Thailand expects to break ground for its first high-speed railway at the end of 2014.
The Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed railway will stop at stations in Ayutthaya, Saraburi and Pak Chong. With an average speed of 250 km per hour, the 256-km distance between the capital city and the northeastern province will be covered in 90 minutes. The fare will be priced at 2.5-3 baht (0.08-0.1 U.S. dollar) per kilometre.

Local transport authorities are studying the feasibility of the project and a final plan will be put forward before next February.

Local residents and businesspeople, as well as those whose land will be expropriated to make way for the train project, were given a chance to explain how their lives would be affected, according to project manager Niwat Tansawat.

He said that once all public hearings are completed for the project, land expropriation will begin next year followed immediately by construction, which will take five years to complete.

This is part of a major project covering four main routes from the capital, including routes to Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Pattaya.

(Source: Xinhuan)