The Cabinet on 1 September 2026 gave the green light to Thailand’s National Rail Technology Strategy, 2028-2032, which was prepared by the Rail Technology Research and Development Agency (Public Organization) and proposed by the Ministry of Transport.

The strategy aims to build a strong and sustainable Thai railway system by comprehensively developing system standards, human resources, and the domestic rail industry. It comprises five strategic areas, covering 35 projects, with a total budget of 8,677 million baht, as follows:

Strategy 1, Research and Development of Rail Technology, focuses on advanced, innovative research and digital integration to achieve technological autonomy, enhance maintenance efficiency, and promote the development of components using domestic resources that meet international standards;

Strategy 2, Human Resource Development in the Rail Sector, emphasizes systematic human resource management, labor demand-supply analysis, the creation of a central database, curriculum integration, the establishment of training and testing centers, and the formulation of professional standards and competency certification systems;

Strategy 3, Research and Development of Rail Transport Standards and Testing Systems, aims to establish comprehensive relevant criteria and techniques covering all elements of the rail system, upgrade testing centers for parts testing and certification, and disseminate standards for the creation of a testing center database;

Strategy 4, Technology Acquisition and Transfer, prioritizes developing roadmaps to define objectives and criteria for technology transfer in procurement contracts, building collaborative networks alongside a central knowledge database, and enhancing Thailand’s long-term self-reliance;

Strategy 5, Development of the National Rail Industry, focuses on driving comprehensive policies and measures to establish a domestic rail industry, while offering investment incentives to support local entrepreneurs.