The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has revised the design of the Ayutthaya high-speed rail station, reducing its height to 28 meters and repositioning it to avoid overlapping the existing historic railway station. This adjustment follows recommendations from heritage experts and aims to mitigate concerns about the project’s impact on the UNESCO-listed Historic City of Ayutthaya. The revised plans have been submitted to Thailand’s Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) for further evaluation.
SRT Governor Veerish Amrapal stated that the adjustments were made in response to an expert review conducted between January 19–21, 2025. Initial feedback from the assessment indicated no major obstacles to proceeding with Contract 4-5 of the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project, covering the 13.3-kilometer Ban Pho–Phra Kaeo section. ONEP is expected to receive an official response from the experts by mid-March 2025. If no further concerns are raised, SRT plans to report its findings to Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit before moving forward with contractor agreements, expected to be finalized by April 2025.
The latest revision reduces the station height from its previous 35.45 meters to 28 meters, a further decrease from the initial design of 37.45 meters. The structure has also been shifted slightly to prevent it from encroaching on the existing railway station, a recognized historic site. The track elevation has also been lowered from 19 meters to 17 meters to address concerns about visual and structural impacts on the heritage zone.
If the contract with Boonchai Panich (1979) Co., Ltd., the designated contractor, is signed in April 2025, construction could commence by mid-year, pending the issuance of a Notice to Proceed (NTP). However, SRT will await the final expert recommendations before confirming whether the NTP will apply to both the tracks and the station.
Meanwhile, progress on Contract 4-1, covering the Bang Sue–Don Mueang section, remains pending due to the need for adjustments to a related joint investment agreement. This section overlaps with the high-speed rail project linking Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and U-Tapao airports. The revised investment agreement is set to be presented to the SRT board on March 27, 2025, before being reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office and later submitted to the Cabinet for approval, likely by May 2025.
Overall, Phase 1 of the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project, spanning 253 kilometers from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, has reached approximately 41.7% completion, though progress is 28.06% behind schedule. The project remains targeted for completion and operation by 2028.
