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With new link, a Lisbon-Singapore rail odyssey

Paul Heymont Paul Heymont
 

A last 260-mile stretch of railroad between two cities in Laos has filled in the missing link for travelers to make an 11,654 train trip from Portugal to Singapore.

Rail travel maven Mark Smith, the Man in Seat 61, has calculated that with all the connections needed, the trip would take about 21 days, with connections in, among others, Paris, Moscow, Beijing and Bangkok. But before you rush out for a ticket, check carefully: there are sporadic closures due to Covid rules.

The missing link, from Boten to Vientiane, is part of a joint China-Laos project that has taken five years to build. The new line is intended eventually to continue on through Bangkok, Malaysia and to Singapore; in the meantime, travelers will need to switch to existing lines. One Reddit user, gtGoSEVe, created a map showing the route.

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The best part of every trip is realizing that it has upset your expectations

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Paul HeymontPaul HeymontGumbo Guru

As a note, a recent article in Japan Times suggests the financing of the railway may not work out to Laos's benefit, as it involves a joint venture with China in which Laos holds 30% of the shares, an investment financed by a loan from China, which also lent the joint venture funds to build the railway.

Terms are predicated on the railway turning profits within five years, which may not happen, especially if there is delay in China's plans to extend the high-speed line as far as Singapore.

The best part of every trip is realizing that it has upset your expectations

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