Bangkok – The Cabinet has approved the first five routes of the double-track railway system as well as the first section of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed train link.
Nattaporn Jatusripitak, Advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office Minister, revealed that the government has given the green light to the dual-track rail lines as proposed by the State Railway of Thailand. The five lines consist of Lop Buri-Pak Nam Pho, Map Kabao-Jira Junction, Nakhon Pathom-Hua Hin, Hua Hin-Prachuap Khiri Khan, and Prachuap Khiri Khan-Chumphon sections.
For 2018, Nattaporn said there are plans to push through nine more dual-track rail lines, worth a combined 398 billion baht, covering a total distance of 2,217 kilometers. They will gradually be presented to the Cabinet for review prior to the bidding process around the middle of the year.
The Cabinet has also authorized the Department of Highways to begin constructing the first of four sections of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed rail system. This first leg will stretch 3.5 kilometers between Klang Dong and Pang Asok under a budget of almost 426 million baht.
