PUBLISHED: 25 Jan 2025 at 04: 00
Following the recommendations of the advisory body of the World Heritage Committee, the State Railway of Thailand ( SRT ) will lower the height of the roof structure of the Ayutthaya High-Speed Rail Station in order to maintain the significance of the original Ayutthaya Railway Station.
SRT governor Veeris Ammarapala disclosed yesterday that SRT officials from the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property ( ICCROM) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites ( ICOMOS), as well as Michael Pearson, a representative of the World Heritage Committee’s advisory bodies, had traveled to Ayutthaya province from Monday to Wednesday.
The visit was intended to examine the effects of the high-speed road job on the Unesco World Heritage site’s Ayutthaya Historical Park.
The committee visited vital heritage sites and historical landmarks, such as Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Mahathat, the Ayutthaya Railway Station, Wat Phanan Choeng, and the Chinese Village, among people. They will replicate data on environment, urban development, hospitality, and customers before presenting it to the World Heritage Committee.
According to Mr. Veeris, the World Heritage Committee’s expert system has recommended that the State Railway of Thailand lower the roof structure of the Ayutthaya High-Speed Rail Station to prevent it from overshadowing the initial Ayutthaya Railway Station and maintain its historical value.
He claimed that the SRT had accepted these ideas and would use them to create a statement on the World Heritage Centre’s” HiA.”
Now, the Ayutthaya part of the Sino-Thai high-speed road job, spanning 13.3 km with a budget of over 10.3 billion ringgit, has been halted pending the HIA statement.
Expected modifications to the Ayuthaya stop include lowering the trail ascent from 19m to 17m and lowering the train height from 37.45 to 35.45 meters. He noted that this helps to lessen the World Heritage site’s beauty.