Machinery 675
Wooden Sleeper 7612537
P.C Sleeper 2845074
Yangon Circular Line (Route Mile) 29.50 mile
(Route Kilometre) (47.52 km)

8
(c) Motive Power & Rolling Stock

(i) Locomotive Fleet

Year
Type
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-2010
Steam Locomotive 39 37 37 37 37

Diesel Locomotive

(a) Diesel Electric 200 207 228 243 249

(b) Diesel Hydraulic 97 100 100 100 105

Total:- 297 307 328 343 354

Grand Total:- 336 344 365 380 391

(ii) Number of Passenger Coaches

Type 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-

2010
Upper Class 244 297 311 325 327
Ordinary Class 611 651 651 638 666
Mail Vans 16 14 14 14 14
Brake Vans 102 102 102 99 104
Restaurants 9 17 17 17 22
Others 123 116 116 116 122
Total:- 1105 1197 1211 1209 1255

9
(iii) Number of Freight Wagons

Year
Type
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-2010
Covered Wagon 1414 1333 1290 1290 1371
Open Wagon 607 576 575 575 643
Low Sided
Open Wagon 416 400 398 398 398
High Sided
Timber Wagon 588 559 547 547 481
Tank Wagon 233 233 233 233 233
Brake Van 97 94 95 95 95
Others 116 109 111 114 134
Total:- 3471 3304 3249 3252 3355

(d) Railways Service

Train Type Nos of Train per day

(October-2010)
Passenger Trains
Express 42
Mail & Others 70
Mixed 66
Rail Bus 72
-----
Total 250
-----
Yangon Suburban Trains 200
Freight Trains 18
-------------------------------------------------
Total Trains 468
-------------------------------------------------

10
(e) Traffic Volume
Passenger and Freight Traffic

(Million)
Year
Classification
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-2010

No. of Passenger
Main 36.66 38.08 36.73 34.58 33.74
Suburban 32.61 34.62 39.22 38.97 37.86
Total 69.27 72.70 75.95 73.56 71.60
Passenger Mile 2969.00 3297.00 3378.40 3348.90 3337.70
Ton Carried 2.88 2.82 2.93 2.95 3.33
Ton Mile 570.10 551.10 535.40 569.91 658.25

(f) Financial Statement( Operating Ratio)

(Kyats in million)
Actual
Classification
2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-2010
REVENUE
- Passenger 18510.44 20433.62 20541.74 20204.27

- Goods 4867.70 4625.82 5468.98 7689.97

- Others 1794.87 2196.40 2104.36 2210.64
Total Revenue 25173.01 27255.84 28115.08 30104.88

EXPENSES
- Operating expenses 37677.07 43635.92 52600.70 58864.77

- Interest. 24.24 27.68 26.50 36.61

Profit & Loss on 1.49 (-)6.98 (-)8.85 (-)5.41
foreign Exchange.
Total Expenses 37702.80 43656.62 52618.35 58895.97

- Operating Ratio. (without interest) 149.68% 160.07% 187.06% 195.51%

- Operating Ratio. (with interest) 149.77% 160.17% 187.15% 195.64%

11
 Part . II

National Plans for Railway Development

Projects Included in the Vientiane Plan of Action for

GMS Development, 2008-2012

12
 2. TRN . 024
Bridge over Mekong betweenXiengkok and Kyainglap
including Access Road from Tarlay to Kyainglap
(Lao PDR and Myanmar)

* Construction of suspension bridge has been

proposed
* The access road from Tarlay- Kyainglap
(Myanmar side) is under Construction

* Lao PDR & Myanmar are seeking financial

assistance for Construction of the bridge.

3. TRN . 038 Dawei Deep Sea Port and Road Link to Thailand.

 Just after signing of MOU, between

Italian–Thai Development Public Co.,
Ltd (ITD) and Myanmar Port Authority
(MPA), ITD dispatched a survey team
to conduct soil exploration and survey
works at the project site in Dawei area.
 ITD carried out the following program for
development of the project after full
completion of pre-engineering works:-
(a) A preliminary engineering design and
a feasibility study
(b) An environment impact assessment
(c) To submit project proposal to the
Government of the Union of
Myanmar for
receiving of permission.
 The framework agreement for Dawei
Deep Seaport, Industrial Estate, Road
and Rail Link to Thailand project was
signed by ITD & MPA on 2nd
November, 2010.

