The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has received instructions from the Thai Cabinet to construct a second bridge across the Mekong River for connecting Nong Khai province to Laos.
For initiating the project at its earliest, SRT has been directed to look for immediate funding for the construction of the bridge that will connect to the new China-Laos railway.
The new infrastructure will pass over the Mekong River from Nong Khai to Laos and support cargo transport through the three nations on the transnational railway.
During a meeting of the government’s committee on the Thai-Lao-Chinese railway, SRT obtained permission to request a budget for the execution of the project.
As part of the next step in the process of this development, SRT will assess and prepare a bridge’s design.
The railway operator will subsequently present a budget to the committee.
The China-Laos railway, which began services last month, is expected to support economic development from western China through Laos to Thailand after the extension.
This route between China and Thailand is expected to eventually reduce cargo transport expenses by 30% to 50%.
The infrastructure will aid in the transportation of cargo including cars, appliances, electronics, computers and computer equipment, machinery, fruits and vegetables, and raw materials.
Besides, the completion of the bridge will mark the conclusion of the full transnational rail plan.
In March last year, the Thai Government announced its intention to enter into three agreements for the Thai-Sino high-speed train project between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima.
