Final high-speed rail contracts to be signed soon

Progress anticipated for the long-awaited second phase, which will travel from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima.

According to Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote, the State Railway of Thailand ( SRT ) anticipates the signing of the final two construction contracts for the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway soon.

The 179. 4-billion-baht job connects Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima stretching 251 miles. With only two more deals to be signed, the building work is broken up into 14 contracts.

According to Mr Surapong, deal Little 4-5 covers the 13. With a expenditure of 9, the 3km Ban Pho–Phra Kaeo part in Ayutthaya is possible. 9 billion ringgit. He stated that it will be signed once the proposed Ayutthaya station’s heritage impact assessment ( HIA ) report is finished.

According to Mr. Surapong, the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy anticipates sending the HIA statement to Unesco this quarter. He added that approval is anticipated because the UN company has been closely monitoring the HIA approach.

“There should n’t be a problem because the HIA, the first of its kind in Thailand, was conducted [voluntarily ] even though the planned construction of the railway section and the attached Ayutthaya station does not even pass through any part of Ayutthaya’s World Heritage site, ” he said.

The other development agreement, No 4-1, concerns a 15. 2 km of the Bangkok border between Bang Sue and Don Muang. According to the original design, it should be connected to the high-speed railway connecting three airports, Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and U-tapao.

The latter’s structure has not yet begun as the consortium led by the CP Group, Asia Era One Company, has been trying to renegotiate some terms. of its deal. By May 22 the Board of Investment ( BOI ) approval is anticipated, and those issues have been fully resolved.

If the BoI does not endorse purchase development for the job, the government may find another solution, said Mr Surapong. The SRT might decide to invest entirely in the Bang Sue-Don Muang area to prevent the high-speed rail line from being even more late than expected.

The first-phase series is currently scheduled to be finished in 2028, despite having been delayed several times since it first appeared to be agreed upon by China and Thailand in 2015.

Later in the month, according to Mr. Surapong, the SRT will make a final choice on the issue.