Myanmar

Myanmar (Burma) — Riding the circular train in Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)

Nick Morris

Nick Morris

— 6 min read

All aboard — exploring Yangon by train

March 2015

The Circular Train was an excellent way to see Yangon. It is the ‘locals’ transport, and I got to see the ‘real’ Yangon (Rangoon) by taking the train.

I arrived at the station and asked for the next departing train — I was told it would be leaving from platform seven at 10:10 am.

I found platform 7, over the bridge at the far left-hand end of the main railway building. Platform 7 was the last platform at the end of the bridge.

I waited on the 10:10 am train, and at 10:25 am, I was still sitting there, and no other passengers had joined me.

Finally, I asked someone on the platform if I was on the correct train; they didn't know but sent me to a small office. The man in the office told me the train I needed would be departing in 10 minutes from platform 2. I had been sitting on the 11:45 am.

The person in the central part of the station didn’t know which train went from what platform or where it went.

I bought my ticket from the office on platform 7 and headed to platform 2. The ticket cost 1000 kyats (US$1.00; £0.65).

Photo by Author — ticket to ride the circular train of Yangon
Photo by Author — ticket to ride the circular train of Yangon

The waiting area in the central part of the train station was huge and almost empty.

Photo by Author — main waiting area at Yangon Train Station
Photo by Author — main waiting area at Yangon Train Station

And it was clear this was the ‘local’ train as some passengers were heading to the local markets.

Photo by Author — pots stacked on the platform — Yangon Train Station
Photo by Author — pots stacked on the platform — Yangon Train Station

Below is a photo of the first train I was on — the wrong train.

Photo by Author — the wrong train — Yangon Train Station
Photo by Author — the wrong train — Yangon Train Station

The train looked like it would be an interesting ride. There was no air conditioning, no windows, and no doors. And I liked the use of ceiling fans.

I think riding on such a train would have been a real experience.

Photo by Author — the interior of the train — Yangon Train Station
Photo by Author — the interior of the train — Yangon Train Station

The engine at the front looked old and had been well-used.

Photo by Author — the engine — Yangon Train Station
Photo by Author — the engine — Yangon Train Station

I was disappointed that I was not catching it.

As I walked onto platform two, the 10:25 am Circular Train, with air conditioning, pulled into the station.

Compared to the train I had left on platform 7, it looked modern and comfortable.

Photo by Author — my train for the morning — Yangon Train Station
Photo by Author — my train for the morning — Yangon Train Station

The train carriages had air conditioning. The carriage exits didn’t have doors, so it was possible to hang out of the train and take photos with no glass getting in the way. But, there was the risk of getting hit in the face by a tree.

Photo by Author — tree! — why you shouldn’t hand out of train doorways taking photos
Photo by Author — tree! — why you shouldn’t hand out of train doorways taking photos

There was a rather casual approach to railway safety in Yangon (Rangoon). People wandered up and down the tracks and crossed the lines. At stations, it was standard for people to get on and off the train on the non-platform side.

In one case, I saw a person in flip-flops do a ‘running dismount’ as the train approached the station. He did this dismount on the non-platform side of the train. He faced the direction of travel and ‘flared’ out in a star shape. He had hold of the door rail with his left hand and had his left foot was on the running board. He then dropped to the ground and started running. Quite impressive. I would have face-planted and ended up under the wheels of the train.

Photo by Author — just taking a stroll down the track — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — just taking a stroll down the track — Yangon Railway

At most stations, there was a dash to get on and off the train. There was no hanging around. The train would pull out of the station as people were still joining or leaving the train.

Photo by Author — the mad dash on and off the train — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — the mad dash on and off the train — Yangon Railway

The views from the train were interesting. There were a surprising number of shacks dotted along the track.

Photo by Author — shacks by the track — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — shacks by the track — Yangon Railway

One thing that was quite depressing and alarming was the amount of rubbish seen from the Circular Train. The amount of discarded plastic littering the banks and choking the waterways was staggering.

Photo by Author — plastic choking the waterways — view from the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — plastic choking the waterways — view from the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — plastic choking the waterways — view from the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — plastic choking the waterways — view from the Yangon Railway

I was on the train outside the peak hours, and it was still heavily used. It must be crazy onboard for peak travel.

Photo by Author — off to the market — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — off to the market — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — a passenger on the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — a passenger on the Yangon Railway

And despite all the rubbish along and beside the tracks, many farms looked very well-kept.

Photo by Author — farming by the track — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — farming by the track — Yangon Railway

The contrast between the poor, run-down housing and the farms along the Circular Train route was striking.

Photo by Author — more farms by the tracks — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — more farms by the tracks — Yangon Railway

The farms were incredibly well looked after and immaculate and tidy.

Photo by Author — farming in Myanmar — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — farming in Myanmar — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — countryside near the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — countryside near the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — along the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — along the Yangon Railway

And almost at the furthest point of the journey from central Yangon (Rangoon) was the most oddly named station — Golf Course. Weird.

Photo by Author — the Golf Course Station — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — the Golf Course Station — Yangon Railway

What made the journey on the Circular Train special were the people.

It was an excellent place for people watching and a fantastic way to experience the Yangon area.

Photo by Author — a passenger on the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — a passenger on the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — waiting by the track — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — waiting by the track — Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — a passenger on the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — a passenger on the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — a passenger on the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — a passenger on the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — riding the Yangon Railway
Photo by Author — riding the Yangon Railway

The Circular Train was a great way to see Yangon (Rangoon).

The train runs from the centre of Yangon (Rangoon) into the countryside before looping back toward the city centre. It took about 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours to complete the circuit.

The train was a great way to see Yangon (Rangoon) and the people of Yangon (Rangoon) going about their daily lives. The biggest shock for me during the trip was the level of pollution I saw, and it was mainly plastic.

The trip was worth the time and the cost (1,000 kyats ($1.00; £0.65)), as you got to see the true Yangon (Rangoon). If you can’t handle the heat, get the air-conditioned train because even standing in the open door of a moving train, it is still very hot.

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