China’s rail boom continues apace with the exciting news that the nation’s mind-bogglingly large train network is expanding to both teeth-chatteringly cold climes near Russia and delightful tropical vacation destinations in Southeast Asia.
Construction is set to begin in October on the first phase of a planned railway connecting Yunnan’s provincial capital Kunming to Singapore, reports People’s Daily. This stretch will run through Thailand, connecting Bangkok to the north of Thailand, and will eventually link up with the long-anticipated Trans-Asian Railway, which was first conceived by British and French colonialists to connect China with all of Southeast Asia’s mainland countries. If all goes to schedule, the first Thai section of track will open by the end of 2017.
Plans to build this epic international rail network have been repeatedly foiled by everything from political turmoil and corruption to budget issues and challenging terrain. There are in fact three proposed routes connecting Kunming with Bangkok: a western track that would run through Myanmar, an eastern line traveling through Vietnam and Cambodia, and a central line going through Laos.
The proposed Kunming-Singapore Railway with unfinished sections in yellow.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the country in the far northeastern province of Heilongjiang, China has begun trial operation of a high-speed railway between Harbin and Qiqihar. This 280-km route has the highest latitude of all of China’s high-speed rail lines and will boast trains that have been specially designed to withstand minus 40°C temperatures and freezing weather conditions, including snow, fog and strong winds. The line will open in August, according to China Daily.
SEE MORE: Planes, trains and automobiles: A zoom through China’s infrastructure explosion
[Image via Wikipedia]
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