Thailand is planning to expand freight train service between Nong Khai and Laos.

The State Railway of Thailand has announced that freight train services between Nong Khai and Laos will be raised to 24 round trips per day over the next five years to handle increased cargo traffic following the opening of the Laos-China Railway, according to the Bangkok Post.

Between Nong Khai, Thailand, and Thanaleng, Laos, the Thai state-run railway now runs four daily cargo round trips and four daily passenger round trips.

Nirut Maneephan, the Governor of Thailand's State Railway, said the country's state railway may benefit from growth by developing cargo rail connections with Laos from Nong Khai.

The railway presently runs four round trips every day, but by the end of the year, it hopes to raise that to ten.

"The number of freight round trips will be increased to 16 per day from 2023 to 2025, and to 24 by 2026," he said.

Mr. Nirut was cited as adding, "Each train will have 25 coaches."

Furthermore, Thailand's State Railway wants to build a freight storage space at Nong Khai Railway Station and a container yard at Thanalaeng Station in Vientiane Capital.

This would allow cargo to be transported by train from Chon Buri's Laem Chabang port to Nong Khai's Thanalaeng Station, where it would be delivered to China.

In 2019, Laos and Thailand began operating a freight train service between Vientiane and Nong Khai via the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge.

Credit Source: The Laotian Times

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