Length (km)	737.3
Length (miles)	458.1
Status	in service

Date	From		To	Length (miles)	Length (km)	Remark
Openings
??.04.1903	Pathein	–	Hinthada	82.3	132.4
??.??.1907	Hinthada	–	Kyangin	64.8	104.2
28.02.2008	Kyangin	–	Kanma	73.1	117.6
16.10.2009	Kanma	–	Thayet	29.2	47.0
20.11.2009	Kyunchaung	–	Pakokku	26.3	42.4
19.09.2010	Minhla	–	Minbu	25.5	41.0
??.??.2010	Minbu	–	Kyunchaung	104.4	168.0
??.??.20??	Thayet		Minhla	52.6	84.7

	km		Height (m)
	0.0	Pathein
	22.93	Begarat
		W11 from/to Hlaingtharya
		W12 from/to Nyaungdon
		W13 from/to Hinthada Shore
	132.4	Hinthada
	236.6	Kyangin
	297.6	Oakshitbin
	354.2	Kanma
	401.2	Thayet
	474.5	W14 to Sainggya
	485.9	Minhla
	526.9	Minbu
		W15 from/to Sittwe
	694.9	Kyunchaung
	732.3	W16 from/to Atet-Nyin
		W17 from/to Kalaymyo
	737.3	Pakokku
		W20 from/to Chaung U

Construction of the first railway line west of the Irrawaddy river in Central Myanmar started in the early 1900's. The fertile Irrawaddy delta became Burmas rice breadbasket and the British made its colony to the largest rice exporter worldwide. Thus construction of a railway line for transportation became mandatory. In December 1902 the section from Pathein to Hinthada was opened. At Hinthada a ferry service over the Irrawaddy river was introduced to Tharrawaw on the other side off the river to traject wagons and locos. Tharrawaw is connected with a railway line to Letpadan on the line Yangon - Pyay (see lines Letpadan - Tharrawaw and Yangon - Pyay). Six years later the line was prolongated further north up to Kyangin which became the terminus of the line for 100 years. In the 21st century the government kicked off plans to prolongate the line along the western shores of the Irrawaddy river from Kyangin up to Pakokku. As usual for newly constructed lines in Myanmar construction worked kicked off on both sides as well as in intermediate sections. This lead to isolated sections which were operated immediately after construction was finished. Rolling stock was transported to these isolated sections using trucks. I presume the complete line between Kyangin and Pakokku is already finished, however I have no official opening dates for the remaining sections.

Length (km)	79.7
Length (miles)	49.5
Status	in service

Date	From		To	Length (miles)	Length (km)	Remark
Openings
30.10.1993	Chaung U	–	Tawkyaungyi	11.9	19.2
12.12.1993	Minywa	–	Pakokku	31.9	51.4
??.03.2004	Tawkyaungyi	–	Minywa	5.7	9.1

	km		Height (m)
		N11 from/to Khin-U
	0.0	Chaung U
		N11 from/to Ywataung
	19.2	Tawkyaungyi
		Chindwin River
	28.3	Minywa
	79.7	Pakokku
		W17 from/to Kalaymyo
		W10 from/to Pathein

The railway expansion programme that the Myanmar government kicked off in the 1990's projected building lines from Pakokku to Kalaymyo (see line Pakokku - Tamu) in the far northwest of Myanmar as well as building a railway line along the western shores of the Irrawaddy river down to Kyangin (see line Pathein - Pakokku). Therefore Pakokku needed to be connected to the Myanmar railway network first. Thus a line branching of at Chaung-U (on the line Ywataung - Khin-U ) to Pakokku was built. Building the line meant crossing the large Chindwin river and that's way construction of the line took more than ten years. The sections Chaung-U - Tawkyaung and Minywa - Pakokku which run through flat plains were already opened in 1993, the latter section was operated as an isolated line which is typical for new railway lines in Myanmar. In March 2004 the 1,510.9m long Sin Phyu Shin bridge crossing the Chindwin river was completed and Pakokku was finally connected with the rest of the railway network.

Length (km)	155.0
Length (miles)	96.3
Status	out of service?

Date	From		To	Length (miles)	Length (km)	Remark
Openings
??.??.20??	Begarat	–	Hlaingtharya	96.3	155.0

	km		Height (m)
		W10 from/to Pathein
	0.0	Begarat
		W10 from/to Pakokku
		W12 from/to Hinthada
	87.9	Nyaungdon
		Ayeyawaddy River
	155.0	Hlaingtharya

This line planned by the military junta should connect Pathein in the Irrawaddy delta with Yangon however without crossing the Ayeyawaddy River near Yangon. Construction works seem to be finished according to satellite images, however no official opening dates are known to me and I don't know whether there was ever regular service on this line.

