High-speed: Thailand’s airport bullet train back on track (video)
Delayed mega-project to link key air hubs with 250km/h trains by 2029
It’s full steam ahead for Thailand’s long-awaited bullet train blitz, as the kingdom’s high-speed train dreams roar back to life, five years after the pandemic derailed them.
Thailand’s ambitious Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway is finally set to hit the fast lane, with officials confirming the project contract will be finalised by July 2025.
Dubbed a game-changer for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), the 220-kilometre route will slash travel times between Bangkok’s three main airports to under 60 minutes, using trains capable of reaching 250km/h.
The scheme is a joint effort between the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and Asia Era One, a consortium led by the Charoen Pokphand Group, and will integrate with the current Airport Rail Link infrastructure.
Extensions include:
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From Phraya Thai Station to Don Mueang International Airport.
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From Lat Krabang Station to U-Tapao Airport.
It’s a long-awaited leap forward after a pandemic-induced five-year delay left the high-speed rail plan stuck in neutral.
Once completed, the cutting-edge network will stretch across five provinces, Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Chachoengsao, Chon Buri, and Rayong, and feature 191 kilometres of new high-speed track, including elevated, underground, and ground-level segments.
The current Airport Rail Link spans just 29km, but the expanded line will include sections already operational, such as:
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Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi.
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Hua Mak to Chachoengsao.
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Don Mueang to Yommarat.
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Chachoengsao to Laem Chabang.
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Yommarat to Hua Mak.
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Laem Chabang to Map Ta Phut.
Travel and Leisure reported that transport officials are betting big that this turbo-charged project will turbocharge regional development, bolster tourism, and cement Thailand’s place as a regional transport hub.
Next stop? Construction and countdown to launch by 2029.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, Thailand’s long-delayed Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project saw the SRT board green-lighting a 350-day extension, this time blaming rented buildings blocking construction.
The revised completion date for the troubled venture is now March 10, 2026.
SRT governor Veerith Amrapal confirmed the decision following a boardroom briefing, revealing the delay affects contract sections three to five of phase one, which covers the stretch from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, part of the grander Bangkok to Nong Khai line.
The adjusted timeline will now run from March 26 this year through to next March, as officials scramble to clear the way, literally, for Thailand’s long-promised bullet train.
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