communication between Rangoon and Myitkyina will be established.
From Thazi, already mentioned, starts a line to the Southern Shan States. It has been completed only as far as Heho in the State of Yawnghwe, part of the work having been done by Turkish prisoners of war. An extension towards the Yawnghwe valley is being surveyed.
The total length of railways, all on the metre gauge, is 1605 miles, quite inadequate for so large a country. Arakan has one very small line, a few miles in length; Mergui and Tavoy have no railways. Lines from Pyinmana to Taungdwingyi; from Alon to Saingbyin in the direction of Yeu; from Moulmein to Ye in Tavoy, are to be built immediately out of profits made by Government from rice control during the War.
Projects for linking Burma with China, with India, and with Siam have long been under discussion. In process of time, a railway will no doubt be built from Chittagong through the Arakan Division to, or near to, Akyab, and thence to the Irrawaddy opposite Prome, where the river may be bridged. With China, but perhaps not for many years, railway communication, when established, will connect Bhamo with Tengyüeh, Talifu, and Yunnanfu. The difficulties of this route have been ascertained not to be insuperable.
The lines to Prome and to Mandalay have yielded handsome returns from the outset. Burmans take kindly to railway travelling and on an average the whole population travels by rail twice a year. Except in the neighbourhood of Rangoon, trains do not run very frequently. In some places, there is only one train a day in each direction; in others, there are not more than two or three trains a week. The easy-going Burman sits contentedly on the platform for half the day awaiting the arrival of the fire-carriage (mi-yata).
Roads. The total length of metalled roads is 1972 miles.
