Southeast Asian countries are making steady progress in railway connectivity
At present, the construction of China-Thailand Railway is in full swing. When completed, the project will be connected with the China-Laos railway. Meanwhile, the ASEAN Express, a freight train linking Malaysia, Thailand and Laos, has been put into operation. Malaysia continues to push forward the construction of the East Coast Railway and actively promotes high-speed rail connection with Thailand. Cambodia and Laos are also talking about building a high-speed rail link between the two countries... Southeast Asian countries are steadily advancing railway construction and strategic alignment, and regional connectivity continues to improve.
The first phase of the China-Thailand Railway project has been fully advanced
Pachong County in the northeastern Thai province of Korat means "mountain pass" in Thai. Pakchong and Nakhon Ratchasima are the gateway from central Thailand to 20 provinces in the northeast. Nakhon Ratchasima is also the terminus of the first phase of the China-Thailand Railway project. At present, the first phase of the China-Thailand Railway project has entered the comprehensive construction stage. Recently, the reporter came to the construction site of the first phase of the China-Thailand Railway project in Bachong County.
Along the side of the old railway track, the viaduct piers continue to stretch forward, and bridge erecting machines are busy. In order to ensure the quality of construction, the Sino-Thai railway project Department supervision of four group deputy leader Willow will take the lift every week, to dozens of meters high pier pier top, pier body for inspection. "The Chinese team brings advanced ideas, modern technology and management experience to the construction of railways in Thailand," Willow said. The construction of the railway will not only better connect Thailand and China in the field of transportation, but also realize the communication of ideas and people-to-people bonds."
In addition to Korat Ratchasima, in Great City, Beibiao and other provinces along the line, the China-Thailand railway is under intense construction. The construction of Section 4 -- 3 of the China-Thailand Railway Project in Ayutthaya is the largest section, with 1,912 piles, 106 cap tops and 17 piers completed so far. In the project's large beam field, the roar of machinery is constantly heard, and the prefabricated section beams are arranged neatly, which will be erected on the railway viaduct in the future. "In July 2019, we completed the detailed design blueprint for the civil works of the first phase of the China-Thailand Railway project. The ongoing civil works include Bridges, roadbeds, tunnels and station houses." Ma Shengshuang, general manager of Thailand branch of China Railway Design Group Co., LTD.
The China-Thailand railway project is divided into two phases. The first phase of the project will connect Bangkok and Korat Ratchasima, while the second phase will extend to Nong Khai, a major trade town in northeast Thailand just across a river from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, to connect with the China-Laos railway. The Abiwat Central Station in Bangkok will handle the transfer function between the China-Laos-Thailand high-speed railway and the Thai-Malaysia-Singapore high-speed railway. Nero, director general of the National Railway Administration of Thailand, revealed that as of mid-January this year, the total progress of the first phase of the China-Thailand railway project was 16.72 percent, and it is expected to be put into operation in 2027. Construction of the second phase is expected to begin in 2024 and aims to open in 2028.
The regional railway interconnection plan was accelerated
Recently, a delegation from the Thai railway and customs authorities visited Laos. The two sides discussed cooperation issues. The China-Laos-Thailand railway may reduce the freight transportation cost by 30% to 50% in the next 3 to 5 years. In the past year, the supporting process of connecting the China-Laos-Thailand railway in Thailand has also been greatly accelerated, including upgrading the domestic transport network, upgrading railway hardware facilities, and improving the capacity of cargo storage, distribution and quarantine in the northeast. Thailand also hopes to develop a high-speed railway in the south to connect countries such as China, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore, strengthen transport capacity and boost tourism in the ASEAN region.
Not long ago, the leaders of Cambodia and Laos held talks and discussed the possibility of connecting a high-speed railway between Laos and Cambodia to enhance the connectivity between the two countries. The Cambodian News reported that during the talks, the two sides agreed to connect the Lao provinces of Chambasai and Azopo with the Cambodian provinces of Preah Vihear and Ratanakiri by rail. Meanwhile, Cambodia will build a 382-kilometer high-speed railway connecting the capital Phnom Penh with Poipet, the largest border city of Cambodia and Thailand, with a designed speed of 160 to 200 kilometers per hour, said Sun Chantho, Cambodia's Minister of Public Works and Transport. China supports Cambodia in carrying out preliminary work such as railway planning, design and feasibility study and starting construction of the project at an appropriate time.
Malaysia is also actively promoting high-speed rail links with Thailand. At present, Malaysia has completed the electrification and upgrading project of the railway from Kuala Lumpur to the Malaysia-Malaysia border city of Padang Bekshal, and is also carrying out feasibility studies with Thailand on the upgrading of the Hoi Ai-Padang Bekshal and Bangkok-Hoi Ai-sections of the railway and the construction of the Long Muang high-speed railway.
The completion of the China-Laos-Thailand Railway will greatly enhance the development level of the sub-region, and the Indo-China Peninsula will enter the era of high-speed railway in an all-round way. Mr Nero said: "This high-speed rail network will not only connect parts of Thailand, but will also form the rail network of ASEAN. "When the high-speed rail project is fully completed and integrated, it will be a huge rail network for passengers and goods connecting China, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos and Thailand."
Connectivity contributes to regional integration
Last year, the "ASEAN Express", a freight train between Malaysia, Thailand and Laos, was put into operation. Using the existing railway, the train runs twice a week from Malaysia to Thanareng station in the southern suburb of Vientiane, Laos, via Thailand. It takes 72 hours to travel 2,206 kilometers and can carry up to 80 standard containers one way.
Malaysia's Transport Ministry said the "ASEAN Express Train" is one of the country's plans to improve and upgrade the national railway construction, which will help Malaysia access the Southeast Asian railway market more quickly. In addition, upon completion of the Malaysia East Coast Railway project, it will effectively connect the China-Laos-Thailand Railway, drive the development along the East coast of Malaysia, open up the middle line of the Trans-Asian Railway and accelerate regional integration.
Sourasi, director of the Thai-China Strategic Studies Center at Thailand's National Research Institute, said that through the railway network, Southeast Asian countries accelerate connectivity and win more market opportunities. Further synergy between the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and the Belt and Road Initiative will enhance connectivity, reduce logistics costs, facilitate the mobility of people, create more development opportunities for countries along the routes and promote regional integration.