Myanmar Railways launched on Saturday an overnight express train, which will run between Yangon and Mon state capital Mawlamyine.
Those familiar with Myanmar’s colonial-era railway network will probably take the word “express” with a grain of salt, but the new carriages look fancier and track upgrades have shaved about an hour off the usual journey time.
The Number 83 leaves Yangon Central Station at 8pm and arrives at Mawlamyine Station at 5.15am the following day, while Number 84 makes the reverse journey, leaving Mawlamyine at 9pm and arriving in Yangon at 6am.
Tickets are 8,000 kyats for upper class and 4,000 kyats for ordinary class.
As is usually the case in Myanmar, the carriages are unlikely to be sleepers, though they should be air-conditioned just like the other coaches built using a US$45 million loan from South Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund.
The express trains are operating with 10 coaches—four upper class, five ordinary class and one passenger brake—according to state media.
Union Minister for Transport and Communications Thant Sin Maung helped inaugurate the service in Mawlamyine on Saturday. Speaking at the event, he said the arrangement of passenger seats follows the Ministry of Health and Sports’ Covid-19 guidelines.
For travellers who aren’t afraid of grogginess, the journey does open up a pleasant opportunity for a weekend getaway: arrive in Mawlawyine on Saturday morning and spend the next two days exploring the nature of Bilu Kyun (Ogre Island) as well as heritage buildings and pagodas in the historic city or even take a private boat up the Salween River to nearby Hpa-an before jumping back on the train and arriving for work in Yangon on Monday morning. Bring coffee, of course.
