Thailand enroute to start bids for new high-speed rail in Q3

BANGKOK, February 2 (TNA) - Bidding for the first phase of the Thai government’s new high-speed train project is expected in the third quarter of this year as scheduled. Thai Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipunt told reporters today that he has instructed his ministry’s Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning to quickly hold public forums on the development of the new high-speed rail project, connecting Bangkok with Pitsanulok in the Lower Thai North, Bangkok with Nakhon Ratchasima in the Thai Northeast and Bangkok with Hua Hin in the Upper Thai South, after feasibility studies on the new high-speed train system for the routes have been already complete and approved by the government’s study committee. Chatchart acknowledged that the first phase of the project for the four routes requires investment worth some 700 billion baht. The Thai government has launched a two-stage project to build the four high-speed rail routes, connecting Bangkok with Chiang Mai in the North, Bangkok with Nong Khai in the Northeast, Bangkok with Hat Yai in the South and Bangkok with Rayong in the East, which is scheduled to be complete by 2022. (TNA)