The timeline for three southern double-track railway routes with a budget exceeding 100 billion baht, approved by the Cabinet during its tour in Songkhla, has been revealed. The 'Chumphon-Surat Thani-Hat Yai-Padang Besar' route is set to begin construction in 2026. The report also details reasons for the delay of the Hat Yai-Songkhla segment and the reversal of plans for northern and northeastern routes, alongside approval of a five-year rail system strategic plan.
Ms. Ploythele Rasmeesangchan, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, disclosed that the Cabinet meeting held outside Bangkok in Songkhla Province approved the Ministry of Transport's proposal for the second phase of six double-track railway projects. The approval includes three southern routes to be constructed by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) with a total budget of 106,798.32 million baht. The government will fully finance the projects, with the Budget Bureau allocating annual budgets and the Ministry of Finance arranging domestic loans and guarantees as appropriate. The approved projects are: Chumphon-Surat Thani section, with a 7-year implementation period (fiscal years 2026-2032) and a budget of 36,892.32 million baht; Surat Thani-Hat Yai junction section, with an 8-year period (fiscal years 2026-2033) and 61,534.55 million baht; and Hat Yai junction-Padang Besar section, with a 6-year period (fiscal years 2026-2031) and 8,371.45 million baht.
The key reason for the increased project budgets, the Ministry of Transport reported, is that the SRT had to revise project details to manage risks from fluctuating costs. This involved changing construction methods, addressing level crossing issues to fit local conditions, and implementing flood protection structures. Additionally, construction costs were updated to reflect current market rates, and land acquisition, building compensation, and crop prices were adjusted to current appraised values. The construction supervision fee was also increased from 2.25% to 2.75% of construction costs.
These revisions caused changes in project values compared to proposals submitted to the Cabinet in 2025. The Chumphon-Surat Thani section increased from 30,422.53 million baht to 36,892.32 million baht, a 6,469.79 million baht rise. The Hat Yai junction-Padang Besar section rose from 7,772.90 million baht to 8,371.45 million baht, an increase of 598.55 million baht. The Surat Thani-Hat Yai junction-Songkhla section was originally budgeted at 66,270.51 million baht but was revised up to 77,556.97 million baht, an increase of 11,186.46 million baht. However, to keep the overall budget manageable, SRT decided to proceed only with the Surat Thani-Hat Yai junction segment initially and postpone construction of the Hat Yai junction-Songkhla segment, valued at 15,922.42 million baht, until encroachment issues are resolved.
"The meeting also gave in-principle approval to three other second-phase double-track railway projects: Pak Nam Pho-Den Chai, Den Chai-Chiang Mai, and Chum Thang Chira-Ubon Ratchathani. The Cabinet ordered the SRT to urgently review the feasibility, develop marketing strategies, and update business plans following observations from the National Economic and Social Development Council, as passenger and freight forecasts are considered too low and inconsistent with current realities. The revised proposals will be resubmitted for Cabinet approval at the earliest opportunity," the spokesperson added.
Furthermore, the Cabinet in Songkhla approved the five-year rail technology strategic plan (2028-2032) with a budget of 8,677 million baht covering 35 projects. The plan aims to transform Thailand from a technology buyer into a producer and global supplier of rail technologies, sustainably reducing reliance on foreign sources. The strategy will be driven by five key pillars.
The five pillars are: 1. Research and development with a budget of 3,300 million baht, focusing on advanced innovations such as battery-powered and hydrogen trains; 2. Personnel development with 23 million baht to address labor shortages; 3. Standards development and testing centers with 321 million baht; 4. Technology acquisition and transfer with 13 million baht through government procurement contracts to build long-term self-reliance; and notably, 5. Rail industry development, the largest budget at 5,020 million baht, aimed at establishing a national train manufacturing and engineering design unit to enhance the capabilities of Thai operators.