Bright View Steam Locomotive Tours’ manager Zaw Weik says that after the inaugural service the train will then run every Tuesday. The distance between the two locations is around 50kms and takes passengers on an odyssey through the heartlands of Myanmar.
Bagan is home to in excess of 2,000 ancient Buddhist temples and pagodas and is one of the Southeast Asian nation’s key tourist attractions. Kyaukpadaung is close to the 1,518-metre-high Mt Popa. This volcano is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists and offers commanding views of the surrounding landscapes from its summit.
The new vintage train service is geared towards tourists and includes a round-trip journey from Bagan to Kyaukpadaung, a side trip to Mt Popa, a rest stop in a traditional village and lunch. The chance of riding the Bagan Express does not come cheap and Bright View is selling tickets at US$250 each for the daytrip package.
Zaw Weik says the hefty cost of tickets is necessary as steam locomotives have high operational and maintenance costs. The train has a capacity of 120 passengers per trip. Local tourist bureau president Zaw Win Cho was upbeat about the service and said that well-heeled tourists do not balk at paying almost US$400 for one-hour flights on hot-air balloons.
Steam train tours set to depart Bagan
News in Asia
A tourism operator in Myanmar is making the final preparations for the inaugural voyage of its heritage steam train service. The maiden service is due to depart from Bagan’s railway station next Tuesday for its day’s outing to Kyaukpadaung.