CITY-NE HIGH-SPEED RAIL DELAYED A YEAR

Land issues, overlapping projects set back progress.

- By Supoj Wancharoen

PRIME TIME AWAITS: The country's first high-speed rail line is facing a one-year delay amid land and infrastructure hurdles.

Thailand's first high-speed rail project, the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima line, is facing a confirmed delay of at least one year due to land expropriation issues and complications arising from overlapping infrastructure projects.

Originally scheduled to open in 2029, the service is now expected to begin operations in 2030.

However, officials at the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) believe that lessons learned from the prolonged first phase will allow construction of Phase 2, from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, to be completed faster than originally planned.

The delay stems largely from problems linked to the high-speed rail's interface with the three-airport rail link project-connecting Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and U-Tapao airportsas well as unresolved land acquisition challenges along the route.

Deputy Chief for Special Project and Construction Engineering at the State Railway of Thailand, Kampol Boonchom, who has overseen the project since its inception, provided an update on the first-phase Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima route.

The line spans 250.77 kilometres, comprising 188.68 km of elevated track, 54.09 km of at-grade track, and 8 km of tunnels, located in the Muak Lek and Lam Takhong areas.

The total investment value for Phase 1 stands at 179.413 billion baht. The route includes six stations: Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, Don Mueang, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Pak Chong, and Nakhon Ratchasima.

As of November 2025, overall construction progress had reached 50%. The project has been divided into 14 construction contracts, with varying levels of completion.

Several sections have already been completed including: Contract 1-1 (Klang Dong-Pang Asok), and Contract 2-1 (Sikhio-Kut Chik).