13
 This project includes the following works

(1) Development of a new deep sea port

(2) Ship building and maintenance service facility
(3) Industrial estate
(4) Petrochemical complex
(5) Oil refinery
(6) Steel mill
(7) Hydropower project
(8) Road and railway link between Dawei and Bangkok
(9) Oil pipe line and etc

 The Project will be implemented under three phases

within ten years.

 Dawei Deep Seaport, Industrial Estate and Road & Rail

Link to Thailand Construction Project is the first-ever
Special Economic Zone in Myanmar.

14
  The 170 km each long motor
road and railroad that will link
Dawei Deep Seaport to
Myanmar-Thai border will be
built phase by phase. The road
will reach GMS Southern
Corridor that leads to Vung Tau
and Quy Nhon of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam through
Sisophon of Cambodia via
Bangkok of Thailand.
 The 220 meter-wide road
includes an eight-lane highway
together with railroad,
pedestrian lane, Local road,
Union road and Traffic islands.
Oil and Natural Gas pipelines
will be laid in parallel wit motor
road and railroad.

4. TRN. 040
Improvement and Maintenance of Navigation Channels along the
Lancang – Mekong River (PRC, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand)

The improvement of Khon Phi

Laung Shoal was included in the
navigation channel improvement
project on the Upper Mekong
River which was approved by
the four countries and could be
conducted as soon as the
boundary demarcation between
Laos and Thailand is completed.

15
R3 Tachileik-Kyaington-Mongla Road (256 km) (Myanmar)
(Along North-South Corridor)

Completed

Lashio-Muse (176 km) (Myanmar)

(Along Northern Corridor)

Completed

1. TRN . 021
East – West Economic Corridor
Thinganyinaung - Kawkareik
(Myanmar)

16
 Myawady – Thingannyinaung Upgraded Portion

Maesot

Myawady
Thingannyinaung

Kawkareik

Upgrading of the first (18 km) section of Maesot / Myawady to

Thingannyinaung, with grant aid of Thai Government, was completed in June,
2006.

AH1 at Myawady

34

17
36

18
 Thingannyinaung – Kawkareik New Alignment

Myawady

Thingannyinaung

C
Kawkareik

This project involves construction on the new alignment between Thingannyinaung

and Kawkareik.Detailed design was completed in 2008 with Thailand’s grant of
about Baht 15 m.

Expansion of National Railways Network

(1) Kyangin–Pakkoku 512.00 km

(2) Katha-BaMaw 156.80 km

(3) Dawei-Myeik 212.00 km

(4) Moene-Kyaington 361.60 km

(5) Pyawbwe-Magwe 152.00 km

(6) Minbu-Sittway 411.20 km

(7) Pathein-Yangon 142.40 km

(8) Hinthada-Nyaungdon 76.80 km

(9) Naypyitaw-Pinlong 192.00 km

(10) Myitkyina-Namsan 760.00 km

(11) Monywa-Kalay 216.00 km

(12) Taungoo-Loikaw 240.00 km

(13) Pyay-Taungoo 192.00 km

Total 3624.80 km

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 Cross – border railways connections
Railway Lines of International Importance in Myanmar
Existing lines
Mandalay-Yangon = 617 km
Mandalay-Lashio = 313 km
Mandalay-Kalay = 539 km
Bago-Thanbyuzayat = 270 km
Missing lines
Kalay-Tamu = 127.4 km**
Lashio-Rueli = 141.8 km**
Thanbyuzayat-Three Pagoda Pass = 110 km**

** The route lengths of missing lines are

referred from feasibility reports

Construction cost for missing links of interconnection with other

countries
Sr Missing link Distance Construction
Cost
(USD mil)
(a) Kalay-Tamu 127.4 km 97.68

(b) i Lashio-Muse 141.9 km 479.47

(b) ii Lashio-Muse 126.13 km 1850~2000

(c) Thanbyzayat- Three Pagoda Pass 110 km 246.00

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 Summary of Feasibility Studies

