government initiative to move air and road transport to rail passed a major milestone on 28 December 2017 when the SRT signed nine contracts cost 69.5 billion baht with private contractors to complete track duplication on 702 km of the SRT network. The government's aim is to reduce the nation's logistical overhead, some 1.75 trillion baht, by moving air and road freight to rail because moving a tonne of freight by rail costs 0.93 baht per kilometre compared with 1.72 baht by road, but 86 percent of Thailand's freight moves by road and only two percent by rail. Completed double tracking project Kaeng Khoi - Chacheongsao Thanon Jira- Khon Kaen Phase one of the project includes the following five sections of double-track railway: Map Kabao in Saraburi Province to Thanon Chira Junction in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, 134 km Lopburi to Pak Nam Pho in Nakhon Sawan, 145 km Nakhon Pathom to Hua Hin, 169 km Hua Hin to Prachuap Khiri Khan, 84 km Prachuap Khiri Khan to Chumphon, 168 km Cabinet approval is expected to allow the signing of contracts for phase two of the track duplication project by March 2018. The second phase will add a second track to 2,217 km of single track over nine rail links at a cost of 398 billion baht. Government plans call for an overall investment of 600 billion baht to create 2,588 km of double-track railway. Phase 2 285-kilometre Paknampo-Denchai route, estimated to cost Bt59.3 billion 308km Jira-Ubon Ratchathani route costing Bt36 billion 167km Khon Kaen-Nong Khai line costing Bt25.8 billion 168km Chumphon-Surat Thani line costing Bt23 billion 321km Surat Thani-Hat Yai-Songkhla line costing Bt56.1 billion 189km Denchai-Chiang Mai line costing Bt57.9 billion 45km Hat Yai-Padang Besar route costing Bt7.86 billion. Feasibility studies on new lines Den chai- Chiang Rai Ban Phai - Nakhon Phanom Pak Nam Pho - Ban Phai Station demolition The SRT board approved a plan to demolish and rebuild 298 stations, two billion baht each, as part of the track duplication, also gone would be the unique vanilla and maroon paints scheme Southern Line stations to the south would be painted blue, symbolizing the sea, and Northern Line stations to the north would be painted green, symbolizing forests. High Speed Railways Northern HSR: Bangkok–Phitsanulok–Chiang Mai (Japanese-Thai project) Japan would provide Shinkansen technology for a high-speed rail link between Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai. Phase 1