PUBLISHED: 23 Jun 2024 at 17: 06
RAYONG: Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, has promised to push for the construction of a high-speed railway connecting three major airports to ensure the success of the Eastern Economic Corridor ( EEC ), and he anticipates positive news will spur the long-delayed railway project’s resumption in the coming months.
On Sunday, the prime minister made a statement of support for the 224 billion-baht railway project while he was at U-Tapao aircraft in Ban Chang, in this eastern state. One of the three major airports that the high-speed railway project will reference is U-Tapaso. The high-speed railroad job was supposed to begin operation this time.
He made the trip to speed up the very significant project because it was significantly delayed, according to Mr. Srettha.
How can we inspire confidence in the private business if the high-speed rail project linking three flights continues? This job will be absolutely implemented. Usually, it would impact investment in the EEC”, the excellent minister said.
Mr. Srettha said he anticipated good information about the project’s commencement by the end of the month after being briefed by concerned authorities.
The Eastern Seaboard will host concerts and festivals,” I insist that it is the venture that is important to our business.” If we have the substantial- velocity railway, visitors may be confident”, he said.
The high-speed rail, according to the prime minister, will make transportation between Bangkok and the East more convenient and will help to move growth and visitors between the capital and the EEC’s provinces.
The railroad project’s structure should have been accelerated in 2019, according to a deputy government spokeswoman Radklao Intawong, but Covid-19 had prevented it. She added that the project’s funding was impacted by the changes in customers and travellers ‘ behavior following the pandemic.
” Agreements are underway for fairness”, she said.
Asia Era One, a Charoen Pokphand Group- led collaboration, won the selling to create the road system in 2018. To ensure the project is finished, the Office of the EEC and the State Railway of Thailand have negotiated with the company about changing certain provisions of the contract.
The government committed to investing approximately 111.9 billion ringgit under the initial contract, which outlines how the rail system will be developed through a public-private collaboration program. In the fifth time or after trains begin operating, it would start paying the remaining 108.33 billion baht.
But, Asia Era One has requested payment from the state for the company’s ongoing design work. The partnership includes Italian-Thai Development Plc, Ch. Karnchang Plc, Thai Expressway and Metro Plc, China Railway Construction Corporation, and CP.
The consortium’s 50-year license allows it to commercialize area near stations and along the road network.
In order to create the government’s flagship high-tech expense hub scheme, the high-speed railway connecting Greater Bangkok’s Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports to U-Tao airport in Rayong was actually scheduled to launch commercially in 2024.