Construction Agreements Signed for US$5.8 billion Thailand-China High-Speed Rail Project

• 31 March 2021
• Construction Focus
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Photo from Bangkokpost

The Thai government and Chinese private firms signed three civil engineering contracts on Monday 29 March for the first phase of the US$5.8 billion high-speed rail project between Bangkok and Nong Khai, marking another step forward for this massive China-Thailand connectivity masterplan.

According to the Bangkok Post, the first phase of the project is the high-speed rail connecting Bankok to Nakhon Ratchasim.

The three contracts include the civil engineering works along the Nava Nakhon-Ban Pho section (worth approximately US$366 million), the contract to build a maintenance depot at Chiang Rak Noi (worth US$207 million), and the rail engineering work along the Phra Kaew-Saraburi section (US$299 million).

This high-speed rail line is a long-awaited project but finally became a reality after both nations signed a key agreement for the first phase (Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima) in October last year.

Meanwhile, the upcoming second phase will connect Nakhon Ratchasima with Nong Khai on the Thailand-Laos border. This route will later link with the China-Laos railway to form a massive railway system between Thailand, Laos and China, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The 873 kilometre China-Thailand high-speed railway is one of the largest cooperative projects between the two countries, which will help promote the Belt and Road Initiative and Thailand’s infrastructure development.

Photo: Bangkok Post & Xinhau

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• Road and Infrastructure
• Mega Infrastructure and Engineering