Future of Laotian Railways

Information & Travel
User avatar
FrazeeDK
udonmap.com
Posts: 4909
Joined: February 13, 2006, 2:02 am
Location: Udon Thani Thailand

Re: Future of Laotian Railways

Post by FrazeeDK » March 13, 2009, 7:18 am

trains, bikes, cars or...

take the fast boat or slow boat Luang Prabang from the river port about 12km up river from vientiane.. Fast boat requires ear plugs and some butt cushions.. Slow boat stops all over and takes a couple of days..



bumper
udonmap.com
Posts: 8875
Joined: July 16, 2008, 1:54 pm
Location: London

Re: Future of Laotian Railways

Post by bumper » March 13, 2009, 7:43 am

Frazee how do you get past paying $30.00 for every visit?

I woudl like to spend some time ther but not all a once for example the boa ride sounds like a fun experience. But when you add $30.00 to it becomes a bit expensive

User avatar
LoongLee
udonmap.com
Posts: 846
Joined: February 15, 2009, 8:54 pm
Location: Virginia- Sic Semper Tyrannis

Re: Future of Laotian Railways

Post by LoongLee » March 13, 2009, 5:50 pm

FrazeeDK,,,, that boat trip sounds like a lot of fun,, I've read reports from people doing quite long trips up the Mekong but the majority seem to be young types. I would definitely need some Butt cushions. :D

Git,,, the travelogues I've read about bike trips thru Laos and VietNam all seem to use dirt bikes. Are there "crossover" bikes that would have the best attributes of both types for you to use?

bumper
udonmap.com
Posts: 8875
Joined: July 16, 2008, 1:54 pm
Location: London

Re: Future of Laotian Railways

Post by bumper » March 13, 2009, 6:24 pm

Rte 2 is supposed to be a good paved road all the way to Vietnam, that might be it on my bike. Or the occasional paved road I have a gtriders map of Lao, but haven't really done any trip planning yet. So there might be more. But, you right most of the guys use dirt bikes, rented in Lao. 250 CC normally, they have rental shops in Vientene

Image

User avatar
LoongLee
udonmap.com
Posts: 846
Joined: February 15, 2009, 8:54 pm
Location: Virginia- Sic Semper Tyrannis

Re: Future of Laotian Railways

Post by LoongLee » March 13, 2009, 10:42 pm

It would be a great adventure... but I think one would have to be absolutely comfortable eating local food of all types. :-k

bumper
udonmap.com
Posts: 8875
Joined: July 16, 2008, 1:54 pm
Location: London

Re: Future of Laotian Railways

Post by bumper » March 14, 2009, 7:00 am

Possibly once you got past the big cities, But the Loa food isn't much different then what we eat here.

Malayasia is easy to cross into with a bike, probably will try that first. Cambo is easy but only one paved road that I know of, I need t follow uo on GTridres and see what he current status is getting into Lao and the hoops you need to jump through whatever it currently is probably would be the same for a car.

I know form NKP yuo see a very different Lao from what you see in Nong Kia and it is really beautiful.

I won't even consider it now until after the rainey season is over. After Lao language would be a huge problem as well, Worth hiring a guide to do,. Wifw woudl eb qwith me o sh xccould get by with Issan I think in Lao.

User avatar
FrazeeDK
udonmap.com
Posts: 4909
Joined: February 13, 2006, 2:02 am
Location: Udon Thani Thailand

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by FrazeeDK » February 2, 2014, 10:11 pm

dug up this old thread after doing some Google Research on the Kunming Vientiane rail plan.. I had no idea that several weeks ago ground was broken on the Savannakhet to Vietnam rail link. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/ra ... 53336.html

This will give Issan easy access to Danang's deep water port.. Unfortunately the article doesn't give detailed info on track gauge or if it will be double tracked..
Dave

rreddin
udonmap.com
Posts: 236
Joined: January 11, 2011, 9:32 am

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by rreddin » February 2, 2014, 10:53 pm

FrazeeDK wrote:dug up this old thread after doing some Google Research on the Kunming Vientiane rail plan.. I had no idea that several weeks ago ground was broken on the Savannakhet to Vietnam rail link. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/ra ... 53336.html

This will give Issan easy access to Danang's deep water port.. Unfortunately the article doesn't give detailed info on track gauge or if it will be double tracked..
Extending the line west to khon Kaen and linking up with the existing railway there would be a logical move. Doing that would literally make Khon Kaen the crossroads of Asean, not Udon, as Asian Highway 16 runs from Vietnam, through Laos, passes through Thailand at Khon Kaen and Phitsanaluk before joining AH 1 to the deep water port at Yangon.

