The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will start the bidding process for two new dual-track railway projects in February 2021. The first route will be linking the Den Chai district in Phrae with the Chiang Khong district in Chiang Rai, and the second route will stretch from Ban Phai district in Khon Kaen to Nakhon Phanom through Mukdahan, helping to improve the railway systems of Thailand’s north and northeastern regions.
According to SRT governor Nirut Maneephan, the two projects will require an investment of over THB 120 billion (USD 4 billion). The Den Chai-Chiang Rai-Chiang Khong route will be 313 kilometers in length and cost THB 72 billion (USD 2.4 billion), while the 355 km-long Ban Phai-Maha Sarakham-Roi Et-Mukdahan route will require THB 55 billion (USD 1.8 billion) of investment.
The terms of reference of the projects will be published on the SRT website , and the SRT will announce the winners of the contract before the end of 2021.
2021 will also witness the inauguration of the Bang Sue Grand Station, which will replace the existing Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) and support intercity, underground, commuter, and high-speed train operations.
Thailand’s two major contractors, Sino-Thai Engineering Construction and Unique Construction and Engineering, were chosen to work on the structure of Bang Sue Grand Station, whereas Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Hitachi, and Sumitomo Corporation worked on design and construction, including the installation of tracks, control systems, and rolling stocks.
When complete, the new 520-hectare station will be the largest in South East Asia. It will be four-story-high, with 12 platforms up to 600 meters long and 24 tracks, having the capacity to accommodate up to 40 trains simultaneously, with a daily passenger capacity of 600,000.
(Sources: Bangkok Post; Railway Technology; Thailand Construction News)
