Transport Ministry forges ahead with rail plans amid loan deliberations

The electric-train project involves four routes.

Construction on the Bt59-billion, 23-kilometre Purple Line (Bang Yai-Bang Sue) is 62.99 per cent complete but 3.36 per cent behind schedule because of four train-service management contracts, which are pending the third round of negotiations to secure the lowest possible price, which should be finalised this month. The latest report said the price had fallen by Bt321 million to Bt82.99 billion. Construction of the maintenance centre has progressed significantly. 

The Bt79-billion, 27km Blue Line (Bang Sue-Tha Phra and Hua Lampong-Bang Khae) is 36.54 per cent complete and 3.24 per cent behind schedule.

The Bt25-billion, 12.8km Dark Green Line (Bearing-Samut Prakan) is 10.50 per cent complete and 0.93 per cent ahead of schedule.

The Bt15-billion, 26km Dark Red Line (Bang Sue-Rangsit) is in the civil construction phase. The delay is related to three contracts for rail, signals and carriages pending review of problems involving shared benefits of the project tendering. 

Bidding will be held this year for two lines – the Bt59-billion, 18.4km Light Green Line (Mor Chit-Saphan Mai-Kukok) and the Bt38-billion, 36km Pink Line. The ministry has proposed both projects to the Cabinet for consideration,  Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt told Krungthep Turakij yesterday.

The next two projects that will be opened for bidding are the Bt73-billion, 20km Orange Line (Cultural Centre-Min Buri) and the Bt37-billion, 30km Yellow Line (Lat Phrao-Samrong). However, the Cultural Centre-Taling Chan section will not proceed further because of stiff public opposition in the Pratunam area.

Despite some hitches, most urban-rail projects are going quite well. The Green and Pink lines should open for bidding this year. As for the other projects, feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments are underway. The large projects will rely on funding under the Bt2-trillion loan. However, all projects operate independently of one another, so there is no need to wait for other projects before they can proceed.

The three rail projects now under construction will be among the first to draw funds under the Bt2-trillion loan, as the government wants major projects to use funds from the same source for ease of debt monitoring and funds management. 

 

7-year disbursement 

The loan will be disbursed over seven years – about Bt200 million this year, Bt150 billion next year, Bt290 billion in 2015, Bt450 billion each in 2016 and 2017, Bt370 billion in 2018, Bt170 billion in 2019 and Bt94 billion in 2020, Chadchart said. 

One high-speed train line (Bangkok-Chiang Mai) should be completed ahead of the urban-rail projects as feasibility consultants were hired before the other projects. It will begin in Bang Sue, pass through Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Nakhon Sawan, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit, Den Chai in Phrae, Lampang and Lamphun, and end up in Chiang Mai. 

The Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed train route will start from Bang Sue station, pass Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani, and end up in Nong Khai. 

The Bangkok-Hua Hin route will run from Bang Sue central station through Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi and Phetchaburi to Hua Hin.

The Bangkok-Rayong train route will start from Bang Sue and stop in Chachoengsao, Chon Buri and Pattaya before terminating in Rayong. 

The environmental impact assessments for the high-speed-rail project will be submitted to the environmental board for consideration by next month. They will cover the three routes to Chiang Mai, Nong Khai and Hua Hin. 

For the Bangkok-Rayong route, the State Railway of Thailand has just hired a consultant to prepare the environmental impact assessment, which should take some time to complete. 

The construction budgets for the high-speed-rail projects are Bt387.82 billion for Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bt170.45 billion for Bangkok-Nong Khai, Bt124.33 billion for Bangkok-Padang Besar and Bt100.63 billion for Bangkok-Rayong.