Length (km)	75.6
Length (miles)	47.0
Status	out of service?

Date	From		To	Length (miles)	Length (km)	Remark
Openings
??.??.20??	Nyaungdon	–	Hinthada	47.0	75.6

	km		Height (m)
		W11 from/to Hlaingtharya
	0.0	Nyaungdon
		W11 from/to Begarat
		W10 from/to Pathein
		W13 from Hinthada Shore
	75.6	Hinthada
		W10 from/to Pakokku

This line planned by the military junta should connect Hinthada on the line from Pathein to Pakokku with Yangon (however without crossing the Ayeyawaddy River near Yangon) by branching of at Nyaungdon which lies on the line from Yangon to Pathein. It would have opened a second strategic line from Yangon into the north of Myanmar on the western shores of the Ayeyawaddy River. Construction works seem to be finished according to satellite images, however no official opening dates are known to me and I don't know whether there was ever regular service on this line.

Length (km)	4.4
Length (miles)	2.8
Status	out of service

Date	From		To	Length (miles)	Length (km)	Remark
Openings
??.??.1901	Hinthada	–	Hinthada Shore	4.4	2.8
Closings
??.??.????	Hinthada	–	Hinthada Shore	4.4	2.8

	km		Height (m)
		W10 from/to Pakokku
	0.0	Hinthada
		W10 from/to Pathein
	4.4	Hinthada Shore
		Tharrawaw
		C11 to Letpadan

This short branch connected the isolated line Pathein - Hinthada - Kyangin with a ferry crossing the Irrawaddy river and thus allowing trajection of rolling stock between the isolated line and the rest of the Myanmar railway network. Trajects have stopped several years ago and the formerly isolated line is now connected with the network due to the prolongation to Pakokku (see line Pathein - Pakokku). Whether this short branch is used anymore is unknown to me.

Length (km)	20.9
Length (miles)	13.0
Status	in service?

Date	From		To	Length (miles)	Length (km)	Remark
Openings
??.??.20??	Minhla	–	Sainggya	13.0	20.9

	km		Height (m)
		W10 from/to Pakokku
	0.0	Minhla
		W10 from/to Pathein
		Ayeyawaddy River
		C91 from/to Magway
	20.9	Sainggya
		C91 from/to Taungdwingyi

The railway network on the western shores of the Ayeyawaddy was greatly expanded under the military junta in the 1990s and 2000s (several lines still under planning/construction). However the western network was only connected to the remaining railway network with the bridge over the Ayeyawaddy River at Saggaing near Mandalay. Thus, the military junta had planned for a second link crossing the Ayeyawaddy River further south towards Yangon. The link was realized between Minhla and Saggaing just south of Magway. According to satellite images the large combined rail and road bridge across the Ayeyawaddy River is finished. However it is unknown to me whether the line was ever finished and has ever seen any regular traffic.

Length (km)	422.6
Length (miles)	262.2
Status	partly in service?, partly under construction (works stopped), partly planned

Date	From		To	Length (miles)	Length (km)	Remark
Openings
19.04.2009	Yaychabin	–	Sittwe Pyidawtha	17.1	27.5
15.05.2010	Kyauktaw	–	Yotayok	42.3	68.0

	km		Height (m)
		W10 from/to Pathein
	0.0	Minbu
		W10 from/to Pakokku
		under construction
	32.7	end of visible construction works
		planned
	257.1	Mrauk U
		under construction
		Kaladan River
	320.0	Kyauktaw
	378.5	Ponnagyun
	388	Yotayok
		planned
	395.1	Yaychabin
	422.6	Sittwe Pyidawtha

The Rakhine State which stretches along the Upper West Coast of Myanmar had to wait a long time for ist first railway line (if you do not mention the small 762mm Arakan Light Railway which only operated between 1919 and 1926). As part of the railway expansion programme the government has decided to connect the Rakhine state with the rest of the Myanmar railway network. The line has to cross a high mountain range that divides the Rakhine State from the rest of Myanmar, thus construction of the line will require building of hundreds of bridges and tunnels. As usual for new railway projects in Myanmar construction already started in parts where the line is easy to build. Thus two isolated lines around Sittwe have already been opened in 2009 and 2010. Construction works east of the Kaladan River and west of the mountain ranges until Mrauk U ar visible on satellite images, however it seems, that construction works were stopped. At the starting point in Minbu construction works are also visible until the foot of the Rakhaing Mountain Range. For the large part in between crossing the mountain ranges no traces of construction can be seen on satellite image, construction plans are also unknown to me. Most probably the line will never be constructed. Regular traffic on the isolated parts near Sittwe have also been stopped most probably.

Length (km)	13.0
Length (miles)	8.1
Status	in service

Date	From		To	Length (miles)	Length (km)	Remark
Openings
??.??.20??	Pakokku	–	Atet-Nyin	8.1	13

	km		Height (m)
		W20 from/to Chaung U
		Pakokku
		W17 from/to Kalaymyo
	0.0	W10 from/to Pathein
		Ayeyawaddy River
		C24 from/to Myingyan
	13.0	Atet-Nyin
		C24 from/to Pyinmana

The railway network on the western shores of the Ayeyawaddy was greatly expanded under the military junta in the 1990s and 2000s (several lines still under planning/construction) and the city of Pakokku (which was not connected to the railway network until a few years ago) had turned into a railway junction. However the western network and Pakokku was only connected to the remaining railway network with the bridge over the Ayeyawaddy River at Saggaing near Mandalay. Thus, the military junta had planned for another link crossing the Ayeyawaddy River near Pakokku. The link was realized between Pakokku and Atet-Nyin. According to satellite images the line looks finished and as in service.

Length (km)	365.0
Length (miles)	226.8
Status	in service?

Date	From		To	Length (miles)	Length (km)	Remark
Openings
13.11.1994	Pakokku	–	Myosoe	34.7	55.9
18.03.1995	Myosoe	–	Zipyar	27.4	44.1
23.04.1995	Natchaung	–	Kalaymyo	15.8	25.5
05.02.1996	Gangaw	–	Natchaung	69	111
09.04.1997	Zipyar	–	Kyaw	31.4	50.6
27.01.2005	Kyaw	–	Gangaw	48.4	77.9	initially temporary track with reversals, since 27.01.2007 1.8km long tunnel

	km		Height (m)
		W20 from/to Chaung U
	0.0	Pakokku
		W10 from/to Pathein
	55.9	Myosoe
	100.0	Zipyar
	133.5	1st reversal
	134.1	2nd reversal
	150.6	Kyaw
	164.9
		Tunnel (1,840.5m)
	166.7
	192.6	Yemyetni
	228.5	Gangaw
	339.5	Natchaung
		PN1 from/to Monywa
		PN1 from/to Tamu (India)
	365.0	Kalaymyo

The railway expansion programme that the Myanmar government kicked off in the 1990's included a line from Pakokku to Kalaymyo. With a length of more than 300km this line was the longest one in the railway expansion programme. As usual for new railway projects in Myanmar construction started at several places and isolated sections were put into operations once finished. Pakokku was only connected to the rest of the railway network in 2004 when the line from Chaung-U reached Pakokku (see line W20 Chaung-U - Pakokku). The first sections from Pakokku towards Kalaymyo were opened in 1994 and 1995, Kyaw was reached two years later. From the endpoint in Kalaymyo the first sections towards Pakokku were opened in 1995 and 1996, Yemyetni was reached in 1997. Between Kyaw and Yemyetni a high mountain range posed a lot of problems to the engineers. It was decided to climb over the mountain range using several reversals. During construction works it was then decided to build a tunnel, with a length of more than 1.8km it became the longest tunnel in Myanmar. The line over the range using the reversals was built anyway and formed a temporary line. Whether the temporary line ist still maintained after opening of the tunnel is unknown to me, no traces of the temporary line can be found on satellite images. The tunnel was opened on the 27st of January 2007 and thus the complete line was finished. There are further plans to expand the line to Tamu (north of Kalaymyo) on the border to India. This would open up the opportunity to connect the Myanmar railway network with the Indian railway network ans would close a missing links for a transcontinental line from Europe to Singapore via Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia (will require gauge changes from 1,435mm to 1676mm to 1,000mm) . There are plans to close the other missing link between Myanmar and Thailand as Thailand is planning to connect a deep sea port at Dawei with its railway network (see line S30 Mawmyaing South - Myeik). As the section between Kyaw and Yemyetni was poorly constructed it gets washed away regularly during the monsoon season. It seems that the line is currently not servicable and it is doubtful whether regular train service exists on the other sections.