The Northeastern Line () is a

railway line Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

that connects the capital

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

with the northeast region of

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan language, Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thai ...

. The section from Bangkok to

Nakhon Ratchasima Nakhon Ratchasima (, ) is the capital of Nakhon Ratchasima province, the largest city in Isan, Northeastern Thailand and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, third-largest city in Thailand. It is 250 km (1 ...

is Thailand's first line that opened for passenger service.History of Thai Railway
The line is also a key section on the central route of the Kunming–Singapore railway.

Route description

The Northeastern Line shares tracks with

Northern Line The Northern line is a London Underground line that runs between North London and South London. It is printed in black on the Tube map. It carries more passengers per year than any other Underground linearound 340million in 2019making it the bu ...

between Bangkok and Ban Phachi Junction. It has three main branches: *

Ubon Ratchathani Main Line Ubon Ratchathani Main Line or Lower Isan Line is a railway line in Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southe ...

, between

and

Ubon Ratchathani Ubon Ratchathani (, ) is one of the four main cities in Thailand's Isan region, alongside Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat), Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen, collectively known as the "big four of Isan." Located on the Mun River in the southeastern Isan, ...

* Nong Khai Main Line, between Bangkok and

Nong Khai Nong Khai (, ) is a city in northeast Thailand. It is the capital of Nong Khai province. Nong Khai city is located in Mueang Nong Khai district. Nong Khai lies on the Mekong River, near the site of the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, span ...

, branching off after Nakhon Ratchasima. The line also crosses the Thai-Lao border into Thanaleng, with an extension to Khamsavath railway station being opened in 2023. * Lam Narai Branch Line

Timeline

Ubon Ratchathani Main Line

Source: * 9 March 1891 - started construction * 26 March 1896 - opened

–

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...

* 1 November 1897 -

– Kaeng Khoi * 21 December 1900 - opened Kaeng Khoi –

* 1 November 1922 - opened Nakhon Ratchasima–Tha Chang near a pier on Mun river that allowed boat service between Tha Chang and Ubon Ratchathani along Mun river * 1 April 1925 - opened Tha Chang –

Buriram Buriram (, , ; Northern Khmer: ) is a city municipality ('' thesaban nakhon'') in Thailand, capital of Buriram Province, about northeast of Bangkok. incorporating Nai Mueang and Isan Subdistricts and parts Samet Subdistricts of Mueang Burira ...

* 1 August 1928 - opened Buriram –

Sisaket Sisaket (, , ; Northern Khmer dialect, Northern Khmer: ) is a Thesaban#Town municipality, town municipality in Isan, northeast Thailand, incorporating Mueang Nuea and Mueang Tai Subdistricts and parts of Cham, Nong Khrok, Pho, Phon kha, and Ya P ...

* 1 April 1930 - opened Sisaket –

SRT also built a short railway line from Bung Wai to Ban Pho Mun which was opened on 1 August 1930,Annual Report of Royal State Railway BE2473, published in 1932 but the line was closed on 1 December 1954 due to the construction of Seri Prachathippatai bridge (officially opened in 1955) that allowed the connection between Ubon Ratchathani city and

without the need for ferry across Mun river.

Nong Khai Main Line

* 1 April 1933 - opened

–

Khon Kaen Khon Kaen (, ) is the capital of Khon Kaen province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, fourth-largest city in Thailand. It is one of the four major cities of Isan, Northeast Thailand, also known as the ...

* 24 June 1941 - Khon Kaen –

Udon Thani Udon Thani (, ) is a city in Isan ( Northeast Thailand), the capital of Udon Thani Province and the sixth largest city in Thailand. The city municipality (''thesaban nakhon'' / city proper) had a population of 130,531 people as of 2019, while Ud ...

* 13 September 1955 - Udon Thani – Na Tha (first Nong Khai station) * 31 July 1958 - Na Tha – Nong Khai (Talat Nong Khai, second Nong Khai station) * 2008 -

(third and current Nong Khai station) – Talat Nong Khai section closed. * 5 March 2009 - Nong Khai – Thanaleng (

Vientiane Prefecture Vientiane Prefecture (, ''Nakhônlouang ViangChan'', , ) is a prefecture of Laos, in northwest Laos. The national capital, Vientiane, is in the prefecture. The prefecture was created in 1989, when it was split off from Vientiane province ...

) * 31 October 2023 - Thanaleng – Khamsavath (Vientiane Prefecture)

Kaeng Khoi–Bua Yai (Lam Narai) Branch Line

* 19 August 1967 - entire Kaeng Khoi Junction– Bua Yai Junction line opened.

Gallery

File:Ubolstation.jpg, Ubon Ratchathani railway station, terminal station of the

File:Nong Khai Railway Station.JPG, Nong Khai railway station, a railway station located near the

Laos–Thailand border The Laos–Thailand border is the international border between the territory of Laos and Thailand. The border is 1,845 km (1,146 mi) in length, over half of which follows the Mekong River, and runs from the tripoint with Myanmar in the north ...

File:Nong Khai Mai nach Nong Khai (2000).jpg, Northeastern Line junction Talat Nong Khai section closed File:ที่หยุดรถไฟตลาดหนองคาย.jpg, Former Nong Khai (Talat Nong Khai) railway station near the River

Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of and a drainage area of , discharging of wat ...

References

External links

SRT route map
{{Kunming–Singapore railway Railway lines in Thailand Railway lines opened in 1896 Metre-gauge railways in Thailand International railway lines