One of Yangon’s oldest stations with relics from the past
- Thiri Street, Mee Taung Field, Insein
- 24/7
A bit of history
Insein Railway Station was on the very first railway line ever built in the country: the 163-mile (262 km) line from Rangoon to Pyay. It was the year 1877 and in those days infrastructure was a lucrative investment in the colony. This line was built by Irrawaddy Valley State Railway, one of the three private railway companies active in the market. Insein was an important station on the line because the railway yard and factory were here.
About the Circular Railway
Almost a century later, when the companies had all merged into the Burma State Railways, a local commuter rail network was set up around Yangon city. The 45.9-kilometre 39-station loop system still has an operational fleet of 200 coaches and serves over 100,000 daily passengers. Once again, Insein is a key station, it serves as a turning point and railway yard.
Relics from the past
On the overhead bridge, you see a ‘marker’ that reads ‘United Engineers & Contractors, Rangoon’, the century-old construction company that built many of the country’s infrastructure projects. The old red-tiled building on the station (now abandoned) was the original waiting room.