International Railroad Discussion > Progress on Thailand China High Speed Rail

There is a new you tube video by "Bangkok Pat" (search Progress on Thailand China High Speed Rail, I can't post the link) with an excellent summary of the status of the in-progress high speed rail line being built from Bangkok, Thailand up through Northeastern Thailand and, eventually on a new bridge across the Mekong River to connect to the Chinese built line now operational through Laos and up into China. Still a few years before there will be through trains between Bangkok and Beijing....but it is gonna happen a lot sooner than there will be high speed trains between Los Angeles and the Bay Area!

Interestingly, the State Railway of Thailand is all meter gauge. But this new line is standard gauge and being built parallel to the existing meter gauge line between Bangkok, Khorat and Nong Khai.




 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/25 12:21 by Soo715.

Soo715 Wrote:
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> Interestingly, the State Railway of Thailand is
> all meter gauge. But this new line is standard
> gauge and being built parallel to the existing
> meter gauge line between Bangkok, Khorat and Nong
> Khai.

Some Japanese rolling stock (Kiha 183 DMUs, for example) operate on the State Railway meter gauge. And Japan plans to help Thailand construct the Northern route to Chiang Mai, their 2nd proposed route. I've personally visited Chiang Mai many years ago. Anyway, that should help their domestic economy quite a bit.

They have other proposed routes going south and east, but that's further down the road. It's normal for any "country" other than the "4th largest economy" to take HSR seriously, trying to get real help so they can reap real benefits for their citizens (instead of funding financial schemes).

Widening the gauge to accomodate faster trains is an incremental improvement despite falsehoods being promoted in the Passenger Discussions. Thailand has moderate ambitions on revenue speed - 250 km/h or 155 mph. Shouldn't be difficult to overbuild the ROW, and increase speed later based on demand.