All Aboard! Riding the Rails in the Greater Mekong Subregion
An ambitious effort is underway to connect the rail systems of Mekong countries so that passengers and freight can move seamlessly across borders.
An ambitious effort is underway to connect the rail systems of Mekong countries so that passengers and freight can move seamlessly across borders.
Sometimes misunderstood as highway projects, the concept of economic corridors can be complex and confusing. Though not simple, they are powerful tools for reducing poverty and increasing economic growth.
Economic corridors, like the East-West Corridor running through the Greater Mekong Subregion, are much more than just highways. They link a variety of economic activities and have wide-ranging impacts.
The Myanmar government recently approved a project that will ensure the completion of the Greater Mekong Subregion East-West Economic Corridor, which stretches from Danang, Viet Nam to Yangon, Myanmar.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (29 November 2010) - The Asian Development Bank will extend $95 million to help the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Viet Nam upgrade roads in the northeastern transport corridor that offers trade and poverty reduction benefits to both countries, as well as the wider Mekong region.
A new regional railway brings hope for growth to Cambodians, and reminds older Cambodians of prosperous times before recent decades of conflict.
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (4 August 2011) - Countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) are poised to move the GMS Economic Cooperation Program into a second generation of initiatives over the next 10 years.
VIENTIANE, LAO PDR (30 June 2011) – Progress in developing the economic corridors in the Greater Mekong Subregion will be a key indicator of the success of the GMS Economic Cooperation Program, delegates at today's Third Economic Corridors Forum meeting heard.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (27 December 2010) - The Asian Development Bank will provide a technical assistance grant to help countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion achieve greater connectivity through coordinated railway development.
In the People's Republic of China, a four-lane expressway—half of it bridges and tunnels—through one of the most biodiverse regions in the world is facilitating trade and raising incomes for farmers.