A new double-track railway connecting Saraburi and Chachoengsao will open this September to bolster transport between the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and the North and Northeast.
"Its construction is now 94% completed," acting State Railway of Thailand (SRT) governor Worawut Mala said yesterday.
The 106-kilometre route will facilitate travel between Saraburi's Kaeng Khoi district and Chachengsao, one of three provinces on the eastern coast that form the EEC, the state's much-touted modern industrial hub project covering 30,000 rai of land.
Also in the EEC zone are Rayong and Chon Buri, which house the country's key industrial estates.
The new rail track will help companies save costs when transporting goods to and from Laem Chabang deep-sea port in Chon Buri.
"Businessmen will certainly be attracted to this rail service," Mr Worawut said.
The railway is also good for the environment as it requires less fuel, he added.
According to the SRT, the route's construction is divided into two contracts. The first, which requires a budget of 9.8 billion baht, includes a section from Chachoengsao to Khlong 19 and Wihan Daeng as well as the Buyai-Kaeng Khoi section.
The second contract, worth 407 million baht, is for the construction of a 9-km section linking Wihan Daeng and Buyai. It also includes a 1.2-km tunnel under Phra Phutthachai mountain.