The line will extend from Rayong province, via Chanthaburi, to Trat on Thailand’s southeastern border with Cambodia, and will offer speeds of up to 250km/h.
The study is intended to advise SRT in the planning of a public-private investment plan in 2022 before tendering for construction of the line begins in 2024.
SRT has three options for investment:
- a private company would invest in civil works, trains, railway infrastructure, operation and maintenance, while SRT would allocate land plots
- a private company would invest in railway infrastructure, trains, operation and maintenance, while SRT would take care of both land allocation and construction, or
- a private company is responsible for only operation and maintenance, and SRT will have responsibility for all other work.
The extension will connect to Phase I, which will link the three airports of Bangkok Don Muang, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Rayong U-Tapao International, and is currently expected to open in 2023.
The extension is intended to improve the speed and capacity of rail links in eastern Thailand, promoting tourism and promoting rail freight in the eastern provinces.
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