User avatar
parrot
udonmap.com
Posts: 10925
Joined: March 19, 2006, 8:32 pm

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by parrot » February 2, 2014, 11:00 pm

I'm guessing that the 'government' in Laos is able to do things -- handshakes with Chinese over loan deals and land leasing along the tracks, environmental studies, and land acquisition -- that the Thai government will debate for years to come.

It'll take another CEO-like PM to cut through the bs and make mega projects happen again...and that doesn't appear to be likely any time soon given the current state of affairs here. Anyone care for some overpriced stale rice?

User avatar
FrazeeDK
udonmap.com
Posts: 4909
Joined: February 13, 2006, 2:02 am
Location: Udon Thani Thailand

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by FrazeeDK » February 3, 2014, 10:44 am

well Parrot, the Lao government reputedly is run by around 15 families who dominate the Politburo. Fewer folks to pay off and get agreement on projects. The word from Lao acquaintances is that these folks have been totally bought off by the Chinese to the tune of millions of dollars.. So, getting agreement from the Lao political class allowing the Chinese to move forward infrastructure projects is easy..

As for eastern expansion of the SRT, that was in the news a couple of years ago. The plan was to spur off the main Nong Khai-Khorat rail line south of Khon Khean and go northeast to Sakon Nakhon... Supposedly the project was approved and funded.. Heading dead east to Mukdahan and Savannakhet would be easy..

Anyone know if the Mukdahan-Savannakhet bridge has rails laid in the middle like the one in Nong Khai??
Dave

rreddin
udonmap.com
Posts: 236
Joined: January 11, 2011, 9:32 am

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by rreddin » February 3, 2014, 11:30 am

FrazeeDK wrote:well Parrot, the Lao government reputedly is run by around 15 families who dominate the Politburo. Fewer folks to pay off and get agreement on projects. The word from Lao acquaintances is that these folks have been totally bought off by the Chinese to the tune of millions of dollars.. So, getting agreement from the Lao political class allowing the Chinese to move forward infrastructure projects is easy..

As for eastern expansion of the SRT, that was in the news a couple of years ago. The plan was to spur off the main Nong Khai-Khorat rail line south of Khon Khean and go northeast to Sakon Nakhon... Supposedly the project was approved and funded.. Heading dead east to Mukdahan and Savannakhet would be easy..

Anyone know if the Mukdahan-Savannakhet bridge has rails laid in the middle like the one in Nong Khai??
There is not yet a rail track over Friendship Bridge 2, because there is no railway on either side of it to connect to. The bridge is a different design to the one at Nong Khai - it has central support towers. That means a rail tracks would have to be laid in one or both of the roadways. I am not an engineer, so I do not know if the bridge is strong enough to take freight trains.

User avatar
Laan Yaa Mo
udonmap.com
Posts: 9152
Joined: February 7, 2007, 9:12 am
Location: ขอนแก่น

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » February 3, 2014, 8:10 pm

I did not realise that Savannakhet is the second largest city in Laos. It seems so small. Luang Prabang would have been my choice for the runner-up position.
You only pass through this life once, you don't come back for an encore.

rreddin
udonmap.com
Posts: 236
Joined: January 11, 2011, 9:32 am

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by rreddin » February 3, 2014, 8:35 pm

Laan Yaa Mo wrote:I did not realise that Savannakhet is the second largest city in Laos. It seems so small. Luang Prabang would have been my choice for the runner-up position.
According to Wikipedia, the population of Savannakhet in 2012 was 120,000. I was there a few weeks ago. The population seemed like 120 and a few soi dogs.

User avatar
Laan Yaa Mo
udonmap.com
Posts: 9152
Joined: February 7, 2007, 9:12 am
Location: ขอนแก่น

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » February 3, 2014, 11:20 pm

Savannakhet does have some long, wide well-planned streets, courtesy of the French I suppose, but like you say there does seem to be much of a population.

It seems larger than Mahasarakham and, maybe, the size of Kalasin and Sukhothai.
You only pass through this life once, you don't come back for an encore.