(a). Indian-Myanmar Rail link (Kalay-Tamu)

* Conducted by RITES Ltd.
2004-2005
* The scope of the study
¤ New rail link
(i) Jiribam-Moreh (219 kms) India
(ii) Tamu-Kalay (127.4 kms) Myanmar
¤ Rehabilitation of existing line
Kalay-Mandalay (513 kms) Myanmar
* The construction cost of the project
# Tamu-Kalay  97.68 mil USD.
(new line)
# Kalay-Mandalay  162 mil USD.
(Rehabilitation)
* Freight Demand Forecast
2.48 mil tons in 2027-28
* The Financial Analysis
Jiribam-Moreh (-) 1.7%
Tamu-Kalay (-) 1.2%
Combined (-) 1.3%
Under optimistic scenario, FIRR could
improve to (-) 0.6%
* Comparison of transport between Yangon & New Delhi
Without Project With Project
Transit time 22 days 9 days
per TEU cost 2000 USD 800 USD

21
(b). (i) China-Myanmar Rail link (Lashio-Muse-Rueli)
* Conducted by 2nd Railway Survey and
Design Institute, 2005.
* The scope of the study
A metre-gauge railway line
Lashio-Muse-Rueli (141.88 km)
(Change of Gauge)
* Route Description
32.93 km (60 major and medium
bridge) 23%
52.37 km (51 tunnels) 37%
56.58 km Rolling 40%
* The investment cost
479.47 mil USD (RMB 3598 mil Yuan)

* Demand Forecast in 2030

Total Trade Total Transport
Volume Volume
Myanmar-China 8.9 mil (USD) 10.3mil tons
Myanmar-Southwest 5.2 mil (USD) 6.28mil tons
China
Sino-Myanmar Railway
Freight Volume  4.5 mil tons
* Financial & Economic Evaluation If the calculation scope extends to Mandalay
# FIRR < 0 # FIRR = 0.57 %
# Repayment period of investment > 25 yrs. # Repayment period of investment = 24.61 yrs.
(RMB 0.10/person-km, RMB 0.10/ton-km) # EIRR = 10.87

(b). (ii) China-Myanmar Rail link (Lashio-Muse-Rueli)

The Second time Feasibility Study

* Conducted by 3rd Railway Survey and

Design Institute, 2010.

* The scope of the study

A Standard-gauge railway line
Lashio-Muse-Rueli (126.13 km)

* Route Description
26.12 km (50 bridge)
53.43 km (31 tunnels)
24% gradient

* The investment cost

RMB 12~13 million Yuan
* Demand Forecast in 2035
Traffic Volume (mil ton)
Myanmar-China 12.07
China-India 6.85
China-Africa 11.51
China-Thailand 1.51
Total 31.94

* Financial Evaluation
# FIRR = 3~5% (after tax) > 3% Benchmark
rate of return

22
(c). Thailand-Myanmar Rail link (Thanbyuzayat-Three Pagoda Pass)

* Conducted by KOICA
2005-2007
* The scope of the study
# Thanbyuzayat-Three Pagoda Pass (110 km)
(Myanmar)
# Three Pagoda Pass-NamTok ( 153 km)
(Thailand)
* The construction cost for Myanmar side
246.171 mil USD.

* Total Traffic Demand Forecast

In the case of medium demand
scenario;
2017 2027 2037
Freight ton 0.7 mil 3.1 mil 5.7 mil
Passenger 0.06mil 0.2 mil 0.5 mil
* Economic Evaluation
In the case of the medium demand scenario
B/C ratio = 0.74
EIRR= 8.1% < discount rate 12%
The project is not viable economically.
Financial Evaluation
For the medium scenario, FIRR = 0.4%

The cost of rehabilitation (or) up-gradation of the existing railway lines

Link Distance Estimated Cost Reported by

(USD mil)

Mandalay-Kalay 513 km 162. RITES. Ltd.

