Thailand To Build Bullet Train Line Connecting S’pore, China and Laos

I have a dream.

I have a dream that one day, I will travel to ASEAN countries such as Thailand, China and Laos… not by plane, mind you…

But train.

“HAHAHAAHHA YOU KIDDING ME?!” my colleague Dream chortled. “Those are countries located thousands of kilometres away. And you’re expecting them to build a train route for that?” She slapped her forehead. “You must be crazy HAHAHAHAHAHA”

“I’m not crazy,” I protested. “It will come true. Surely.”

“Yeah keep dreaming,” she guffawed. “If it ever happens I’ll give you my entire house. That’s how much I disbelieve in your ‘dream’.”

“You…” I stuttered.

“HEY GUYS, WE HAVE A NEW HOT TOPIC ON THE NEWS,” my boss shouted as he walked through the office doorway. “THAILAND TO BUILD BULLET TRAIN RIDE CONNECTING S’PORE, CHINA AND LAOS. Who wants to take that topic?”

As Dream gaped with her mouth open, I simply raised my hand into the air.

“I’ll take that topic, Boss, and a free house too while I’m at it.”

Thailand To Build Bullet Train Line Connecting S’pore, China and Laos

If you’re like Dream when you first came into this article, I don’t blame you. A train route connecting Singapore and Malaysia sounds pretty doable, but one connecting S’pore, China and Laos?

Wow, someone’s on weed.

However, it seems that nobody’s on weed as Thailand has indeed announced the ambitious plan, while Thai officials try to make Thailand the logistics hub of Asean.

According to the Bangkok Post, the Thai government wishes to build a rail network that links Thailand to other countries spanning Singapore and China.

Travel will begin in the Bang Sue district, which is all set to become part of the “Trans-Asean Line”, also referred to as the “Pan-Asia railway network”.

“Thais will be able to take high-speed trains to the Chinese capital and Singapore from a railway station in Bang Sue in the future,” said Deputy Transport Minister Pailin Chuchottaworn.

The railway’s reportedly part of the Belt and Road Initiative of China.

High budget costs

According to reports, the train will cover 3,193km at a cost of around 2.07 trillion baht (S$91.4 billion).

Such a modern transport network’s a first for Thailand.

The rail route will connect Bang Sue to Chiang Mai in the North, Laos in the Northeast, Cambodia in the East and Malaysia in the South.

Pailin has expressed that the construction of some routes has begun and that the government will “keep calling bids” for the project.

Currently under construction

The first 608km route, for instance, is currently under construction and is targeting completion by 2023.

It’s a Thai-Sino project linking Bangkok and Nong Khai in the far Northeast and will serve as the main transport system to Laos.

Meanwhile, another rail route will ferry passengers to the Lao capital of Vientiane from the border line, while the last leg will carry travellers to Mohan, a border town in China’s southern province.

A 414km link between Vientiane and Mohan is 55 per cent complete, according to an unnamed Lao official.

At the current moment, it’ll take two days to travel to Mohan from Vientiane.

With high-speed trains, however, travellers will need just “three hours”, according to the Laotian official.

Bang Sue

According to State Railway of Thailand governor Worawut Mala, Bang Sue will be the gateway to greater travel. The new central railway station will be a “grand station”, and is expected to be the largest in Asean.

The four-storey station will also cover an area of 300,000 sqm, and is planned to be surrounded by commercial areas.

It will also be connected with the city’s Blue Line, Airport Rail Link as well as rail routes to upcountry provinces.

Train travels, a reality in the near future?

If you’ve always had a morbid fear of sitting on aeroplanes, but simply love to travel, I can only imagine how excited you are right now.

Very excited, indeed.

I, for one, am really hyped about this development as well, because it would (should) mean subsidised costs of travelling when heading to Thailand.

Chatuchak every weekend, anybody? 😉