Germans interested in rail projects

Santi said German Economics and Technology Minister Michael Glos and a German business delegation had expressed their interest during a meeting on Wednesday.

"They wanted to know when we would finish the bidding plan, and I told them it should not take longer than a year. They also offered to transfer technology to us," Santi said.

The ministry has set an initial budget of Bt360 billion for the projects.

Meanwhile, the board of directors of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) yesterday approved increasing the budget for the Blue Line electric-rail project. The budget was raised 18 per cent to Bt51 billion.

The increase is due to the rising costs of raw materials, mainly steel and cement, and will be proposed to the Cabinet for approval next Tuesday.

The Blue Line will run from Bang Sue to Tha Phra and Hualamphong to Bang Khae.

That represents a distance of 27 kilometres.

MRTA governor Praphat Jongsanguan yesterday said the budget increase would be used mainly for civil-engineering work.