The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is finalizing bidding documents and reference prices for Phase 2 of the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project, which covers the 357-kilometre stretch from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai. The budget for this phase is estimated at 341 billion baht.
According to the SRT, the draft Terms of Reference (TOR) will be released for public consultation via its website in early July 2025. The bidding process is expected to take around 7 to 8 months before a contractor is selected. The construction period is projected to begin in early 2026 and take four years to complete, with the line scheduled to become operational by 2031.
The project will be divided into eight separate contracts, comprising seven for civil works and one for system installations.
To make way for construction, land expropriation is planned across four provinces: Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and Nong Khai. The SRT’s Board of Directors approved the draft expropriation decree on May 15, 2025. The agency is currently preparing documentation for submission to the Ministry of Transport and subsequently to the Cabinet for approval.
The expropriation will affect 1,991 land plots covering 1,345 rai and involve 1,428 existing structures. The total compensation cost is projected at 12.42 billion baht, with the budget allocated across three fiscal years: 200 million baht in 2026, and 6 billion baht each in 2027 and 2028.
The Cabinet approved the second phase of the project on February 4, 2025. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) received approval from the National Environment Board on November 15, 2024.
This section of the rail line will start just beyond Nakhon Ratchasima station and end at the banks of the Mekong River in Nong Khai, featuring five stations: Bua Yai, Ban Phai, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and Nong Khai. Trains will operate at speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour, reducing travel time between the two cities to approximately 1 hour and 52 minutes, with an estimated fare of 722 baht.
When combined with Phase 1, which runs from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima and is planned to open in 2030, the full 607-kilometre route between Bangkok and Nong Khai will be completed. Travel time for the entire journey is expected to be 3.5 hours at a cost of 1,251 baht.
SRT Governor Veerish Amrapal provided these updates in an interview with Daily News’ Transport Innovation team.
