Two more rail routes worth over 140 billion baht planned for bid

[webfact]

Two more rail routes worth over 140 billion baht planned for bid



BANGKOK: -- The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) says it was making preparations to investing into a further 2 dual-track routes valued at 143 billion baht with expectations that public bidding for the project could be held at the end of this year.

SRT governor Wuthichart Kalauarnmitr revealed that the SRT has plans to invest in a further two 1 meter dual-track lines for two new routes.

The first will run from the Den Chai intersection – Chiang Rai – Chiang Kong a total distance of 326 kilometres while the second will stretch 347 kilometres and run from Bang Phai to Nakhon Phanom.

The project will cost an estimated 143 billion baht. It was initiated after the Prime Minister invoked Article 44 of the Interim Constitution to speed up construction on vital national infrastructure projects.

The two planned lines are still in the design stage and an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) report is being prepared, he said.

Should things go smoothly, it is expected that a public bidding for investment in the project will be organized by the end of the year or at the latest, the beginning of the next year, the governor said.

As for the already approved 4 dual-track routes, Mr Wuthichart stated that public bidding for the project is slated to begin within the year.

He said further that the SRT has also made investments into new locomotive engines.

As of the present, 50 engines have already been bought while another 120 will be leased.

The SRT should take delivery of all the engines within two years.

Mr Wuthichart also revealed that within the next five year period, all trains in Thailand will be converted to electric and all diesel trains will be retired.

Accordingly, he revealed that in future all passenger trains will be air-conditioned.

In fact 115 air-conditioned passenger bogeys have already been ordered for the price of 4 billion Baht and will begin to be used by May of this year on the Bangkok – Chiang Mai route.

Other routes to other regions will then follow.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/155693


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-18

[villagefarang]

Obviously a lot could change between now and then but hopefully at least some of this will get built.

[worgeordie]

Where's the money going to come from?

regards Worgeordie

[villagefarang]

Where's the money going to come from?

regards Worgeordie

My guess would be international loans.

[Hawk]

These projects are simply pushing Thailand into an unrepayable debt blackhole.

[phoenixdoglover]

It's great to see a news item that mentions public bids. So often, the procurement method is unreported.

[smutcakes]

I would not trust the capability of SRT to oversee the building of a play train kit, never mind a proper one.

[nong38]

Great to be acquiring new locomotives dont forget about the coaches though, need a lot of them. Most of the stuff here is life expired.

[cockatoowho]

There must be many at the top wetting themselves in anticipation of the all the kickbacks that will be on offer. Just another day in LOS (Land Of Shysters).

[SoilSpoil]

Good news for those living in Chiang Rai. The values of their properties will increase significantly.

[dageurreotype]

Meanwhile, increasing numbers are protesting their community rights being run over roughshod with the implementation of the magical A44 sweeping aside environmental impact surveys in order to build these monolithic opaque 'megaprojects'. Don't see them making headlines (mere byline in today's BP) but they have been acknowledged as a growing threat to the junta's hold on power. Good.

[anon467848]

Somebody is going to be getting a seriously thick brown envelope given the value of the Contracts....

[bark]

Obviously a lot could change between now and then but hopefully at least some of this will get built.

The train cars will be here 5 years before the tracks are built.

[RT555]

Somebody is going to cash in... 10years later and it won't even get off the ground...

[hansnl]

Ban Phai - Sakhon Nakhon?

Really?

Another Bangkok orientated line?

Why not think out of the Bangkok box and create a kind of "provincial" connection by routing the line through Khon Kaen.

Not only picking up the Sakhon Nakhon-Bangkok customers but also the Khon Kaen-Sakhon Nakhon traffic, and possibly Udon Thani passengers.

Missed chances.

[jackinthebox]

I would not trust the capability of SRT to oversee the building of a play train kit, never mind a proper one.

This guy has no idea what he is talking about:

Mr Wuthichart also revealed that within the next five year period, all trains in Thailand will be converted to electric and all diesel trains will be retired.

Obviously electric lokomotives are much better then diesel-fueld ones. But when you start to buy them you loose your compatibility, ie. you will have to electrify nearly all your railroads very quick and very eagerly. I doubt this will be feasable in thailand within the next five years. It's not just hanging an overhaul-line above the tracks, you will also have to change some bridges, renovate many railroad-crossings, some train stations, build new maintenance garages, install transformer and relais-stations, change the signalling, etc. So this 5-year-plan doesn't sound realistic.

Apart from that: I can't understand why they still stick to their outdated 1000mm gauge. It's neither fish nor flesh nor fowl. If they really build double-tracks, buy new engines and coaches and plan to electrify their grid, whey don't they do a realistic planning of modernising (ie. build new from scratch) a nationwide 1435mm railway network within 10-15 years?

[bheard]

"SRT governor Wuthichart Kalauarnmitr revealed that the SRT has plans to invest in a further two 1 meter dual-track lines for two new routes."

Come on, make it standard gauge (1.435 M) . They don't consider comfort with this choice - the trains rock from side to side much more on a narrow gauge such as this.

Less chance of them falling over on poorly maintained lines with a wider spacing between the lines as well.

[HarrySeaman]

"SRT governor Wuthichart Kalauarnmitr revealed that the SRT has plans to invest in a further two 1 meter dual-track lines for two new routes."

Still going for 1m gauge instead of the standard 1.435 m gauge.

Need I say more than TIT.

[Gunna]

To all you so called experts deriding the 1 meter gauge in Thailand - did you know that the neighbouring countries all use 1 meter.

eg Myanmar has 5,403 km of 1m

Malaysia has 1699km

Vietnam has 2,169km

Cambodia has 612km

So if Thailand changes to standard gauge, none of their rolling stock will be able to go to any of the above countries.

