Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to resume direct train service by end of 2025

Malaysia and Thailand intend to resume a direct train service between Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok by the end of 2025, it has been confirmed.

The reintroduction of the route will take advantage of existing railway lines that connect Bangkok, Padang Besar, Butterworth and the Malaysian capital.

Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Malaysia’s Minister for Transport, recently met with Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister to discuss the initiative.

“Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) have been given three months to carry out initial preparations to begin the Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok train operations,” said Mr Siew Fook upon concluding a one-day working visit to Thailand.

“This doesn’t require a new track but does call for coordination, joint marketing, and cooperative ticketing between the two countries.”

The revived route will mean travellers can travel seamlessly between the two countries without the need for multiple transfers.

At present, the estimated travel time and ticket prices are unknown.

Thai authorities have also proposed extending the rail network from Su-ngai Kolok on the Thai border with Rantau Panjang and Pasir Mas in Malaysia.

In the first instance, essential maintenance is required to restore older tracks and ensure they meet current operational standards, however.

“Track rehabilitation is necessary before service can resume,” added Mr Siew Fook.

The news is the latest development in a series of rail improvements and developments Thailand is making year-on-year.

A high-speed railway link connecting Bangkok to Nong Khai, a northeastern province bordering Laos, is expected to be completed in 2030, with plans to eventually continue on to China.

In August 2024, the bodies of three railway workers were retrieved after being trapped for days in a tunnel in northeastern Thailand that collapsed during construction of the line.

The initiative forms part of China’s ambitious Belt and Road infrastructure project that aims to stretch around the globe.