Photo essay: Experiencing true local culture on Yangon’s Circular Railway

The Yangon Circular Railway is currently undergoing a major renovation project, which started in mid-2018 and is slated to be completed in 2022. Upon completion, one loop of the city will take about 110 minutes, cutting travel time by about an hour.

Hustle and bustle at the main Circular Railway platform, Yangon Central Station. Operated by Myanmar Railways, the circular journey spans 39 stations across 45.9km. The price for one ticket is about K200 (S$0.18).

A train repairman at the garage near Mingaladon, close to Yangon International Airport.

The doors always remain firmly open on the train, and passengers often stand at the entrances to enjoy a little breeze.

Each time the train stops, vendors get on and off the train, selling fresh fruit, tea or bags of snacks. According to the Circular Railway’s Transportation Department, an estimated 2,000 vendors make a living on the line.

Trains parked at the yard in Yangon Central Station. Many are overgrown with vines and trees, as though they’ve been there for years.

Passengers take the shortcut across the rails to get to their final destination.

An exhausted mother and her young children take the Circular Railway home in the late afternoon.

The Circular Railway currently serves about 90,000 commuters daily and after the upgrade, it’s expected to accommodate up to 300,000 passengers daily by 2022.

SilkAir flies daily between Singapore and Yangon. To book a flight, visit singaporeair.com

SEE ALSO: An insider’s guide to Yangon, Myanmar

This article was originally published in the February 2020 issue of Silkwinds magazine

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