Thai rail board to review amendments to the contract for the high-speed rail line between Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) board will review the amendments to the contract for the high-speed rail line between Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports on Thursday, which it hopes will be approved by the cabinet in May.
According to SRT deputy governor, Anan Phonimdang, the latest draft of the contract has been reviewed by the relevant subcommittees. Once the board endorses the draft, the contract will be sent to the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) for further vetting before it is forwarded to the cabinet for final approval.
Mr Anan said if the cabinet approves the contract and the deal is signed in May, the SRT will issue a Notice to Proceed (NTP), allowing Asia Era One, a Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group subsidiary, to begin construction in June.
The initial construction phase will focus on two areas: under the second runway of U-Tapao Airport and the Bang Sue–Don Mueang section, where the line will overlap with the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail line.
The line is expected to be ready in about five years.
To simplify the construction of the line, the contractor will manufacture precast segments of the line at a separate facility. The finished segments will then be transported to the construction site, once the location is ready for final assembly.
The high-speed rail line will share tracks with the Airport Rail Link (ARL), which runs from Phaya Thai station to Suvarnabhumi airport.
The CP Group has yet to decide which train model will be used on the line. If they choose a wide-body train, the platforms at some stations will have to be modified to allow the trains to pass through, as the tracks and stations between Phaya Thai and Suvarnabhumi airport were set up to accommodate the narrower, ARL trains.
The 271-billion-baht project will see nine stations constructed in five provinces. The entire line will span 220 kilometres, which the trains will cover in less than an hour, at speeds of up to 250km/h.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2977166/thai-rail-board-to-review-airport-link-contract
