Chinese, Thai builders continue work on Thailand's high-speed railway during Spring Festival

Construction of the China-Thailand railway, a key project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway, continued as scheduled during the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival.

The project, divided into two phases, will connect Bangkok, the Thai capital, with Nakhon Ratchasima province and Nong Khai city in northeast Thailand. It aims to provide a significant boost to Thailand's economic and social development, as well as enhance regional connectivity.

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 23, 2023 shows a construction site of the China-Thailand railway in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

The first phase, which links Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima, is split into 14 sections. China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) is currently working on Section 4-3.

The 23-kilometer section, comprised entirely of viaduct structures, saw significant progress last year as construction teams achieved numerous milestones. This includes the installation of bridge girders over more than 100 spans and the completion of over 50 percent of the tunnel excavations along the route, according to credible sources.

A fifth bridge girder erection machine has been assembled on-site, which is expected to significantly accelerate the construction of bridge girders.

Given the challenges posed by Thailand's rainy season, which frequently brings heavy rainfall potentially affecting construction, the teams used the Spring Festival holiday to develop contingency plans for flood prevention and control, as well as specific construction strategies for the rainy season. These measures aim to minimize the impact of rainfall on the railway's construction, according to Gao Liang, the production manager of Section 4-3.

During the holiday, Chinese and Thai workers on the project celebrated the Spring Festival by posting Spring Festival couplets, making jiaozi (Chinese dumplings), playing basketball, and participating in cultural and artistic performances.

"In the new year, the builders of the China-Thailand railway will continue to press ahead with the construction of the bridge of friendship between China and Thailand through hard work. We are determined to complete the project ahead of schedule, while writing a new chapter of Belt and Road cooperation with our youth," said Zhou Jiayi, CSCEC's project manager for the railway.