Cabinet approves Bt44-bn rail projects
THE CABINET yesterday approved construction of two Bangkok urban rail lines worth Bt44.16 billion, part of a larger infrastructure initiative by the ruling junta as it seeks to revive the sluggish economy.
The lines are among some 20 infrastructure projects worth Bt1.4 trillion that the military-led regime hopes to get under way before 2018.
The State Railway of Thailand is expected to open bidding for the projects next month and construction will likely start in February, Kobsak Pootrakool, vice minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, told reporters.
The proposed 25.9-kilometre overground and underground Dark Red and Light Red lines will connect northern Bangkok to the city’s eastern suburbs and to the city centre.
The planned construction period is 36 months for both lines with nine stations, with expected completion in 2019 and services in 2020.
As part of the Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok, there are two Red Lines.
The Dark Red Line runs from Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus to Mahachai in Samut Sakhon province, while the Light Red Line runs from Salaya in Nakhon Pathom province to Hua Mak in Bangkok.
Both pass through Bang Sue, which will act as a connecting hub to the MRT system.
Yesterday’s approval follows the nod for several rail lines in the traffic-jammed capital this year.
“Once this project is completed, it will change the lives of people in Bangkok,” Kobsak said.
He said that for the Hua Mak line, about 170,000 trips per day were estimated.
Government Spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said two plots of land would be expropriated in Phaya Thai district to make way for the Red Line’s construction and about 1,000 households were expected to be affected.
He said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had expressed concern about this, asking relevant parties to proceed with care, particularly in terms of compensation.
The Transport Ministry expects large infrastructure projects to boost economic growth to 3.5 per cent this year, adding about 0.3-0.5 percentage point.
Fitch Ratings said this month that there had been a lag in infrastructure development in Thailand since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis compared with neighbouring countries. It expects infrastructure investment to increase over the next several years as the government prioritises such development.
The Bank of Thailand in June kept its 2016 growth forecast for Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy at 3.1 per cent.
