Double-track railway to be developed in Thailand

BANGKOK, June 4 (TNA) - The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has asked that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) helps speed up the environmental impact assessment on the country's five double-track railway projects to accelerate their construction. SRT Governor Prapat Chongsanguan told journalists on Wednesday that he made the request when he recently reported himself to the coup council. Prapat revealed that the NCPO inquired about railway projects of the past government and the SRT and the NCPO agreed that the double-track railway projects should be accelerated, as they would play important roles in national logistics. The SRT governor elaborated that the NCPO questioned him about obstacles to the projects and he replied that the environmental impact assessment should be sped up, asking the coup council to quicken the assessment, as its delay could cause damage. The SRT affirmed that the acceleration of environmental impact assessment would not result in a negative impact, when compared with national benefit from the project, as environmental impacts are scientific issues which can be prevented by scientific solutions. (TNA)