Yangon Circular Railway

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Mainline rail interchange Yangon Circular Railway
ရန်ကုန် မြို့ပတ် ရထား
YANGON CIRCULAR RAILWAY MYANMA JAN 2013 (8493581492).jpg
Overview
Owner Myanmar Railways
Locale Yangon
Transit type Commuter rail
Number of stations 39
Daily ridership 100,000-150,000
Headquarters Yangon
Operation
Began operation 1954
Number of vehicles 21
Technical
System length 45.9 km (28.5 mi)
No. of tracks 2
Track gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 38 in)
Average speed 15.3 km/h (9.5 mph)
System map

Yangon Circular Railway (Burmese: ရန်ကုန် မြို့ပတ် ရထား [jàɴɡòʊɴ mjo̰baʔ jətʰá]) is the local commuter rail network that serves the Yangon metropolitan area. Operated by Myanmar Railways, the 45.9-kilometre (28.5 mi) 39-station loop system connects satellite towns and suburban areas to the city. The railway has about 200 coaches, runs 20 times and sells 100,000 to 150,000 tickets daily.[1][2][3] The loop, which takes about three hours to complete, is a way to see a cross section of life in Yangon. The Railway is heavily utilized by lower-income commuters, as it is (along with buses) the cheapest method of transportation in Yangon.[4][5]

The service hours are from 3:45 am to 10:15 pm daily. The cost of a ticket for a distance of 15 miles is two hundred kyats (~eighteen US cents), and that for over 15 miles is four hundred kyats (~37 US cents).[6] Tickets on air-conditioned trains are slightly more expensive (100 MMK) and are sold at all stations, In Yangon central station Platform 7 they are available in a little ticket office on the platform.

History

Yangon Circular Railway was built during colonial times by the British.[7] The double track railway was built in 1954.[8]

In July 2011, the Ministry of Rail Transportation announced that it intended to privatize the Yangon Circular Railway, since the government-run system operates at a loss for the government, with monthly operating costs about 260 million kyats (US$325,000) and monthly revenues about 42 million kyats (US$52,500).[9] Ticket prices have been kept low because of ministry subsidies.[10]

In December 2012, Japan International Cooperation Agency began its collaboration with Yangon City Development Committee to develop a master plan for the Greater Yangon region, including the issue of public transport.[11]

Stations

The loop network consists of 39 stations, linking various parts of Yangon. Map from train is shown to the right, with approximate location of stations.

The loop begins from Yangon Central Railway Station to Mingaladon Railway Station near Yangon International Airport, via Insein to the west and Okkalapa in the east.

The major stations are as follows:[12]

Circular Trip

The entire circular trip takes approximately 3 hours.

The timetable for departure at Yangon railway station is shown to the right. Note that there are several comments elsewhere on the Internet about inaccurate departure.

Notation "R" indicates eastbound at Yangon railway station, thus in anticlockwise direction, and "L" is the opposite direction.

Gallery

References

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