Bidding to start soon for three rail-route sections
The government insists it will move ahead with three sections of two new mass-transit rail routes within its term, which is expected to run to the end of the year.
Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen said yesterday after meeting with Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um, Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn and other participants that the three rail lines were the Red Line's Bang Sue-Taling Chan and Bang Sue-Rangsit sections and the Purple Line's Bangkok Yai-Bang Sue section. "The government will proceed with these three sections, while other ones will not be scrapped, but rather continued by the next government," Theera said. He expects bidding for the Bang Sue-Taling Chan section of the Red Line to open in May or June and for the Bang Sue-Rangsit section within the next two months. The Purple Line's Bangkok Yai-Bang Sue section is expected to start the bidding process by year-end. "The three sections will start their bidding process this year, even though the results will not be finalised in the current government's term," said Theera. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Chalongphob will work on funding details for the projects. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) is expected to provide some financial support. The first project will be funded locally, while the others will rely partly on JBIC funds, said Chalong-phob. The five new electric-train lines approved by the Cabinet are expected to cost about Bt165 million.
Watcharapong Thongrung The Nation
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