Cabinet nods newly-proposed rail projects

BANGKOK, February 23 (TNA) - The Thai Cabinet has approved new rail development projects, recently proposed by the Joint Public-Private Consultative Committee, to expand and connect Thailand's transport and logistics networks with those of neighbouring countries, after a single community of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is formed by 2015. Deputy Government Spokesman Anusorn Iamsaad said that the Cabinet approved the new rail projects at its mobile meeting in Thailand's northeastern Udon Thani Province on Wednesday and assigned the Ministry of Transport to expedite the construction of a new 140-billion-baht Bangkok-Nong Khai dual-rail route to be complete by 2019, six years before its earlier schedule. Anusorn told journalists that the Ministry of Transport was also tasked with conducting official studies on a new 150-billion-baht Bangkok-Nong Khai speed train project to facilitate cross-border public transport and logistics between Thailand, Lao PDR and China and on a new 33-billion-baht, 336-kilometre-railroad in the Thai Northeast linking Baan Phai in Khon Kaen with Nakhon Phanom to cater some 5.4 million passengers annually and about 250,000 tons of cargo yearly by 2017. According to the deputy government spokesman, the Ministry of Transport was also tasked to conduct a feasibility study on a planned 50-60-billion-baht extension of land routes No. 211 and 212 along the Mekong River to serve cross-border public transport and logistics between Thailand, Lao PDR and Vietnam. The deputy government spokesman acknowledged that the Cabinet also discussed a plan to set up special economic zones in Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom and Nong Khai Provinces to further boost border trade and investment, as well as a proposed extension of daily opening hours of a border pass linking Nakhon Phanom with Lao PDR, from 06am-06pm to 06am-10pm, to be in accordance with international standards, assigning relevant agencies to review the plans and to later table results of their findings to the Cabinet for further consideration. Meanwhile, Deputy Government Spokesperson Chalitrat Chandrubeksa told reporters that the Cabinet also approved a 964-million-baht water sources development plan in the northeastern Udon Thani Province, covering Nonghan, Kumphawapee and Huay Luang Reservoirs, aimed to solve flood-related problems, and considered other 119 flood prevention and water management plans in Thailand's upstream, mid-way and downstream areas to be funded by a state budget of some five billion baht. (TNA)