Yangon-Mandalay 617 41 UNESCAP

Bago-Moktama 202 819 km (1999)

Mandalay-Lashio 313 km 704 UNESCAP

(1999)

Total 907

23
 Part . III

Key Constraints to Railway Development and

Interconnection

Technical & Operational obstacles

(a) Compatibility with technical standards of TAR
Comparison of clearance (Vehicle gauge & Structure gauge)

MYANMAR TAR
Width Height Width Height
Vehicle gauge 2,590 mm 3,429 mm 2,820 mm 3,950 mm
Structure gauge 3,770 mm 3,770 mm 3,810 mm 5,100 mm

24
 (b) Axle load and other technical standard
Item TAR MR
Freight 80 km/hr 48 km/hr
Target speed
Passenger 120 km/hr 68 km/hr

Radius of Rolling 800 m

200 m
Curvature Mountainous 150 m
Maximum Rolling 1.00% 1.00%
Gradients
Mountainous 1.20%-1.25% 4.00%
Rail section UIC 54 37 kg/m
Track P.C
Sleeper P.C
Structure W.S
Depth ballast 250 mm 120 mm
Axle load 20 ton 12.5 ton

(c) Number of bridges along the railway lines of International Importance

Number of bridges no. of bridges

Section over headed
<30 m 30 m subtotal truss girder
Yangon-Mandalay 900 61 961 19

Mandalay-Kalay 514 26 540 10

Mandalay-Lashio 713 10 723 -

Bago-Thanbyuzayat 230 28 258 7

Total 2357 125 2482 36

25
 GOKHTEIK VIADUCT

# erected by an American Firm in 1900.

# 2200 feet long and the height of the tallest pier is 320 feet.
# suffered severe damage during the World War II and was built in 1951.

* Maximum permissible load

has to be reduced to 220 tons.
* Train speed is very low.
* To stop and start at the sand
track
* Train length not more than
600 feet.

Four Reversing
(Mandalay-Lashio)

26
Before linking International railway lines
Preparations and measures undertaken by Myanma Railways
(a) Construction of Thanlwin rail-cum-road bridge

Length of Bridge = 3.528 km

Completed in 2006

(b) Construction of direct railway Linkage to Mandalay trunk line

Mandalay
Daik-U By constructing a new railway link
Einchaylayse of 38 km which connects Bago –
Mawlamyine rail line to Yangon–
Mandalay rail line, a train from
Thailand can run directly to
38 km Mandalay without passing Bago.

51 km This new bypass shortened the

Mawlamyine – Mandalay rail route
mile by 57 km.

44 km Sathwargon

Bago
Mawlamyaing

Yangon

27
 (c) Construction of double track on Yangon-Mandalay line

* Yangon-Kyidaungkan and Mandalay-Myohoung sections had been already double tracked

* The rest line Kyidaungkan-Myohoung (240 km in length) was completed in November, 2007.
* So the whole (Yangon-Mandalay) main line has been double tracked.

(d) Upgradation of track on Yangon-Nyaunglaybin

# MR received a soft loan USD 10 million from OPEC fund.

# MR purchased a tamping machine & a Flash-butt welding machine.
# Along this section, the short-welded rails are being laid.
# MR set up a P.C sleeper plant which can produce 150,000 per year.

28
(e) Rehabilitation of track on Bago-Mawlamyine-Thanbyuzayat-Ye line

This project was being undertaken with the following works:

■ Renewal of 75 lb/yd rails in place of existing 60 lb/yd rails.
■ Installation of P.C sleepers.
■ Filling ballast to be thickness of 100 mm to 150 mm.
■ Purchasing an another P.C sleeper plant to be built at Moktama (by Indian loan)
The completion period will be extended to 2010 because of financial constraints.

(f) Up-gradation of signalling and telecommunication system along

Yangon-Mandalay trunk line

The following works will be undertaken:

■ To lay Optic Fibre cable along Yangon-Mandalay line
■ To install the double line token- less block instrument with axle counter.
■ To adopt interlocking system at some major stations along this line.
■ To fix colour light signal at some stations along this line.
■ To improve train control system on this line.
The project commenced in 2006 and will be completed in 2010.

29
 Prioritization

1. Expansion of domestic railway network.

Within our own
resources.
2. Rehabilitation (or) Up-gradation of existing network.

3. Construction of cross-border missing links to the neighbouring countries.

(by financial & technical assistance)

THANK YOU

30