THE case for railway development within, and between Asean countries with land borders, is clear cut. A move for both freight and passenger traffic will meet economic, social and environmental requirements by lessening the need for trucks and buses and jeepneys and an abundance of taxis to transport goods, commodities and people both long and short distances.
Given the complexities and investment costs involved, the process of expanding rail haulage is long term but is beginning, and as Southeast Asia’s gross domestic product growth continues to be robust, development of transport infrastructure is a growing priority. Prospects for better mainline rail links are also improving with many projects now under way, or in the planning stage, including high-speed networks. It is, however, going to take massive investment and commitment to move traffic from roads.
Capital intensive projects are often beyond the national budgets. As a result, increasingly, the public-private partnership (PPP) model is seen as the most viable means of reviving long-dormant transportation ventures throughout the region. The development of major transport infrastructure ventures, in partnership with the private sector, are already well established in Malaysia and Singapore.
Singapore is working on a number of new Mass Rapid Transport projects, including two new lines and extensions to existing tracks. Singapore is also upgrading older parts of its rail network. Indonesia is pressing ahead with a range of railway projects designed to stimulate the export of bulk commodities such as coal. Investment in urban transportation needs is also being prioritized in Thailand, with six new mass-transit systems proposed or being built in Greater Bangkok. The plan is to provide the capital with 410 kilometers of electric railway by 2020. Vietnam is working on a 20-km urban railway line in Ho Chi Minh City.
The PPP model also features strongly in plans by the Philippine government to develop railway and mass-transit projects. Unfortunately, not much is happening because of an ineffective Department of Transportation and Communications. Commuters are suffering badly due to rail system that is badly maintained and has not been extended for decades. Manila commuters are dreaming of 410-km mass-transit system planned for Greater Bangkok!
Southeast Asia is becoming a focus market for rail industry suppliers, as long-awaited proposals for new rail and mass-transit projects move nearer to the implementation phase in several countries. In the long term, the future of rail transport in the region may be high-speed networks. However, railway development also calls for careful attention to environmental impact in sensitive areas and adequate compensation for communities displaced in areas where new track is developed. The process is going to be long term but Asean’s new railway age is definitely beginning.