Transport Ministry to report on high-speed rail project at mobile cabinet meeting next week

[webfact]

Transport Ministry to report on high-speed rail project at mobile cabinet meeting next week

 

 

BANGKOK, 17 August 2017 (NNT) - The Ministry of Transport will report the progress of the high-speed rail project for Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima route, under the cooperation between the Thai and Chinese governments to the mobile cabinet’s meeting next week. 

Transport Minister Arkhom Termphitthayaphaisit disclosed the Ministry of Transport will propose the signing of contract No. 2.1 on the design for the high-speed rail project for Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima route under the cooperation between the Thai and Chinese governments and report on the progress in the high-speed rail project for Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima to the mobile cabinet's meeting in Nakhon Ratchasima province next week. 

The Ministry of Transport will also report on the progress of the inter-urban highway's construction project, or the motorway from Bang Pa-in to Nakhon Ratchasima, along with rehabilitation efforts for flood-damaged roads in the Northeast. 

Last weekend, the Ministry of Transport inspected the construction sites of the project for constructing high-speed rail, Phase I, Klang Dong – Pang Asok station, covering a distance of 3.5 kilometers. 

Although the construction will cross into areas under the responsibility of the State Railway of Thailand or SRT, the minister believes the issue would not be problematic, as the Department of Highways is the responsible agency for the construction project.

 

-- nnt 2017-08-17

[keith101]

What's happening with the Bangkok-Chiang Mai fast train has it been put on the back burner ? 

[meatboy]

it will be a mobile cabinet meeting,does that mean its in the back of a pick up.

[mtls2005]

1 minute ago, keith101 said:

What's happening with the Bangkok-Chiang Mai fast train has it been put on the back burner ? 

 

I haven't seen this route mentioned for HSR in a year or two. Obviously it would take 10+ years to build, and the fares will be too expensive, and the schedule of two a day won't solve anyone's needs. 

 

I think the plan is to complete the dual-track build-out, complement that with newer carriages (done).

 

Trains need to stop at at least 10 spots so HSR not really an option for this route, especially with ~ 50 daily non-stop inexpensive flights.

[RichardColeman]

It will be delayed by 20 years or more for them to form a super duper committee to oversee the training of Thai nationals crossing railway lines first !

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

propose the signing of contract No. 2.1 on the design for the high-speed rail project

Yet no determination of final cost nor loan details with China. But Prayut invoked Article 44 that bypasses such requirements.

Just further proof that this project is politically motivated to satisfy the Chinese foreign policies. Economic sustainability is secondary. If it comes to past that there are cost overruns and/or loan defaults, it won't be the concern of Prayut's regime but of the next elected government.

[Ricardo]

7 hours ago, keith101 said:

What's happening with the Bangkok-Chiang Mai fast train has it been put on the back burner ? 

 

That was actually only ever the Bangkok-Phitsanulok "fast train" route,  the more-difficult/expensive completion the rest of the way to Chiang Mai was supposed to be done by some yet-to-be-identified private-company, once the first easy/cheaper bit had been completed.  But Bangkok-Chiang Mai sounds better, coming out of a politician's mouth.

 

It was part of the previous governments' proposed four-route network, the good news is that the contents of the onboard-lunchpacks have been agreed, but I wouldn't expect the rest of it anytime soon.

 

One interesting possibility is that, if the Chinese-Thailand medium-speed heavy-freight line is very successful, there is the possibility of a second medium-speed heavy-freight route  (to add further capacity)  to China via Den Chai, Chiang Rai & Chiang Khong.  Now a spur off of that, tunnelling through the mountains, might eventually give Chiang Mai a medium-speed route, but this is IMO a few decades away.  I'd love to be proven wrong, but  ...

 

The other main hope is that the under-funded SRT track-doubling project continues to move North, and enables faster trains to run on the existing metre-guage route as far as Den Chai, then via the existing single-line to Lampang and Chiang Mai. Slower but perhaps more realistic ?  

[Ricardo]

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Yet no determination of final cost nor loan details with China. But Prayut invoked Article 44 that bypasses such requirements.

Just further proof that this project is politically motivated to satisfy the Chinese foreign policies. Economic sustainability is secondary. If it comes to past that there are cost overruns and/or loan defaults, it won't be the concern of Prayut's regime but of the next elected government.

"this project is politically motivated to satisfy the Chinese foreign policies"

 

I think I might prefer to say  "politically motivated to satisfy Chinese economic policy",  their "One Belt, One Road"  initiative to open a new route to Thailand's ports & manufacturing-areas, and perhaps also make it easier to export to Thailand ?

 

With the section of the route through Laos now under-construction, there must be intense pressure to at-least start the Thai parts of the project, however the line to Ratchasima will still leave it some 600km short of the border with Laos, and there's also still the line from Kaeng Khoi to LaemChabang, Sattahip & Maptaphut to build.

 

Clearly a long way to go yet.

 

There was an interesting article & maps in the paper we can't quote (15th June 2017), google on China Thailand railway loan, which also shows the possible eventual second route via Chiang Khong,

[trainman34014]

Report on what other than more talking ?

[trainman34014]

9 hours ago, keith101 said:

What's happening with the Bangkok-Chiang Mai fast train has it been put on the back burner ? 

It never got on the front burner...just more lip service !