Cabinet gives green light for Bt200bn high-speed rail link between major airports
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a plan to construct a high-speed rail route linking three major airports: Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang in Bangkok, and U-Tapao in the east of Rayong province.
The government assigned State Railway of Thailand to undertake the public-private partnership project, which has an overall route length of 220 kilometres.
The government plans to invest no more than Bt119 billion in the Bt200-billion project, with the remainder to be financed by private companies winning the bidding, Natthaporn Jatusripitak, adviser to the PM’s Office minister, said after the Cabinet meeting.
The government estimates economic returns worth Bt700 billion from the project in the next 100 years, he said.
The investment returns include oil-usage savings, reduced traffic jams, greater commercial use of U-Tapao International Airport, job creation and commercial-land development generated from the project, Natthaporn added.
