| Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Under construction[citation needed] |
| Locale | Thailand |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 9 |
| Service | |
| Type | High-speed rail |
| Operator(s) | Asia Era One Company Limited |
| Depot(s) | Khlong Tan (Urban route)Chachoengsao (Inter city route) |
| Rolling stock | Siemens DesiroClass 360/3 (Urban route)CR300AF (Inter city route) |
| History | |
| Planned opening | 2029 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 220 km (140 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Operating speed | Urban: 160 km/h (100 mph) Intercity: 250 km/h (155 mph) |
TheDon Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway, officially known as theHigh-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Project (Thai:โครงการรถไฟความเร็วสูงเชื่อม 3 สนามบิน) is the secondHigh-Speed rail line project inThailand, being due to open in 2029[1] betweenDon Mueang International Airport,Suvarnabhumi Airport andU-Tapao International Airport. It will be operated byAsia Era One Company Limited, a special-purpose vehicles by the consortium ofCharoen Pokphand Group Company, Limited (CP) and partnersCh. Karnchang PLC. (CK),Bangkok Expressway and Metro PLC. (BEM), Italian-Thai Development PLC. (ITD) andChina Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC).
This project is part of theEastern Economic Corridor of Thailand.
Construction on the project is yet to begin as of January 2025, but work could begin as soon as April 2025 pending amendments to the contract between the government and consortium.[2]
A HSR line to the eastern seaboard was first proposed in 1996 but there was no progress for over a decade. In 2009, the government requested theOffice of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) to create a plan for new HSR network in Thailand that included an eastern HSR line to Rayong. The route was finalised before the 2011 election with the promise to begin construction the next year if the government was re-elected, but they lost the election. After the 2011 election, the new government reviewed all HSR plans and the SRT stated that the line would be tendered in early-2014.[3] After the May 2014 coup there were further delays while the military government reviewed all HSR lines, initially deferring all projects. In early-2016, the government agreed to proceed with the eastern HSR route and suggested that it could be extended toDon Mueang International Airport beyond the terminus atBang Sue Intercity Terminal thus providing a link with three airports.[4] Extending the line would provide a link between Don Mueang Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, andU-Tapao International Airport inBan Chang District.
During 2017, OTP and the Ministry of Transport in consultation with the SRT agreed that by extending the line to terminate at Don Mueang it would effectively include the long delayed extension of theAirport Rail Link (Bangkok) fromMakkasan Station to Don Mueang Airport as part of the project. The Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EEC Office) in October 2017 finalised previous OTP plans to build the 10 station Eastern HSR line linking Don Mueang Airport, Bang Sue, Makkasan, Suvarnabhumi Airport, Chonburi, Si Racha, Pattaya, U-Tapao Airport, and Rayong. In early-2018, the section to Rayong was excluded due to environmental and safety concerns and it was decided that the line would terminate at U-Tapao Airport.[5]
The SRT stated that the first tenders for the Eastern HSR line are expected to be tendered by May 2018 with a four month auction period before the contract is awarded.[6] The cost of the project was estimated to be over 200 billion baht, of which the Thai Government would fund 123 billion baht and the private sector estimated to contribute 90 billion baht.[7][8]
Trains on the route are projected to have a speed of 250 kilometres per hour over the 220 km distance when it opens. According to Kanit Sangsubhan, Secretary-General of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office, tourist numbers will increase by eight percent due to the train. "It will handle 15 million passengers in the next five years, 30 million passengers in the next 15 years and 60 million passengers in the next 20 years," Mr Kanit said. Without specifying a time frame, he said the route will generate a return of 700 billion baht. It is expected to create 19,000 new jobs in the EEC according to the Employers Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry.[9]
Two rival consortia vied for the airport link contract.[10] TheCharoen Pokphand (CP) Group-led consortium consisting ofItalian-Thai Development,China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd, CH. Karnchang, andBangkok Expressway and Metro, won the project with a 224 billion baht bid in December 2018. Their winning bid is valid until 8 November 2019. Until 16 October 2019, the consortium had refused to sign the contract, citing land expropriation and eviction problems and the consortium's request that the government share the risk in the project.[9] Negotiations were further complicated by the resignation of the entire board of the State Railway.[11] On 16 October 2019, news reports announced that the CP consortium intends to sign the rail deal on 25 October.[12][9] The project was eventually approved in October 2019 as a public private partnership between the Thai government andCharoen Pokphand/China Railway Construction Corporation. The assets will revert to state ownership after 50 years.[13]
A future phase 2 extension could extend as far asTrat however a 2020 feasibility study raised questions about its value.[14]
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