TRANSPORTATION is critical to the continuing rapid growth of South-east Asia's megacities and the sustainable economic development of the entire region. The movement of people and goods plays an essential role in the economic, business and social life of individual countries and of Asean as a whole.

The unanticipated arrival of Covid-19 and its ripple effects across society have changed how governments and people view transport, in ways that could have lasting effects.

As the region looks beyond the pandemic and into the future, rail transport can be a critical component of the way forward, as countries seek to manage issues related to rapid urbanisation and take the opportunity to address concerns around sustainability.