Thailand Transport Ministry to push priority public transportation projects
Red Line, double-track work to begin ‘soon’
The Transport Ministry is aiming to launch several key public transportation projects at the start of this year, pending the cabinet’s approval, in a bid to improve the nation’s connectivity.
According to Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, these projects include the expansion of the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) Dark Red and Light Red lines and the second phase of double-track upgrades on key stretches in the North, Northeast and South.
Altogether, these projects require 319 billion baht in investments to carry out.
The first — which would see the Dark Red electric commuter rail line extended by 8.84 kilometres to connect Rangsit to Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus — had already been approved in December, but the SRT wants the budget increased from the current 6.4 billion baht, he said.
The second project is the construction of a 20.5-kilometre spur line connecting Siriraj Hospital with Salaya that would branch off the main Light Red Line.
Mr Suriya said the project will proceed once it receives final approval from the Budget Bureau and Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).
The third project, the second phase of double-track upgrades on key stretches in the North, Northeast and South, will cost about 297 billion baht to complete.
It will see the single track on six routes — Pak Nam Pho-Den Chai; Den Chai-Chiang Mai; Jira Junction-Ubon Ratchathani; Hat Yai Junction-Padang Besar; Chumphon-Surat Thani; and Surat Thani-Hat Yai-Songkhla — upgraded to dual tracks to improve efficiency.
Veeris Ammarapala, SRT governor, said the double-track upgrade project will be proposed to the cabinet sometime this month.
Once it receives the cabinet’s approval, the SRT will initiate the bidding process for procurement and construction, starting with the Pak Nam Po-Den Chai and Jira Junction-Ubon Ratchathani sections.
The last to be upgraded will be the Den Chai-Chiang Mai section, as its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is still being reviewed, Mr Veeris said.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2934401/transport-ministry-to-push-priority-projects
