Thailand has announced that its section of the high-speed railway, which will connect the country with China through Laos, is slated to begin operations in 2030, marking a delay of nearly a decade from the original timeline of 2021.

Thailand expects its 609-km (378 miles) portion of a high-speed railway that will connect it with China through Laos to begin operations in 2030, its government said on Wednesday, nearly a decade later than originally planned.

Thailand says its $13bn high-speed railway to China through Laos will enter service in 2030, South China Morning Post reports.

Thailand expects to complete its first high-speed rail network linking the country to China through Laos in 2030, a long-delayed project officials have touted as key to furthering bilateral relations and trade between the two nations.

Thailand started the construction of the high-speed rail network in 2017 under the Chinese government’s Belt and Road Initiative, according to the project’s website. The Thai government is responsible for entire project investment, civil works construction, and application of Chinese construction technologies and railway systems.

Thailand’s high-speed rail project is projected to connect the country with China by 2030. This railway will create a direct link between Bangkok, Thailand, and Kunming, China. As a result, travel time is expected to be greatly reduced. Additionally, the project will boost trade and strengthen economic ties across Southeast Asia.

By 2030, the US$13 billion Thai network is expected to connect to the Laos-China high-speed railway via a bridge over the Mekong River.