Myanma Railways has decided on a route for a high speed railway linking Mandalay with Muse on Myanmar’s northern border. It could dramatically increase access between the two countries. The route will begin in Amarapura, just south of Mandalay, and pass through 11 townships. These includes Pyin Oo Lwin and Hsipaw, U Htay Hlaing, deputy general manager of Myanma Railways, told The Myanmar Times.

The route will span 414 kilometers and take three hours from start to finish. Myanma Railways said, the run-time is down from the previous travel time of 15 hours. The railway project is part of the ongoing China-Myanmar Economic Corridor project, a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It aims to create a trade route spanning from China to west Asia and eastern Europe. The project has been in the works since October 2018, when the Ministry of Transport and Communications green-lit a feasibility study from the China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group. According to a Myanmar Times report, the line will have 36 stations and cost roughly US$7 billion.

With this announcement, the railway project seems on schedule for completion, although recent violence has threatened cities that lie along the new path, including the town of Hsipaw, from which more than 50 tourists were recently evacuated. In the past, ambitious transportation routes have proven to be flash-points for conflict with armed ethnic groups. When improvements began on the highway linking Yangon and Mae Sot, Thailand, for example, tensions increased between the union government and armed Kayin militias, who began extracting tolls from travelers.

Whether or not the railway project will lead to new conflict remains to be seen. For now, Myanma Railways cannot even begin construction until it completes a social-environmental impact study. The completion date could be years away from commencement.