ID :
296606
Thu, 08/22/2013 - 13:28
Auther :

Thailand speeds up Purple Line electric train project

BANGKOK, August 22 (TNA) - Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt says his ministry is about to propose a new negotiated price of electric trains in the Purple Line project to the Thai Cabinet’s scrutiny committee, after the Cabinet previously ordered it to cut the price from 5 billion baht. Chadchart told reporters on Thursday that the latest quoted price stands at about 78 million baht per train, making the total cost of all 63 trains under the Purple Line stand at about 4.8 billion baht. According to the transport minister, his ministry will also discuss a one-kilometer-long extension of the Purple Line-electric train project, from Tao Poon to Bang Sue areas in Bangkok, to connect with the Blue Line project. The transport minister acknowledged that the Thai government wants the operator of the Purple Line to run the service on the extended link as well, while the construction of the Purple Line is 60-70 per cent complete and a bidding contest to find its operator will be staged soon. The minister noted that the fare of the Purple Line-electric train service is expected to be a flat one at 20 baht and the Thai government plans to launch the Purple Line-electric train service three years in advance. (TNA)

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