A train is ready on the station during the handover ceremony of the high-speed rail project linking the Chinese southwestern city of Kunming with Vientiane, in Vientiane, Laos, December 3,..
BANGKOK, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Thailand expects its 609-km (378 miles) portion of a high-speed railway that will connect it with China through Laos to begin operations in 2030, its government said on Wednesday, nearly a decade later than originally planned.
More than a third of construction has been completed in the segment connecting the capital Bangkok to the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, about 220 km away and the whole line to Nong Khai at the border with Laos would be ready by 2030, said Thai government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub.
A $6 billion, 1000 km rail line from the Laotian capital Vientiane to the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming began service in 2021, a venture 70% owned by Beijing. That line will connect with Thailand's Nong Khai via Vientiane, about 25 km away.
"This is an opportunity for Thailand to connect to the global economy," Jirayu said, adding it would bring Thailand closer to its goal of becoming a logistics hub.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-...peed-rail-link-china-operate-2030-2025-01-29/
