Historical Rangoon Railway Station to be Relocated

The following article by Saw Yan Naing originally appeared in the Irrawaddy on-line newspaper (http://www.irrawaddy.org Link dead by May 2023) on 15th November 2007. The Irrawaddy is essential reading for all people with an interest in Burma...

The historical, British Victorian-style Rangoon Railway Station near downtown Rangoon will be relocated to East Dagon Township.

Rangoon railway station [Photo: Myanmar Times]

The station is among nearly 190 buildings on the Rangoon City Development Committee’s list of Burmese heritage structures worthy of preservation.

An official told The Irrawaddy, “Yes, we will move, but it is not possible to move right now.”

No date for the move has been announced. Construction on new railway station has not yet begun.

Maj-Gen Aung Min, the minister for railway transportation, inspected the area where the new railway station will be built, according to a November 6 2007 story in the state-run newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar.

A villager near the site of the new station said that some villagers' land has been taken over by authorities.

A Rangoon resident said, "They [authorities] are doing such useless things. They are moving all bus stations and railway stations outside the city. If they used the relocation fees to improve the old railway station, it would become a very good one."