It may not be as high-speed as those bullet trains that whoosh
through Japan but a new rail line in China that provides a link to
Myanmar is nevertheless an important step in the proposed trans-Asia
railway.
China last month opened the 133km Dali-Baoshan section of the planned
330km rail corridor to Ruili, a city close to the Myanmar border.
The 140km/hr single track electric railway - construction started in
2008 - is likely to be on the wish list of rail-obsessed travellers. The
track passes through impressive mountain ranges, crosses rivers and
valleys and includes long tunnels to offset the impact of strong cross
winds.
China National Railway is operating seven passenger return trips per
day, three running from Kunming to Baoshan and four from Dali to
Baoshan.
The line passes through several ethnic minority areas which will likely feature on the bucket list of intrepid travellers.
Meanwhile, the China-Laos railway opened in December last year, a
414km track running between the Laotian capital Vientiane and the town
of Boten on the Chinese border.