The Transport Ministry will propose the high-speed train project under collaboration with China for Cabinet consid?eration on September 8 next Wednesday.
Transport Minister Sophon Saram said Korbsak Sabhavasu, who chairs a committee study?ing the transnational high-speed-rail project, had submit?ted the study's findings to the ministry.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, for unclear reasons, recently decided to let Sophon handle the train project - a move that appeared to have undercut Korbsak's position, though Korbsak had been working on it since the outset.
Sophon denied that he was in any conflict with the Korbsak committee.
Supot Saplom, permanent secretary of the Transport Ministry, said the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) was studying the high-speed-train plan pro?posed by the working group under Korbsak. He said the office would try to develop the plan further before submitting it for Cabinet approval.
"We are trying to find out on the different things of the plan to further develop the plan to come out on the same direction before putting forward for the Cabinet approval," Supot said.
The ministry has also con?ducted a feasibility study on construction of the high-speed rail system.
It is expected that the route from Nong Khai to Bangkok, sustaining speeds of 200-250 kilometres per hour, will take priority. The route will connect with the Laotian border, and from there link to Kunming, capital of the southern Chinese province of Yunnan.
On Wednesday, the Cabinet postponed deliberating on the proposed transnational high-speed-train project linking Kunming, Laos, Bangkok and Padang Besar.