Western Orange Line project will reach cabinet soon

BANGKOK, Oct 6 (TNA) -- The Transport Ministry will propose the Western Orange Line project to the cabinet soon as it is an important link. Chaiwat Thongkhamkhun, director-general of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning and acting permanent secretary for transport, said the project would be submitted to the cabinet within this year. The western section of the Orange Line will stretch 13.4 kilometers from the Thailand Cultural Centre to Bang Khun Non area. Its construction cost was estimated at 120 billion baht. It would connect to the eastern section of the Orange Line from the cultural centre to Bangkok’s Min Buri district. Both sections would be an important East-West electric railway and the Transport Ministry expected a bidding contest to select its contractor would be organized within the term of the present government, he said. As of September, the eastern section of the Orange Line was 18.33% completed. Mr Chaiwat also said that he expected the Airport Rail Link and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority to join an integrated ticket system within this month. Some 800 buses of the BMTA on routes to electric railways should join the system first. Integrated tickets were already introduced to Blue Line and Purple Line trains. He said that an upgrade of the integrated ticket system should be completed to allow commuters to pay fares with credit cards within next year. (TNA)