Chinese high-speed railway project to begin next month

BANGKOK, Oct 11 (TNA) -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that Thailand and China were cooperating well on their joint high-speed railway project and consequently its implementation would start in November. The cooperation covered joint personnel training and the construction would begin as soon as it was ready which was likely in November, Gen Prayut said. Meanwhile, the Xinhua news agency quoted Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith as saying that the government would try to solve problems related to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the railway project this month, so as to start its long-awaited construction of the railway. "As soon as the EIA is approved, we can start the construction. EIA is the requirement for the construction," Mr Arkhom said during a press conference in the Transport Ministry. He mentioned that the only remaining problem that hindered the approval of EIA lied in three cement companies in Saraburi Province. "We are now talking with the three companies and we will send the EIA for the seventh time to the expert team for approval, we hope we can figure it out in this month," Mr Arkhom said, adding that once the EIA is approved, the first section of the project can begin. The railway was planned to stretch about 250 kilometers long from the northeastern province of Nong Khai to Bangkok and the eastern seaboard. The northeastern end of the railway will connect to a railway from southern China via Laos. (TNA)