Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand plans to revive arailway line that has been disused for more than 20 years between it andMalaysia to increase connectivity between the two countries.

According to the local media, the proposal toreconnect the border town of Sungai Kolok in the southern province ofNarathiwat and Malaysia’s Kelantan state is being spearheaded by the SouthernBorder Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC).

Somkiat Polprayoon, SBPAC Secretary-General,said the centre had met with railway authorities from Thailand and Malaysia todiscuss the project.

The meeting was a follow-up to an agreementreached between Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Malaysiancounterpart Mahathir Mohamad in October last year to enhance road and railconnectivity between southern Thailand and northern Malaysia.

In 1954, railway authorities of Thailand andMalaysia signed a joint train service treaty that covered service betweenSungai Kolok and Tumpat (Kelantan state). However, the service was haltedabout two decades ago because the route was being used for smuggling both goodsand people.

Circumstances have changed since then and therestoration of service would stimulate border trade, according to Polprayoon.

Rail service is currently available between HatYai on Songkhla and Kuala Lumpur, and a link between Hat Yai and Sungai Kolokcould improve transport services, he added.

In late April 2019, Thailand and Cambodia restoreda rail service that was suspended 46 years ago.

Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Cambodiancounterpart Samdech Techo Hun Sen co-chaired the inauguration of the bridge andthe reopening of the railway connecting Aranyaprathet district of Thailand'seasternmost province of Sa Kaeo and Poi Pet city of Cambodia.

This railway is expected to promote trade andtransport between the two countries. 

According to Thailand’s Foreign TradeDepartment, border trade between the two countries reached 145 billion THB(4.53 billion USD) in 2018, of which 62 percent of goods were passed throughthe border between Aranyaprathet and Poipet.

Earlier, Cambodia restored the 385km road fromPhnom Penh to the Thai border and resumed its operation last year.

Also in April 2019, Thailand signed a memorandumof understanding (MoU) with Laos and China on the development of a railwayconnecting Nong Khai province in north-eastern Thailand with the Lao capital ofVientiane.

According to the MoU, a rail bridge connectingNong Khai and Vientiane will be built near the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.China will provide technical assistance during construction.

Once completed, it will connect to the 252.5kmhigh-speed railway system - which is in the process of establishing a projectbetween Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima province, also in north-eastern Thailand,via the 355km Nakhon Ratchasima - Nong Khai rail link - which is due to becompleted by 2023.-VNA