'Politics could kill airport line'
Authorities fear political instability will derail critical funding for the airport express-train project.
Nakorn Chanthasorn, deputy governor of the State Railway of Thailand, said yesterday the financing negotiations were reaching a sensitive stage and could be easily upset by political factors."My biggest worry is that the ongoing political banter [between the former and current government] will make the project grind to a halt, intentionally or unintentionally. This project was strongly pushed by the previous government, but this government has to make a decision on a crucial financing solution," he said. "The best I can do is to do my job the best way and pray for no political revenge to be taken, because this project could be used as a tool for reprisal," he said. If Nakorn's fear proves justified, the hunt for project financing could end, even though construction is more than half complete. "That means the trains we have ordered and already paid more than 71 per cent for will not be sent to us and what is built of the railway will be left standing like a monument to mistakes, like the Hopewell [transit] project," he said. The rail agency has formed a committee to address its long-standing financial crisis. Three options have been discussed, and a solution is expected by next month.
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