So use double track 1 meter for freight lines and standard for any completely new high speed passenger tracks.

[ChrisY1]

These projects are simply pushing Thailand into an unrepayable debt blackhole.

Nothing started yet......lots of talk and I won't hold my breath....!

[trainman34014]

He talks of a fully electrified railway system. Does he have the faintest idea how much it will cost ? Somehow i doubt it because if he did the numbers would blow his mind, but after all, it's just more words.from the land of all talk and little action.

[Roomuck]

Ban Phai - Sakhon Nakhon?

Really?

Another Bangkok orientated line?

Why not think out of the Bangkok box and create a kind of "provincial" connection by routing the line through Khon Kaen.

Not only picking up the Sakhon Nakhon-Bangkok customers but also the Khon Kaen-Sakhon Nakhon traffic, and possibly Udon Thani passengers.

Missed chances.

Sakon Nakhon. Really? No

[Asiantravel]

These projects are simply pushing Thailand into an unrepayable debt blackhole.

similar thing is happening in Laos but the people don't really want it. They say they would prefer better roads than having to pay the debt for a rail link to China

[swerver]

"SRT governor Wuthichart Kalauarnmitr revealed that the SRT has plans to invest in a further two 1 meter dual-track lines for two new routes."

Come on, make it standard gauge (1.435 M) . They don't consider comfort with this choice - the trains rock from side to side much more on a narrow gauge such as this.

Less chance of them falling over on poorly maintained lines with a wider spacing between the lines as well.

When going to standard track 1.436 meter then all the old curves through the mountains the circle has to be increased with 1 meter (narrow gauge) presently in use in Thailand you can have a smaller circle curve, 1 meter is called a mountain gauge. If you travel the wide open space of Russia the gauge is even wider than standard gauge like the Siberia express Moscow - Vladivostok. It is extremely stable at the high speeds it travels. Russia rail equipment cannot use the European standard gauge, the Russia equipment are too wide for it.

So what's going to happen Thailand will be a Duke mixture like already happen with the Sky train and the Suvarnabhumi International Airport train each with its own electric pickup system so trains from one system CANNOT be used on the other system, TYPICAL THAI that way each system has to have its own GENERAL plus all its hanger-one's. GET IT?????

LOL in LO and whatever S you like to name.

[rickirs]

Where's the money going to come from?

regards Worgeordie

There are several options:

Government-to-foreign government joint venture

Government-to-Private Investment joint venture

100% foreign government financed

The Thai government portion would be completely financed with 20-year treasury bonds.

A joint venture would reduce the government's financial risk in the projects, help limit cost overruns provide for revenue sharing.

[overherebc]

Good news for those living in Chiang Rai. The values of their properties will increase significantly.

Hope you don't mind mind if I change that to ' The asking Price has already doubled.'

[jackinthebox]

"SRT governor Wuthichart Kalauarnmitr revealed that the SRT has plans to invest in a further two 1 meter dual-track lines for two new routes."

Come on, make it standard gauge (1.435 M) . They don't consider comfort with this choice - the trains rock from side to side much more on a narrow gauge such as this.

Less chance of them falling over on poorly maintained lines with a wider spacing between the lines as well.

When going to standard track 1.436 meter then all the old curves through the mountains the circle has to be increased with 1 meter (narrow gauge) presently in use in Thailand you can have a smaller circle curve, 1 meter is called a mountain gauge. If you travel the wide open space of Russia the gauge is even wider than standard gauge like the Siberia express Moscow - Vladivostok. It is extremely stable at the high speeds it travels. Russia rail equipment cannot use the European standard gauge, the Russia equipment are too wide for it.

So what's going to happen Thailand will be a Duke mixture like already happen with the Sky train and the Suvarnabhumi International Airport train each with its own electric pickup system so trains from one system CANNOT be used on the other system, TYPICAL THAI that way each system has to have its own GENERAL plus all its hanger-one's. GET IT?????

LOL in LO and whatever S you like to name.

Trains can go quite narrow curves even in standard-tracks (if you go slow enough), so I doubt that Thailand would have to increase ALL the circles on the mountanin lines (maybe some of them). It's almost an irony of the history that the Northern and Northeastern Lines (!) were build as standard-gauge a century ago (southern line was 1000mm instead). They then decided to switch/harmonize the railway system nationwide an unfortunetaly they came down to the narrow track. What is even more bizarre: in the transition period they just put a single new rail in between to old track. Finally, in 1926, when all the rolling stock was updated, they tore out the old outer rail. so nowadays they could just go vice-versa.

[halloween]

Obviously a lot could change between now and then but hopefully at least some of this will get built.

The train cars will be here 5 years before the tracks are built.

Perhaps they could run on existing tracks?

[jerojero]

How about to H. with more railways and pour the couple hundred billion into meaningful education reform. Self serving elitist unnecessary infrastructure projects again win over advancing the country as a whole by better educating the masses, especially the youth.

Edited March 18, 2016 by jerojero

[halloween]

How about to H. with more railways and pour the couple hundred billion into meaningful education reform. Self serving elitist unnecessary infrastructure projects again win over advancing the country as a whole by better educating the masses, especially the youth.

"Self serving elitist unnecessary infrastructure projects..." Could you expand, perhaps justifying each adjective?

A very amusing way to describe increased public transport and more efficient freight handling. Should they go back to buying over-priced rice instead? My mistake, tablet computers are the answer.

Edited March 18, 2016 by halloween