22 Jan
Yangon circular trains managed and operated by Myanma Railway (MR) (Lower Myanmar) No 7 Division have reduced their operations since the start of the COVID-19 second wave in September.
According to the General Manager of Yangon Railway Station, MR is planning to extend its operations from the existing 12 to 57 runs with the launching of three more trains daily.
“Now, the up and down Yangon-Mandalay freight trains are running. Three Yangon circular trains are running 12 runs daily. Now, we are planning to extend the operations to 57 runs. We haven’t yet received any official notification when the new operations will start,” said U Thaung Htike, the Yangon Railway Station General Manager.
Although MR announced on 20 January the train fares with the train schedules operated across the country through www.yangonnation.com, the official notification has not been received yet at the Yangon Railway Station.
So far, MR has upgraded the circular railway with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). As the Yangon circular railway services were launched in 1958, it has been about 60 years now. Major repairs and upgrades were started only this year. The project is being funded by a US$207.8 million loan from Japan, and K54.5 billion from the national budget, MR stated in its announcement.
All upgrading processes will be completed this year. About 3,700 passengers use the circular trains daily on weekdays while about 3,100 are using them on the weekends.
Thant Zin Win (Translated by Hay Mar)