User avatar
FrazeeDK
udonmap.com
Posts: 4909
Joined: February 13, 2006, 2:02 am
Location: Udon Thani Thailand

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by FrazeeDK » July 15, 2014, 2:23 pm

Just got back from a trip up to Vientiane where I met up with an old Lao friend. He's been working numerous road building projects down in the panhandle of Laos and tells me the planned and contracted Savannakhet to Danang railway is at dead stop. Evidently, the companies behind the project didn't do the appropriate planning with either the Thai or Vietnamese governments.. That said, he told me a new rail route is being surveyed to cross Salavan Province west to east and connect into Vietnam and on to Danang Port. Note that this will cross the Bolovens Plateau where Laos has huge assayed deposits of Bauxite (to make aluminum).. My friend believes the railway will support the mining of the Bauxite.
Dave

User avatar
Aardvark
udonmap.com
Posts: 5837
Joined: March 5, 2007, 9:08 am
Location: Perth Australia and Udon

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by Aardvark » July 15, 2014, 6:01 pm

Interesting, but who is likely to Mine the Bauxite, the Chinese or the Laos Govt ??

User avatar
stattointhailand
udonmap.com
Posts: 19113
Joined: October 25, 2007, 11:34 pm
Location: Oiling the locks on my gun case

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by stattointhailand » July 15, 2014, 7:16 pm

Aardvark wrote:Interesting, but who is likely to Mine the Bauxite, the Chinese or the Laos Govt ??
Probably a load of Aussies in between doing some SERIOUS R & R in Udon :lol:

User avatar
Aardvark
udonmap.com
Posts: 5837
Joined: March 5, 2007, 9:08 am
Location: Perth Australia and Udon

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by Aardvark » July 15, 2014, 7:30 pm

stattointhailand wrote:
Aardvark wrote:Interesting, but who is likely to Mine the Bauxite, the Chinese or the Laos Govt ??
Probably a load of Aussies in between doing some SERIOUS R & R in Udon :lol:
My line of Work, so interested approaching Retirement :D

bumper
udonmap.com
Posts: 8875
Joined: July 16, 2008, 1:54 pm
Location: London

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by bumper » July 16, 2014, 12:38 pm

I'm wondering how that will effect the dual rail system to Udon, we have Pot Ashe, that's about it.

I believe the theory was for Thailand's rail to to hook up with Lao and then on into China any thoughts?

User avatar
Lao-miner
udonmap.com
Posts: 125
Joined: November 7, 2009, 5:40 am

Future of Laotian Railways

Post by Lao-miner » July 16, 2014, 1:28 pm

This article was from the 30th of june, suggesting the rail line is still planned from savavvakhet/seno to Lao Bao, nothing about the boleven plateau

Construction of the US$5 billion funded Savannakhet-Laobao rail project to link the central part of Laos to Vietnam is set to kick off in December
this year.
The project developer
announced that the 220km rail
project to link Savannakhet to
the Laobao border checkpoint
is expected to complete within
four years, with a two year
construction and another two
years to test
the project.
According to a press release
from the Malaysian Embassy
to Laos, President of the Giant
Rail Company Limited, the
Malaysia-based developer of
the project, Mr Mohammad
Fadzwi Bin Hamidun said the
funding for the implementation
of the was already in place

The fund is located at
a bank outside of Laos and
is currently awaiting final
approval, procedural guidelines
on foreign currency remittance
and the right of concession by
the Lao government.
Giant Rail Company
Limited and its consultants
presented all aspects of the
project to the Lao government’s
relevant ministries and
departments in a meeting in
Vientiane on Friday.
The presentation covered
track work, bridges and
structures, town planning,
architectural components
and various systems to be
employed.
The company has proposed
realignment to the railway
corridor as the proposed
railway line inevitably passes
through populous areas,
shrines, an army shooting
range and factories.
Speaking at the press
conference held shortly after
the Friday meeting, Director
General of the Investment
Promotion Department under
the Minister of Planning and
Investment Mr Achong Laomao
said the Lao government had
not yet approved the proposed alignment.


Despite The large reserves of Bauxite, i think the Lao Bao project stands a better chance of ever being built than a rail link to the boleven plateau, It would certainly open up a lot of trade between lao and vietnam , the Lao bao plan is probably cheaper to build due to that region being relatively flat ( ish ) as apposed to the massive earthworks that would be needed to reach attepea, Its not impossible though and that province also shares a close proximity to the viet border , ive driven from Vientiane to nha trang that way a couple of years ago, spectacular country but an engineers nightmare, someone would need to cough up the bucks first anyway, the Laos wont there in the habit of waiting for someone else to do that , Lots of muttering about banning Bauxite mining from the boleven in favour of just leaving the natural beauty alone and growing coffee instead, which they already do , My line of work to so im keeping a close watch on it

Post Reply

Return to “Laos”