Singapore to China

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?fi ... ec=apworld

A rail line already runs from Singapore to Bangkok. From Bangkok, Ong said there are plans for two separate rail lines to Kunming. One rail track will snake across Cambodia and Vietnam, with a connecting track to Laos, while the other line will cut west through Myanmar.

Once again there is the question of gauge. The Singapore-Bangkok line is metre gauge. So is the Vietnam railway. So if there is a link to China will it make use of the existing metre gauge routes and merely build some new lines across Cambodia and Laos, or will they build a new standard gauge line for the whole distance?[/quote]

i wonder what the need for this railway is , given that all th countries have good sea access to each other . Still i quess , in conjunction with the Turkey to China railway , it provides direct service to Europe

David Benton wrote:i wonder what the need for this railway is , given that all th countries have good sea access to each other . Still i quess , in conjunction with the Turkey to China railway , it provides direct service to Europe

First, it reflects the growth of a China centred economic zone. And also the end of the Eurocentric world.
http://www.angelfire.com/mac/egmatthews ... emony.html

What it does mean is a direct rail connection between China and a number of developing countries. Vietnam is developing fast. Laos is not, so far and Cambodia is still a basket case. Of course Vietnam and China are traditional enemies so linking them together is problematic.

thats what i was thinking , by the time you crossed all those borders , it would be cheaper to sea frieght , say Singapore to china . but it makes more sense between nieghbouring countries .