Construction of Thailand-China railway project to start soon: Thai transport minister

Thailand will begin construction of the Thailand-China railway project in October, or no later than November, once the environmental impact assessment report is approved, Thai Minister of Transport Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said in an interview with Xinhua.

Thailand and China earlier this month signed a design contract and a supervision contract for the 253-kilometer first-phase project linking Thai capital Bangkok and the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. “Once the relevant environmental impact assessment report from Baan Pachi in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province and Nakhon Ratchasima Province is approved, we will try to start construction of the first section in October. If we cannot do that, we will definitely start in November,” Arkhom told Xinhua.

The transport minister said his ministry submitted the environmental impact assessment report five times to a committee under the Environmental Impact Evaluation Bureau and hoped it would be approved this time.

“We have submitted all the detailed information about the project and it should be approved this time,” Arkhom said.

The 3.5-kilometer first phase will be built by the Department of Highways attached to the Transport Ministry in Nakhon Ratchasima Province.

Construction of the other sections – the second 11-kilometer section, third 119.5-kilometer section and finally the fourth 119-kilometer section – will begin gradually.

To get construction fully under way, detailed designs of other sections need to be completed for tender, Arkhom noted.

“The Chinese side said they will finish the detailed design of the whole project in eight months after we signed the design contract.”

The 253-kilometer project is set to cost 179 billion baht ($5.4 billion). The Thai government will pay for the construction by issuing bonds or seeking loans from banks, the minister said, adding that his country is also considering loans from a Chinese bank for the signal system, tracks and trains.

Once completed, the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima railway with a maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour will be the first standard gauge highspeed railway of the country. But to finally form an artery linking Thailand, Laos and China, a 355-kilometer second phase linking Nakhon Ratchasima with Nong Khai on the border with Laos has to be built.