This railway connects towns on the western bank of the Ayeyarwady River, such as Pakokku, Myaing, Gangaw, and Kalay.

[1][2] In the 1990s, the government undertook railway expansion projects, which included the construction of the new line from Pakokku to Kalay.

The eastern side of Ponnya Mountain sections was opened in 1994 and 1995, and the line reached Kyaw village two years later.

Plans were proposed to extend the line further to Tamu, a town on the border with India, aiming to connect Myanmar's rail network with the Indian Railways.

Ponnya Mountain Tunnel Three and a half years after the line's opening, in 2010, severe rainfall from the Giri Cyclone caused landslides and soil subsidence along the Kyaw-Yaymyatni section in Gangaw Township.