The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) plans to partially open the Map Kabao-Jira Junction double-track railway line in 2024. Ongoing upgrades will increase operating speed from the existing 50 km/hr to 120 km/hr for passenger trains and the 60 km/hr for freight trains.
Work on one of three tunnels at Ban Hin Lab, connecting Saraburi with Nakhon Ratchasima, is 98.13 per cent completed. It is the longest tunnel in the country spanning 5.85 km. The tunnel is equipped with high level security, safety measures and passenger evacuation compartments at every 500 metres.
Meanwhile construction has been completed on the 650-metre-long second tunnel between the Ban Hin Lab and Muak Lek Mai Stations in Saraburi and a 1.4-km-long third tunnel on the Lam Takhong Dam in Nakhon Ratchasima.