US$25 BIL PAN-ASIAN RAIL NETWORK MAY REMAIN A DISTANT DREAM

By P.Vijian

NEW DELHI, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- The mammoth railway network, linking
Singapore to Istanbul in Turkey, may still remain a distant dream as the
project needs a staggering US$25 billion (RM77.5 billion) to complete the
Pan-Asian link.

The 114,700km Trans-Asian Railway network, mooted in the 1960s by the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP), may face
several challenges, including political and security hurdles, besides project
financing.

"There's lack of commitment and governments are taking piece-meal approach.
Asean has a good structure, but implementation is lacking," said Madan B. Regmi,
an official from UNESCAP transport division, to Bernama.

The massive cross-continent rail network involves 28 countries, chugging
through a diverse political and economic landscape, from the island state of
Singapore, Malaysia, politically-sensitive Myanmar, densely-populated China and
India, flood-stricken Pakistan, Iran, and with Istanbul as its final
destination.

With global fatigue in funding following international money crunch after
the recent recession, project funding to lay the missing 8,300km rail track, is
likely to be a major snag to link major cities, say experts.

"The missing links in the Asian region are big, we need to address the issue
of different rail gauges used in different countries, old locomotives running in
Asia managed by public enterprises and funding will be a problem, these are the
key issues," he added.

The Pan-Asian network, envisaged by UNESCAP, was initiated to improve
connectivity, help slash travel time of goods and people, and act as a catalyst
to enhance cross-border trade and cultural exchanges.

With a lull looming large over the global economy, transport analysts
foresee the project being further delayed, despite almost 40 years of effort
to design the rail routes.

"Asia is growing in a big way. We need to connect the economies, the people
and the region. We need to think beyond our borders," added Madan.
-- BERNAMA


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