On October 17, the first anniversary of the official opening and operation of the flagship project of the "the Belt and Road" cooperation between China and Indonesia was celebrated. The Jakarta Bandung high-speed railway is the first high-speed railway in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, with a total of 5.79 million passengers transported since its opening. From the China Laos Railway to Ya'an Wanzhou High speed Railway, to the China Thailand Railway under construction and the East Coast Railway of Malaysia (referred to as "Malaysia East Railway" for short), new progress has been made in the grand blueprint of the Trans Asian railway network, and new momentum of regional cooperation has been gradually released. This is a woman photographed at Vientiane Station of Laos China Railway in Vientiane on October 12. Xinhua News Agency reporter Cheng Yiheng photographed Yawan Feichi: Opening the prelude to the era of high-speed rail in Southeast Asia. "The existence of the Yawan high-speed rail has ended the era of no fast trains in Southeast Asia, marking a new era in Indonesia's railway construction," said Indonesian Minister of Transport Budi Kariya Sumadi. The Jakarta Bandung high-speed railway has a total length of 142.3 kilometers, connecting the Indonesian capital Jakarta with the tourist city of Bandung. After the official opening of the Yawan high-speed railway on October 17, 2023, the travel time between the two cities has been shortened from over 3 hours to 46 minutes. During peak hours, 52 trains can operate daily, with a daily passenger capacity of 18000 to 22000. Now, the Jakarta Bandung high-speed railway has become a new tourist check-in point in Indonesia, and many Indonesian people who are taking this high-speed railway for the first time are eager to take photos with the train and share them on social media. The Jakarta Bandung high-speed railway not only provides a safe, efficient, and comfortable new mode of transportation, but also drives the development of industry and commerce in cities along the route, accelerating Indonesia's modernization process. Eva Hyrunisa, Secretary General of Indonesia China High Speed Railway Co., Ltd., said that the Jakarta Bandung high-speed railway has driven real estate appreciation and the emergence of new residential areas in cities along the line, promoting sustainable economic growth in Indonesia. This is the construction site of Section 4-3 of the China Thailand high-speed railway project located in Ayutthaya, Thailand, captured on October 11th. Xinhua News Agency reporter Sun Weitong's photo of the road network: The grand blueprint of the Pan Asian Railway has made new progress. The population of ASEAN has exceeded 600 million, making it a development hotspot that is currently attracting global attention. However, the high mountains and dense forests in many parts of ASEAN, coupled with unique geographical conditions, have led to a serious shortage of transportation infrastructure construction in the region. In 1995, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir proposed the idea of the Pan Asian Railway. In 2006, 18 member countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific signed the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans Asian Railway Network, marking the formal cooperation of Asian countries in building and connecting regional railway arteries. However, due to factors such as funding, technology, and the international political environment, the Pan Asian Railway has not made substantial progress for many years. On December 3, 2021, the Laos section of the China Laos Railway was officially opened to traffic with a whistle in Vientiane Railway Station in Laos. Previously, the total length of railways in Laos was only 3.5 kilometers. After the opening of the China Laos Railway, 422.44 km of new railway lines were added in Laos, making the per capita railway mileage in Laos jump to the first place in ASEAN countries. The Laotian people have been wanting to have a railway for a long time The Vice Chairman of the Lao National Assembly, Songma Benshana, was once moved to tears. According to the data released by China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd., in the first half of this year, the total number of passengers sent by the China Laos Railway reached 9.896 million and the total number of goods sent by the railway reached 10.049 million tons. Mechanical and electrical products and agricultural products made in China, as well as natural rubber and tropical fruits from Laos and Thailand, have achieved "two-way travel" through the China Laos railway, injecting strong impetus into port economy, cross-border tourism and people to people and cultural exchanges. In Ayutthaya, Thailand, the construction of the China Thailand high-speed railway parallel to the old tracks is intensifying. The first phase of the project will connect Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima, an important town in northeastern Thailand. The second phase of the project will extend to the corridor in northeastern Thailand to connect with the China Laos railway and directly reach Kunming, China. After the railway is connected, it will further promote connectivity among countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion. This is a drone photo taken on October 11th at the construction site of Section 4-3 of the China Thailand high-speed railway project located in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Tana) Building the Future Together: Towards Prosperity in Connectivity Azril Hakim, a 25-year-old engineer who graduated from the Civil Engineering program at Pahang University in Malaysia, works at the Eighth Division of the Malaysia East Rail project. He arrives at the construction site at 8 o'clock every morning on time to prepare for the day's work. The Malaysia East Rail connects Kota Bharu on the Malaysia Thailand border with the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, and is regarded as a "land bridge" connecting the east and west coasts of Malaysia. As of the end of September, the overall construction progress of the Ma Dong Railway has exceeded 70%, with 227 kilometers of mainline track laying completed. My professional field is very compatible with the project, and I can learn a lot from it Azriel said, "My Chinese masters are very kind and considerate. Whenever I encounter any problems or difficulties, they are willing to help me." Since the start of the project, Ma Dong Railway has trained more than 1300 local professionals. In 2023, Azriel was named the best employee for the project. "I hope that the project can be successfully completed on time, which will benefit more people." The successful operation of the China Laos Railway and the Ya'an Wanzhou High speed Railway, as well as the positive progress of the China Thailand Railway and the Malaysia East Railway, have rekindled the enthusiasm and hope of Southeast Asian people for railways. In April of this year, Cambodian Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ban Pongne, announced plans to upgrade and speed up multiple existing railways in Cambodia, and to construct new high-speed railways; China and Vietnam have agreed to accelerate the feasibility study of the Lao Cai Hanoi Haiphong standard gauge railway and the planning and preparation of the Tongdeng Hanoi and Mangjie Ha Long Haiphong standard gauge railways; Indonesia is studying the possibility of extending the Jakarta Bandung high-speed railway to Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city; Malaysia and Singapore are also actively promoting the Malaysia Singapore high-speed railway... With multiple railways from planning to reality, more convenient flow of people, logistics, and capital will promote trade, investment, and cultural exchanges, drive regional economic integration, and promote economic growth in Southeast Asia. Jin Ping, director of the Institute of International Relations at the Royal Academy of Sciences in Cambodia, said that building railways is a long-term plan for several years or decades, which is enough to prove that the relationship between China and ASEAN countries is oriented towards the long term. Railways not only transport passengers and goods, connecting cities and countries, but also serve as a path to future prosperity. The railway network laid out in the southeast direction of the Asian continent and taking shape will accelerate the industrialization and integration of the Southeast Asian sub region, helping the local population of over 600 million to move towards a higher level of prosperity. (New Society)