The Government of Thailand has announced that work on the high-speed rail (HSR) system linking the country to China through Laos is scheduled to be completed by 2028. Thailand’s section of the HSR will be 609 km long. The THB434 billion project will be completed in two stages with partial operations expected to commence in 2026.
Phase 1 will include work on a 253 km section of the line running between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima province and is expected to cost THB180 billion. Work on the first stage is currently 12 per cent completed.
Phase 2 will include work on a 356 km section connecting the line to the Thailand-Laos border. Phase 2 will require an investment of around THB254 billion. Additionally, a bridge will be constructed over the Mekong River to connect the rail network with the existing China-Laos line.
The project is a part of the Government of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI
