China, Malaysia to build tracks to southern Thai border
The governments of Malaysia and China have agreed to extend a new train link from the Malaysian east coast to the country's border with Thailand's southernmost region.
Malaysia and China have reached an agreement to extend a new train line from eastern Malaysia to the southern Thai border, according to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The joint train project, currently under construction in northeastern Malaysia, is set to connect Port Klang on the west coast with Kota Bharu, the capital of Kelantan state, a distance of 665 kilometers.
Once completed, the fully electrified line will feature high-speed passenger trains traveling at 160 kilometers per hour and freight trains reaching up to 80 kilometers per hour. Malaysia aims to extend the line to Rantau Panjang, a border town near Sungai Kolok district in Narathiwat, Thailand, but must first secure China's approval, as the line is primarily funded by Chinese loans and constructed with a Chinese main contractor.
Malaysian and Thai leaders have expressed interest in increasing transport links between the two nations, with hopes that the expanded train and truck services will facilitate the exchange of goods with China.
Written by urgent.news from Bangkok Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- China, Malaysia to build tracks to southern Thai border bangkokpost.com
