SRT reveals rail contract bid winners

The KS-C and STPP joint ventures won the bidding for two sections of the Prachuap Khiri Khan-Chumphon double-track railway, worth 12.3 billion baht, according to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).

The SRT yesterday revealed KS-C, a joint venture between KS Joint Venture Co Ltd and China Railway 11th Bureau Group Corporation Ltd, won the concession for the 167km rail route’s first section, Prachuap Khiri Khan to Bang Saphan Noi.

KS-C put in a 6.4 billion baht bid, around 114 million baht lower than the SRT’s median price of 6.5 billion baht.

For the second section connecting Bang Saphan Noi to Chumphon, the concession went to STPP, a joint venture between SinoThai Engineering and Construction Plc (STEC) and Thai Picon & Industry Co Ltd.

STPP offered the lowest price at 5.9 billion baht for the section, about 79 million baht lower than its median price of 6 billion baht.

The concession winners were among 10 companies bidding for the two sections.

On Monday, the SRT announced that Unique Engineering and Construction Plc (UNIQ) won the bid through an e-auction for the Tha Khae-Pak Nam Pho section of the Lop Buri-Pak Nam Pho rail route.

UNIQ offered a price of 8.6 billion baht, 1.86% lower than the SRT’s median price of 8.8 billion baht.

An e-auction will take place for the route’s elevated railway section linking Ban Klub to Khok Krathiam, valued at 10 billion baht, tomorrow.

Acting SRT governor Anon Luangboriboon, also an inspector-general at the Transport Ministry, said 10 construction contracts were allotted for five double-track rail routes.

Of these contracts, the SRT was in the process of opening bidding for two other contracts: Ban Klub to Khok Krathiam and a tunnel for Map Ka Bao in Saraburi to Jira in Nakhon Ratchasima, worth 9.3 billion baht, which are also scheduled to take place tomorrow.

After the auctions, the SRT will submit all bidding results to the SRT board on Friday for consideration.

They will later be examined by the scrutiny “superboard” for state procurement projects, chaired by Prasarn Trairatvorakul.

Mr Anon said the SRT expected to sign nine of the 10 contracts with contractors next month.