Phuket Governor's China visit shines light on light-rail options

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Phuket Governor's China visit shines light on light-rail options

Yutthawat Lekmak

 

Governor Chockchai (left) inspected battery-powered light-rail cars that he said he would recommend the Transport Ministry use in Phuket. Photo: PR Dept

 

PHUKET: -- A four-day fact-finding mission to China to inspect light-rail cars by Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan and an entourage of officials and media has provided a glimpse into what Phuket’s long awaited light-rail system might look like.

 

During his tour, from Dec 18-22, Governor Chockchai visited the manufacturing plant of rolling-stock giant CRRC Company in Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan province.

 

CRRC designs and manufactures anything from diesel and electric locomotives to high-speed rail capable of more than 350kmh, but also more pertinently for Phuket the company built and delivered the “island-rounded tram” for Haizhu, Guangzhou, with a capacity of 368 passengers and a design speed of 70kmh and the larger LRV for the extension line of Ampang, Malaysia, with a capacity of 1,300 passengers and a design speed of 80kmh.

 

The company has also built a reputation for world-class mass transport systems. As recently as Nov 28 the company announced it had been selected to deliver High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMT) in a public-private partnership (PPP) for Melbourne, Australia, worth AU$2 billion (B51.673bn).

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-governor-china-visit-shines-light-on-light-rail-options-60413.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2016-12-28

[LivinginKata]

Just a 4 day jolly at some one else's expense, don't know if all Thai tax payers (like myself) of some from the China company. No doubt he eat a lot to improve his round look.  

[KarenBravo]

By the time they actually start this project, the present governor will be long gone and long forgotten.

[schlog]

1 hour ago, LivinginKata said:

Just a 4 day jolly at some one else's expense, don't know if all Thai tax payers (like myself) of some from the China company. No doubt he eat a lot to improve his round look.  

 Friend of mine was part of this jolly tour. There was travel budget left so they had to make this tour to spend all the fiscal year budget. This way the ensure the new budget.

[steelepulse]

Nice boondoggle.  Guv could care less about a project 50 years in the future.

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, schlog said:

 Friend of mine was part of this jolly tour. There was travel budget left so they had to make this tour to spend all the fiscal year budget. This way the ensure the new budget.

 

Much the same as any government department in the world. If they have money left over then that amount will be cut from next year's budget, so it's urgent to spend the lot and claim they need more next year.

[Old Croc]

 I hope he didn't go and look at their Straddle Bus project as a possible alternative. It appears to be dead in the water.

 

However a claimed test of a prototype design was heavily criticized in August 2016,^[and appears to be abandoned as of December 2016^[update].

 

[huuwi]

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

 I hope he didn't go and look at their Straddle Bus project as a possible alternative. It appears to be dead in the water.

 

However a claimed test of a prototype design was heavily criticized in August 2016,^[and appears to be abandoned as of December 2016^[update].

 

Haha, can you imagine the outcry of the overloaded pick up drivers