Passengers board a train at Vientiane Station on the Laos-China Railway. The cross-border railway is a step closer to connecting with the Thailand-China rail network.(File Photo)

Laos-China railway gets closer to regional link as Thailand advances high-speed rail expansion

The Laos-China Railway is a step closer to being connected with Thailand’s railway system after the Thai government announced plans to open bidding in December for the second phase of the Thai–Chinese high-speed railway, extending the line to Nong Khai on the Lao border.
According to The Nation, the Thai government will invite bids for eight civil works contracts covering the 357.12-km second phase between Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and be completed in 2031, allowing the high-speed rail line to extend from Bangkok to Nong Khai.
The development represents another step towards linking Thailand’s railway network with the Laos-China Railway, a move expected to strengthen regional transport, trade and tourism while advancing the long-term vision of a 3,900-km Pan-Asian railway corridor connecting Kunming in southeast China with Singapore via Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Thailand is also making steady progress on the first phase of the project between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima. Overall construction has reached 55.27 percent, with the Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima section scheduled to open in 2030.
The latest announcement follows renewed calls by Chinese President Xi Jinping to accelerate the connection of the China-Laos-Thailand railway.
During talks with Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith in Beijing in June, President Xi emphasised the need for faster development of the China-Laos-Thailand railway to deliver greater regional connectivity at an earlier date, according to China Daily.
Lao and Thai authorities have been working together on plans to build a new railway-dedicated bridge across the Mekong in parallel with the existing First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, which currently carries both road and rail traffic, according to a previous report.
 The proposed bridge will feature dual tracks: a standard-gauge line linking the Thailand-China high-speed railway with the Laos-China Railway, and a metre-gauge line connecting Thailand’s existing railway network with the Laos–Thailand railway, which is already in operation.
The growing success of the Laos-China Railway, which began operation in December 2021, has reinforced confidence in the broader regional railway project.
Official data showed that annual cargo volume nearly doubled, rising from 12.47 million tonnes in 2022 to 24.48 million tonnes in 2025, Xinhua reported.
In the first six months of this year, the Laos-China Railway transported more than 400,000 cross-border passengers and over 600,000 tonnes of cross-border freight, according to the railway operator.
Once Thailand’s high-speed railway reaches Nong Khai and the new cross-border rail bridge is completed, the long-envisioned rail connection between China, Laos and Thailand is expected to become a reality, creating a more efficient transport corridor for passengers and freight while supporting regional economic integration.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
 (Latest Update August 3, 2026)