Provincial Geographies of India/Volume 4/Chapter 18
CHAPTER XVIII
RAILWAYS AND ROADS
Railways. Partly because of its unrivalled waterways, partly because in the dry season the ordinary Burmese springless bullock cart, often on solid wheels, can be driven over the reaped fields, mostly because for many years Burma was hardly treated by the Imperial Government and allowed a share of its revenues too scant to provide adequately for its development, the Province is still insufficiently equipped in the matter of land communication. It was not till 1877, more than fifty years after the acquisition of Tenasserim and Arakan, a quarter of a century after the conquest of Pegu, that the first railway from Rangoon to Prome, 161 miles in length, was opened. In the next seven or eight years a line was built from Rangoon to Pegu and extended to Toungoo which, at a distance of about 160 miles, had up to that time been more than a week's journey from the capital. Owing entirely to the insistence of Sir Charles Bernard, the continuation of this line to Mandalay was taken in hand in the first year of the occupation of Upper Burma. The country being flat and engineering difficulties few, the whole length to Mandalay (384 miles) was completed and opened for traffic early in 1889. From Mandalay a line runs through Maymyo to Lashio, the headquarters of the Northern Shan States (180 miles). From the foot of the hills to the Maymyo plateau the line zigzags up the side of the cliffs, with the inevitable corkscrew. The intention was to continue the line as far as the Salween at Kunlôn Ferry, with the design of piercing China and reaching Talifu. But doubts were cast on the commercial possibilities of the project, and the line remains suspended in mid-air at Lashio. One of its most striking features is the famous viaduct at Gôk-teik. In length 1620 feet, this stands 325 feet over a natural bridge of rock, itself some 500 feet above the bottom of the gorge which it spans. Far below are a torrent and caves hung with stalactites. From the railway are seen the lovely waterfalls of the Myitngè. A branch runs to the lead mines at Bawdwin.
Fig. 64. A Railway Station.
From Mandalay a short line runs to Amarapura, linked by a steam ferry with Sagaing whence starts the railway to Myitkyina in the far north, 724 miles from Rangoon. This line passes through Shwebo, the old land-locked Shan State of Wuntho, and Mogaung, the jadeite depot, sending a branch from Naba to the river at Katha. A daily ferry service connects Katha with Bhamo. Branch lines run from Thazi on the Mandalay railway, through Meiktila to Myingyan on the Irrawaddy; from Sagaing to Alôn on the Chindwin; from Pegu through Thatôn to Martaban, opposite Moulmein. A line connects Bassein with Henzada and Kyangin on the Irrawaddy; and Henzada connects
Fig. 65. On the Southern Shan States Railway.
with a branch of the Prome line by a railway ferry. So one can travel by rail from Rangoon to Bassein, Bhamo, and Myitkyina, but in each case with the aid of a ferry service. Some day the long projected bridge over the Irrawaddy at Sagaing will be accomplished and unbroken railway communication between Rangoon and Myitkyina will be established.
From Thazi, already mentioned, starts a line to the Southern Shan States. It has been completed only as far as Heho in the State of Yawnghwe, part of the work having been done by Turkish prisoners of war. An extension towards the Yawnghwe valley is being surveyed.
The total length of railways, all on the metre gauge, is 1605 miles, quite inadequate for so large a country. Arakan has one very small line, a few miles in length; Mergui and Tavoy have no railways. Lines from Pyinmana to Taungdwingyi; from Alon to Saingbyin in the direction of Yeu; from Moulmein to Ye in Tavoy, are to be built immediately out of profits made by Government from rice control during the War.
Projects for linking Burma with China, with India, and with Siam have long been under discussion. In process of time, a railway will no doubt be built from Chittagong through the Arakan Division to, or near to, Akyab, and thence to the Irrawaddy opposite Prome, where the river may be bridged. With China, but perhaps not for many years, railway communication, when established, will connect Bhamo with Tengyüeh, Talifu, and Yunnanfu. The difficulties of this route have been ascertained not to be insuperable.
The lines to Prome and to Mandalay have yielded handsome returns from the outset. Burmans take kindly to railway travelling and on an average the whole population travels by rail twice a year. Except in the neighbourhood of Rangoon, trains do not run very frequently. In some places, there is only one train a day in each direction; in others, there are not more than two or three trains a week. The easy-going Burman sits contentedly on the platform for half the day awaiting the arrival of the fire-carriage (mi-yata).
Roads. The total length of metalled roads is 1972 miles. Of unmetalled roads, 10,570 miles are reckoned. Many of these are merely rough tracks, clouded with dust in the dry weather, soaked with mud in the rains. The principal metalled roads are those from Rangoon to Prome; from
Fig. 66. On the road to Fort Hertz.
Rangoon to Pegu; from Mandalay to Maymyo; from Thazi to Taung-gyi; from Thabeik-kyin to Mogôk. The three roads last mentioned wind along hill sides, between lofty cliffs and sheer precipices, with many curves. They are quite practicable for motor traffic. The road from Myitkyina to Fort Hertz (Putao) is a mule-track.