New govt proposed to approve hi-speed rail project
The State Enterprise Policy Office (Sepo) will propose before the year's end that Yingluck Shinawatra's Cabinet approve the Bangkok-Chiang Mai high-speed rail project.
Addressing the mobile Sepo 2011 meeting at Chiang Mai's Lotus Pang Suan Kaew Hotel yesterday, Sepo director-general Somchai Sajjapongse expressed confidence that the Chiang Mai-Bangkok high-speed train would be realized during the new government's term.
He said Yingluck, a Chiang Mai native, would see the importance of the project.
Somchai said the public-private partnership (PPP) committee was pushing high-speed train projects to raise people's quality of life and the country's ability to compete.
It was very likely that not only the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route would begin in this government's term but also the Bangkok-Rayong, Bangkok-Nong Khai and Bangkok-Hat Yai routes, he added.
Somchai said the Thai government and its Chinese counterpart had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Bangkok-Nong Khai and Bangkok-Hat Yai routes.
Yingluck's government could proceed on three more high-potential routes, Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Rayong and Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani, which Sepo would get private companies to bid for.
So far, companies from countries including Japan, Korea and Germany had expressed interest to bid for them, he said.
The Bangkok-Chiang Mai route was the most promising due to positive returns on investment. The people and private sector were in agreement in wanting the project to start quickly, he said.
"According to initial discussions, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) would be the main agency in charge of it. As another Bt70 billion is needed for the construction and railing, the Finance Ministry or a joint-venture company could raise funds to invest in the project and pay the railway rental fee to SRT," he said.
Sepo and the Finance Ministry will propose this project to the new government as soon as possible, and the contract should be signed by the year's end or early next year. Sepo will quickly draft the terms of reference for the project, he said.
The Chiang Mai route, which will need a budget of Bt100 billion and shorten the journey between the cities to three hours 30 minutes, won't cause environmental impacts because its one-metre-wide railway will be built in parallel with the existing railway, he said.
The Public-Private Joint Venture Act amendment will soon be in effect, allowing the project to be realised in five years, he added.
State Enterprise Policy and Planning Bureau 1 chief Poomsak Aranyakasemsuk said the 745km route would have 13 stations in 11 provinces. The ticket price would be Bt1,200-Bt1,500 with around 29,000 passengers expected per day initially, rising to 40,000 passengers later.
Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce chairman Narong Khongprasert said the Bangkok-Chiang Mai high-speed train would bring economic, social and environmental benefits.
He said the province had 30,000 hotel rooms, attractions including the Night Safari, Royal Park Rajapreuk and International Convention and Exhibiton Centre, but didn't have an effective fuel-saving transport and logistics system.
This project will help to make Chiang Mai a hub in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, he said, adding that a suitable location for the station would be Saraphi district.
By Janjira Jarusupawat
The Nation
Chiang Mai
