Ground-breaking ceremony for Thailand-China rail project

AYUTTHAYA, Dec 19 (TNA) -- Senior Thai and Chinese government officials on Saturday attended a historic joint rail project at Chiang Rak Noi station in Bang Pa-in district in Ayutthaya province. Wuthichart Kalayanamitr, governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), rang the bell for a special train carrying SRT administrators and Chinese senior officers to travel to Chiang Rak Noi station to attend the ceremony on the construction of dual-track rail covering a total distance of 873 kilometres. Deputy Prime Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong along with Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittyapaisith and China’s State Councilor Wang Yong installed a flag at the station and at Bangkok’s Hua Lam Pong railway station, signaling the start of the now delayed project. The models of future locomotives and trains are also displayed at both railway stations. Construction of the dual-track rail starts from Bangkok to Nong Khai province bordering Laos and from Kaeng Khoi district in Saraburi province to Map Ta Phut with total investment approximately 500 billion baht. The Transport Ministry will submit a complete feasibility study, prepared by China, for the first phase from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima for the cabinet approval. Laying of designs are 80 per cent complete and the ministry plans to start the construction in the middle of 2016. Designs of the phase II which start from Kaeng Khoi to Nong Khai have now progressed by over 50 per cent and Chinese authorities plan to submit the feasibility study early next year. On interest rates which the Chinese government would charge Thailand, the Transport Ministry still wants the Beijing government to lower the rate to 2 per cent instead of 2.5 per cent. More discussions on the issue will be held in China next February. (TNA)