YANGON: A freight train carrying rocks was detonated on the Yangon-Mawlamyine railway line near Kalikyun village, Moe Kaung Village Tract, Thaton township, Mon State, and some of the freight cars derailed, causing damage to the railway, according to officials from Mawlamyine station.
On May 25, at around 8 am, train No.687 Down freight train, which included 19 cars including a locomotive, departed from Thae Phyu Kone station in Paung Township for Taungoo town. It was detonated near milepost (124/3) near Kalikyun village, Moe Kaung Village Tract, Thaton Township, at around 9:30 am, an official from Mawlamyine station said.
He continued, “The mine-bearing carriage and four train carriages derailed. The two other carriages tilted. In addition, the train track was cut about 200 feet on each side.”
He said that due to the mine-damaged freight train, Yangon-Mawlamyine train services have been temporarily suspended and that officials will continue to handle the situation.
Officials are conducting inspections to repair the derailed freight carriages and damaged train tracks as soon as possible.
On May 6, at around 5:30 am, the 80-foot-long bridge, also known as the Sinroe Chaung River Bridge, between Hnin Pale Station and Taung Son Station on the Yangon-Mawlamyine Railway near Thin Taw Gyi Village in Kaw Ka Dut Village Tract, Bilin Township, was detonated and destroyed, with a length of about 40 feet of the bridge collapsing.
Due to this situation, Yangon-Mawlamyine Down and Up trains were temporarily suspended from May 6 and resumed operations only on May 10.
Similarly, at around 8:30 am on May 17, the authorities cleared the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted on Bridge BR-75 between Mileposts 120/23 and 120/24 of the Yangon-Mawlamyine Railway near Don Wun Station in Don Wun Village, Thaton Township.
Since February 1, 2021, the Yangon-Mawlamyine Railway has been attacked with mines at least 14 times, including railway bridges, passenger trains and freight trains, according to local sources. - Eleven Media/ANN
