Rail project worth B297 billion advances towards NESDC approval
Thailand's Phase 2 Dual-Track Railway Project Nears Approval
The Transport Ministry's Phase 2 dual-track railway project, spanning 1,249 kilometres, is ready for approval. The project, which includes six routes and a budget of approximately 297.9 billion baht, has been submitted to the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) for review.
The project is scheduled to be presented to the NESDC board for approval early in September 2025. Once approved, the plan will be submitted to the cabinet for final approval.
The six routes have been categorized into three priority groups by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT):
High Priority: - Surat Thani–Hat Yai–Songkhla (321 km, 66.27 billion baht) - Pak Nam Pho–Den Chai (218 km, 81.14 billion baht) - Chumphon–Surat Thai (168 km, 30.42 billion baht)
Medium Priority: - Chira Junction–Ubon Ratchathani (308 km, 44.10 billion baht) - Den Chai–Chiang Mai (189 km, 68.22 billion baht)
Lower Priority: - Hat Yai–Padang Besar (45 km, 7.77 billion baht)
Agencies, including the Budget Bureau and the Finance Ministry, have already submitted their opinions, and the SRT has provided all additional information required by the NESDC.
The Surat Thani-Hat Yai-Songkhla route has the highest budget among the priority groups, followed by the Pak Nam Pho-Den Chai route and the Chumphon-Surat Thai route. The Hat Yai-Padang Besar route is classified as lower priority.
After the NESDC board approves the investment plan, the Transport Ministry will compile all feedback. Construction commencement and completion dates are not explicitly stated but can be expected after final cabinet approval.
In summary, Phase 2 focuses on expanding the double-track railway network across the prioritized routes, with a major budget investment and a formal government approval process underway, scheduled for the coming month.
The Dual-Track Railway Project's investment plan, once approved by the NESDC board in September 2025, will involve finance from various agencies, including the Budget Bureau and the Finance Ministry. The project's approval would further involve transportation facilities, such as the Surat Thani–Hat Yai–Songkhla route, which falls under the high priority category of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT)'s six routes and has a budget of 66.27 billion baht.
