The Thai government has an ambitious plan.

It wants to build a rail network linking Thailand to other countries spanning Singapore and China, the Bangkok Post reported.

"Trans-Asean" Line

Travel will begin in the Bang Sue district, which is set to become part of the "Trans-Asean Line", also referred to as the "Pan-Asia railway network".

The Bang Sue area is less famous than its neighbour, Chatuchak.

But the construction of four routes for bullet trains, or Shinkansen, could change all that.

Deputy Transport Minister Pailin Chuchottaworn said: "Thais will be able to take high-speed trains to the Chinese capital and Singapore from a railway station in Bang Sue in the future."

The railway is part of the Belt and Road Initiative of China.

S$91.4 billion

The high-speed trains has been hailed as a much-needed new infrastructure system.

Thai officials are trying to make Thailand the logistics hub of Asean.

Such a modern transport network is a first for Thailand.

The train will cover 3,193km at a cost of about 2.07 trillion baht (S$91.4 billion).

The rail route will link Bang Sue with Chiang Mai in the North, Laos in the Northeast, Cambodia in the East and Malaysia in the South.

Pailin said the government has already begun the construction of some routes and will "keep calling bids" for the project.

Construction has began

The first 608km route is under construction and is scheduled to be completed by 2023.

It is a Thai-Sino project linking Bangkok and Nong Khai in the far Northeast and will serve as the main transport system to Laos.

Another rail route will take passengers to the Lao capital of Vientiane from the border line.

The last leg will take travellers to Mohan, a border town in China's southern province.

A 414km link between Vientiane and Mohan is 55 percent complete, according to an unnamed Lao official.

It currently takes two days travelling from Vientiane to Mohan.

But with high-speed trains, travellers will "only need three hours", the Laotian official said.

Bang Sue to prosper

Bang Sue will be the gateway to greater travel.

The new central railway station will be a "grand station", expected to be the largest in Asean, according to State Railway of Thailand governor Worawut Mala.

The four-storey station will cover an area of 300,000 sqm and is planned to be surrounded by commercial areas.

The station will also be connected with the city's Blue Line, Airport Rail Link, and rail routes to upcountry provinces.

Countries in it for economic growth

Laos intends to boost its economy with this line.

The official expected attracting between 10 and 20 million Chinese tourists to the country each year.

The line will link Nong Khai with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) of Thailand, which is planned to be an industrial hub for modern and smart production.

The Thai government is preparing a new agreement on railway industry standards with Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, with money poured into this effort.

These countries are currently able to manufacture some railway-related products, but a lack of standardisation.

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