TRT promote sky train master plan
The Thai Rak Thai Party trumpeted on Saturday its mass transport master plan for Bangkok, promising better and cheaper sky train services.
"The ruling party's mass transit development plan will rely entirely on government investment in order to ensure a flat charge of Bt15 per trip for the whole network of electric train routes," party secretary general, Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit told a news media briefing.Party deputy leader Sudarat Keyuraphan and caretaker Transport Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal attended the briefing. Suriya said Thailand was seeking Bt600 billion in loans with a 10year grace period to finance the mass transit system. The Japanese loans would be repaid in 30 years. "Under the financial arrangeŽment in the pipeline, the governŽment will contract private operators to run the train services in a non profit manner," he said. Earnings were estimated at Bt33 billion a year while annual operating costs were Bt15 billion for the 10 routes, he said. Cheap train fares and efficient and safe services would boost comŽmuter numbers. Money not spent by households on motor cars would fuel growth in the real estate marŽket, he said. He claimed the Thai Rak Thai train network would cover 333 new kilometres, compared with the 139-kilometre extension proposed by the Democrat Party. He also said the rival plan would set train fares at between Bt60 to Bt70 depending on distance travŽelled. He said the Democrat proposed train link to Suvarnabhumi Airport would cost Bt56 billion while his party's idea would come in at just Bt26 billion. Sudarat, the party's Bangkok chief, pledged to build all 10 train routes, three of which were underŽway. If the ruling party won the October election, construction would begin next year, she said. The party would do away with concessionaires for train services so it could cap fares, she said. Pongsak was optimistic conŽstruction of the new routes would be completed in four years. He told voters there was a risk of delay if the Democrats won the government benches. The Nation
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