The price tag for the first stretch of high-speed rail took a big leap with the announcement it will cost another THB12 billion (US$379 million) for upgraded rail facilities, maintenance and insurance.
The budget for the first phase of the line, from Bangkok to Korat, will be THB50.6 billion rather than THB38.5 billion, according to government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul. She said it would pay for faster, Chinese-made bullet trains and upgraded tracks at some stations that are less costly to maintain.
She said the additional spending would have not add to the overall budget of THB179 billion (US$5.7 billion) for the 617-kilometer line that will eventually reach Nong Khai on the border with Laos. She said it will take another couple years to finish, with completion now expected around 2025 instead of 2023.
The funds were approved in 2017 when the government signed an agreement with China, which is building the railway and extending loans to make it possible.
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