Nine railway projects worth 661 billion baht set for Cabinet approval

Nine railway projects totalling 661 billion baht (US$19.7 billion) in investment are set for Cabinet approval next month, according to Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote. Among these is the 357-kilometre second phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed train system.

Six of the nine projects are double-track rail routes requiring 298 billion baht (US$8.9 billion). These routes include the 285-kilometre Paknam Pho-Den Chai, the 168-kilometre Chumphon-Surat Thani, the 189-kilometre Surat Thani-Hat Yai, the 308-kilometre Thanon Chira Junction-Ubon Ratchathani, the 45-kilometre Hat Yai Junction-Padang Besar, and the 189-kilometre Denchai-Chiang Mai.

Two additional projects focus on extending Bangkok’s Red Line system into the suburbs, demanding 21.6 billion baht (US$6.4 billion). The Rangsit-Thammasat University Rangsit Campus extension will require 6.4 billion baht (US$190 million), while the Siriraj-Taling Chan-Salaya extension will need 15.1 billion baht (US$450 million).

Another significant project is the second phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed train system, which will extend from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, costing an estimated 341.3 billion baht (US$10 billion). Bids for this phase are expected to be called later this year, with construction anticipated to conclude by late 2028, said Surapong.

“Lessons learnt from the ongoing implementation of the first phase of construction should help expedite the implementation of the second and last phase of the project.”

The first phase of the high-speed train project, spanning 250 kilometres from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, officially began on December 21, 2017. However, according to the latest update on July 25, it is only 34.9% complete, reported Bangkok Post.

Tragically, the recent collapse of a rail tunnel in Nakhon Ratchasima resulted in the deaths of three foreign workers, two from China and one from Myanmar. The collapse occurred on the night of August 27, following prolonged heavy rain, while the workers were inside the tunnel.

In related news, travellers are one step closer to an epic train journey from Bangkok to Beijing as a new railway bridge over the Mekong River has opened, linking Thailand and Laos by rail for the first time. This milestone, completed last month, leaves just a few dozen miles of a trackless gap before the route can finally reach China.