Greater East Asia Railroad

File:Bridge over River Kwai.jpg

Burma Railway, one of the lines constructed as a part of this idea

was an idea for a railroad linking Japan with mainland Asia and Europe, formulated around 1941 during the Second Sino-Japanese War leading to World War II. Part of the plan included a tunnel or bridge somewhat similar to the more recent Japan–Korea Undersea Tunnel proposal.

Description

The idea of a unified railway operation in Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere is said to have come from the South Manchuria Railway around 1941. In August 21, 1942, the idea was proposed to the Japanese government along with ideas of bullet trains, which also included the construction of an undersea tunnel connecting Japan and Korea, similar to the more recent Japan–Korea Undersea Tunnel proposal. It is unknown how serious and realistic the government took the plan as, but the plan was later openly spread as a part of a propaganda. While the government insisted the percentage of the route needing additional construction was small, those already built lines had varying track gauge, which forced changing trains several times in areas. The government also argued that changing trains several times in such a large route shouldn't be taken as a large problem. At the time the idea first originated, some of the sections were not under Japanese occupation as well.

Studied routes

A report published in 1942 titled (About the Greater East Asia Through Railway) presents the following routes as proposals:

• , Connecting Tokyo and Syonan-to

1. TokyoTemplate:Spaced ndashShimonosekiTemplate:Spaced ndashPusanTemplate:Spaced ndashFengtian (present day Shenyang)Template:Spaced ndashTianjinTemplate:Spaced ndashBeijingTemplate:Spaced ndashHankouTemplate:Spaced ndashHengyangTemplate:Spaced ndashGuilinTemplate:Spaced ndashLiuzhouTemplate:Spaced ndashNanningTemplate:Spaced ndashTrấn Nam QuanTemplate:Spaced ndashXóm CụcTemplate:Spaced ndashThakhekTemplate:Spaced ndashKumphawapiTemplate:Spaced ndashBangkokTemplate:Spaced ndashPadang BesarTemplate:Spaced ndashSyonan-to (present day Singapore)
2. A separate line to 1. that splits from Tianjin for Nanjing
3. Sea route linking Nagasaki to Shanghai that merges to 1.

• , Branch line of Daiichi through railway

1. BangkokTemplate:Spaced ndashBan PongTemplate:Spaced ndashThanbyuzayatTemplate:Spaced ndashRangoon (present day Yangon)Template:Spaced ndashKyanginTemplate:Spaced ndashChittagong (Partially completed as the military use Thai-Burma Railway)
2. ChangshaTemplate:Spaced ndashChangdeTemplate:Spaced ndashKunmingTemplate:Spaced ndashLashioTemplate:Spaced ndashMandalayTemplate:Spaced ndashChittagong

• , Connection between Japan and its ally Germany

1. TokyoTemplate:Spaced ndashShimonosekiTemplate:Spaced ndashPusanTemplate:Spaced ndashFengtianTemplate:Spaced ndashHarbinTemplate:Spaced ndashManzhouliTemplate:Spaced ndashIrkutskTemplate:Spaced ndashMoscowTemplate:Spaced ndashBerlin (utilizes the Siberian Railway)
2. TokyoTemplate:Spaced ndash(Kobe or Moji)Template:Spaced ndashTianjinTemplate:Spaced ndashZhangjiakouTemplate:Spaced ndashBaotouTemplate:Spaced ndashSuzhouTemplate:Spaced ndashAnxiTemplate:Spaced ndashHamiTemplate:Spaced ndashKashgarTemplate:Spaced ndashKabulTemplate:Spaced ndashBaghdadTemplate:Spaced ndashIstanbulTemplate:Spaced ndashBerlin (Trans-Central Asia Railway Project)
3. TokyoTemplate:Spaced ndash(Nagasaki)Template:Spaced ndashShanghaiTemplate:Spaced ndashKunmingTemplate:Spaced ndashRangoonTemplate:Spaced ndashCalcutta (present day Kolkata)Template:Spaced ndashPeshawarTemplate:Spaced ndashKabulTemplate:Spaced ndashBaghdadTemplate:Spaced ndashIstanbulTemplate:Spaced ndashBerlin

See also

• South Manchuria Railway
• Trans-Asian Railway
• Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere