Preliminary work on a railway project connecting Muse, near the China border, with Mandalay is due to begin next year. U Myat Thu, Mandalay Minister for Planning and Finance, told a daily that the line is among nine “essential projects” that form part of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC). The CMEC is part of Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which it hopes will shake up global trade. Myat Thu said that a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Muse-Mandalay railway is expected to be signed “soon”. The report said that a feasibility study by state-run Myanma Railway and China Railway Ervuan Engineering has already begun. Consultations are expected to continue once construction starts. The track will be reportedly 431 kilometres long, with electric trains running at up to 160 kilometres per hour. Earlier reports have said, the railway will run from Mandalay to Kyaukphyu, in Rakhine State, as well as a separate line to Yangon, although this has not been confirmed.